USA > Pennsylvania > Annals of the Sixth Pennsylvania cavalry > Part 21
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
335
DINWIDDIE COURTHOUSE.
It was twilight, and almoft dark, when the advancing 1865. infantry line fired its firft fhot, the flafh twinkling like Mar. 31ft. a fpark in the edge of the woods. Generals Sheridan, Merritt, and Cufter, with fome ftaff officers, rode up the line as the bullets began to hifs, and with cheers and fhouts our men braced themfelves for the encounter, and poured forth a rattling welcome to the oncoming enemy, the guns of our artillery joining in the chorus of our volleys. It was foon too dark to fee far, but we all grew confcious that each moment the enemy's ardour was dy- ing away, and that he had abandoned his purpofe of driving us from the field. In a clofe defenfive fight, he found, no doubt, that carbines, well handled, are a mer- cilefs foe to face, and, fo reflecting, he paufed and ceafed firing ; and when we were fatisfied that he declined the combat, we leaned on our arms and refted from the tur- moils of this hard day. In our regiment it had coft us Lieutenant Magee, killed, befides Lieutenant-Colonel Morrow and the men who were difabled, none of whom, happily, were mortally wounded. Lieutenant Magee had juft been promoted ; he had diftinguifhed himfelf on many fields, and had won an excellent name for all fol- dierly qualities. He fell in the front of his men, doing his duty manfully, and bearing his part in upholding the honour of his regiment and the caufe for which he . fought.
We flept that night foundly and well, near to where we had fired our laft fhots ; and the enemy lay down in our front, acrofs the Five Forks Road, intending then, no doubt, to renew the fight at daybreak, if we fhould ftill audacioufly remain at Dinwiddie. Davies and Devin
336
RETREAT OF THE REBELS.
1865. joined us after dark, and General Sheridan had his com- mand together for the morrow, not at all the worfe in fpirits for this day's hard fighting.
The Army of the Potomac, under General Meade, had moved out on the 29th from its old lines in front of Peterfburg, and was now in part advanced nearly to the White Oak Road, on our right front. A divifion of the 5th Corps, fent to us as a reinforcement, marched down the Boydton Plankroad as we lay fleeping on the night of the 3Ift, and this movement coming to the ear of the enemy fcared them away in the early morning of Apl. Ift. the Ift of April ; and when we awoke, before day, the rebels were already on the march. The laft of them difappeared in the woods as we moved down to the fork of the road, where General Sheridan's aid had found us the day before ; and juft as the head of our column reached that point, the divifion of the 5th Corps, under General Ayres, gained it alfo. They fat down to reft and get breakfaft, while we pufhed on through the mud and trees on the trail of the retreating enemy.
Weakened by the loffes of the previous day's fighting, the 6th Pennfylvania Cavalry numbered hardly a hand- ful now; but we preffed forward with the brigade, to bear our fhare of whatever the fates had in ftore for us. Fighting there would furely be, and fome glory we hoped. We were not long in overtaking the rebel rear-guard, which came to a ftand in every favorable place, and fought to delay us by boldnefs. But our cavalry moved up as fteadily and fpeedily as the very bad ground would permit ; and, after one or two efforts to check us with volleys from haftily conftructed works, the enemy was
FIVE FORKS. 337
forced to a quick retreat, and halted again only when 1865. he had fheltered himfelf behind his ftrong fortifications Apl. Ift. on the White Oak Road, above and below Five Forks. Our regiment was in the advance, and when, in front of thefe formidable lines, the 6th Pennfylvania Cavalry for the laft time difmounted to fight on foot, there ftood in the ranks but 48 men bearing carbines. Thefe all went into the fight. There were no Nos. 4 left be- hind to hold horfes that day. Every man was willing and eager to do his part, and the horfes were given in charge to officers' fervants and fuch other peaceful fol- lowers as could be borrowed for the occafion. Taking a fmall cow-path on the right of the road to Five Forks, we trudged on till we encountered the enemy's fkirmifh- ers in a belt of woods, juft in front of their main line on the White Oak Road, and then we deployed and commenced firing, the rebels retiring before us as we were reinforced by the reft of our brigade. When they were fafe behind their earthworks, we fecured the beft cover we could find, and kept up a fharp fkirmifh fire, and made feints of attack, to diftract the enemy's atten- tion from the flank movement of infantry that General Sheridan was planning on our right.
All of the 5th Corps, under Warren, had reported to General Sheridan fince we left Ayres's men by the road- fide, and now a movement was on foot to burft fuddenly upon the enemy's left flank with that corps, while we of the cavalry affailed him in front. We could fee nothing of this infantry, but the orders were that when we fhould hear heavy mufketry firing on our right, this would be our fignal to affault. So we fkirmifhed and
43
338
FIVE FORKS.
1865. coquetted with the unfufpecting enemy, keeping up an Apl. Ift. appearance of intention to attack; and ftill the fignal did not come. We might have been ourfelves attacked, and may be driven away, had the co-operating move- ment come to the knowledge of the waiting rebels; but fortune was fmiling upon us, and they contented them- felves with fuch ftray fhots as fome of their anxious markfmen thought fit to favour us with.
Either by accident or defign the woods caught fire while we were waiting in their fhelter for the fignal to advance, and blinding fmoke was added then to the en- emies which we had to encounter. The thick under- growth burned brifkly, and threatened to make our places too hot to hold us ; but each man for himfelf made a clearing about him, and kicked away the dead leaves underfoot, and ftood to his poft firmly, ufing his carbine as often as there feemed to be a chance to do any harm with it.
About 4 P. M. there was a flight pattering of mufketry where we thought to hear the fignal volleys, and in a moment they came too. What a terrific roar! The woods rang with it as the 5th Corps, on our right, fwept over the White Oak Road, and the battle of Five Forks was begun. This thundering falute, fo welcome to us, was a fhock of furprife to the enemy in our front. Once or twice they had moved out ftrong columns on our right, as if to penetrate the woods in that direction, to fee if they were as empty as they were ftill; but a few fhots from us had caufed them to withdraw, as if afhamed of fufpecting us of any hidden ftrategy. Now that their worft fufpicions were to be more than realized,
339
FIVE FORKS.
they were all unprepared to meet this great emergency ; and as the rattling mufketry came clofer and clofer upon us, a cloud of gray foldiers rolled heavily back before it, along the White Oak Road. Without further orders the cavalry advanced at once, we in our place, of courfe, and getting acrofs the path of the retreating rebels, brought them to a ftand. Our infantry now appeared, and joined us on our right, and while the confufed and broken enemy ftood aghaft at the fudden difafter, they were enveloped on every fide, and had no choice but furrender.
Leaving this detachment in the hands of an infantry guard, we then turned up the White Oak Road, and, in conjunction with Ayres's and Griffin's Divifions, of the 5th Corps, preffed on toward Five Forks, where the en- emy's battery was, and where already there was a heavy fight raging, as the cavalry of Cufter and Devin on our left attempted to gain the works. As we neared the Forks our forces alfo became hotly engaged, and the enemy, forely befet, made defperate efforts to keep pof- feffion of this key of his pofition. But his gallantry and defperation were foon feen to be futile, and not long after we opened fire on his flank, the brave cavalrymen in his front were fwarming over the earthworks in the teeth of his guns, fome on horfeback and fome on foot. We hurried on, too, enfilading his line with a very warm fire, and gained the battery, in company with Griffin and Ayres, almoft as foon as our fellow-troopers who charged it. The enemy broke in great confufion, abandoning their artillery and throwing away their mufkets, and fled in every direction which feemed to offer the means of
1865. Apl. Ift.
340
FIVE FORKS.
1865. efcape. Some went by the Ford Road and tried to get Apl. Ift. acrofs Hatcher's Run, and fo to the Southfide Railroad ; but thefe were quickly turned about by Crawford's Di- vifion of the 5th Corps and Mackenzie's Divifion of cavalry, which by this time had gained that road in their rear. Some went up the White Oak Road, and thefe were fpeedily captured by the mounted regiments of Cufter, which, as foon as the battery was carried, dafhed into the road and galloped away in purfuit.
We faw them ride off, but were not able to join them, for our horfes were ftill far back in the rear, waiting for their riders patiently. It was almoft dark as we ftood among the captured guns; and the broken enemy of- fered no more refiftance where we could help to engage him. The battle died faft away about us, and in a few moments was borne far off into the fombre woods and came to an end in their gloom. We got up our horfes then and went into camp on the battle-field, congratu- lating each other on the glorious victory and on the fafety of our little party ; for in fpite of the ftirring fight and the random firing through which we had paffed, no- body of ours was killed, and a good Providence feemed to have watched over us all day.
-
This was the laft battle in which we took much part, for the next morning General Merritt, thinking us too weak to do a regiment's duty in the brigade, ordered us to his headquarters as efcort and guard, and we marched with him for the reft of the campaign, and our carbines fwung idly over our fhoulders from Five Forks to Ap- pomattox Courthoufe. Our men were actively em- ployed, though, and did a great deal of hard work on
341
FIVE FORKS.
that long ride. We were ufed in all forts of ways, for 1865. all forts of things, and found that an efcort is not the Apl. Ift. eafieft place to ferve in through a cavalry campaign. We faw about as much of the finifh as any one faw, and bore our part in whatever was done. We were al- moft conftantly in the faddle, by night as well as by day ; we rode to the front when there was fighting, and did duty in many capacities on the field ; and after a hard day's work, when the moft of the cavalry were fleeping, we often were up and about.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINTH.
The Pursuit and Surrender of Lee.
1865. T HE battle of Five Forks was the fignal for a gen- eral attack on Lee's lines by the Army of the Apl. 2d. Potomac; and by daylight next morning, General Meade's troops were fwarming over the enemy's earth- works at Peterfburg, capturing thoufands of prifoners, who had no time to efcape. Getting an early breakfaft on the 2d, we, of General Merritt's command, pufhed acrofs Hatcher's Run, and advanced toward the South- fide Railroad, driving in our front a fmall force of the enemy's cavalry, which diffolved at our approach, with- out refifting us. At the railroad we found no oppofi- tion ; and there we turned to the right and followed the track toward Sutherland's Depot, where General Sher- idan, with the 5th Corps, already was. Turning to the left, here, we moved in the direction of the Appomattox River, and went into camp that night at a little place called Scott's Corner. There were broken, fhattered parties of the enemy all about us, who had drifted away from the late difafters in their lines at Five Forks and Peterfburg ; but we had no fighting to fpeak of: indeed thefe parties were much more anxious to give themfelves up than to give battle.
343
THE PURSUIT.
Richmond, as well as Peterfburg, fell into General 1865. Grant's hands this day, and all reafonable hope for Gen- Apl. 3d. eral Lee now lay in his chance of efcape to Danville, to join General Johnfton, where he would try to retrieve his fortunes by mingling them with others equally defper- ate ; for Johnfton's army in North Carolina was befet by as many difficulties as now encompaffed the Army of Northern Virginia. But General Sheridan, bent on dif- fipating even this fmall ray of hope which remained to General Lee, ftarted his cavalry forward next morning, the 3d, before the larks were up, to gain the Danville Railroad in advance of General Lee, or interrupt the march of his retreating troops in that direction. We had the fhorter line of march, and bearing to our left we moved rapidly upon the Namozine Road, fkirting the right bank of the Appomattox River.
Early on the 4th we encountered at Tabernacle Apl. 4th. Church the enemy's columns and trains, preffing on hur- riedly toward Amelia Courthoufe, a point on the Dan- ville Railroad where Lee was concentrating his forces. General Merritt attacking vigoroufly and capturing many prifoners and wagons, delayed the enemy's march ; and it feemed likely at one time that he would effectually put a ftop to it on this fide of the Appomattox. But Lee was compelled by his neceffities to keep this road open, and fo he fent to oppofe our cavalry a force of infantry fo ftrong in numbers that our men were unable to break through it; and with his fuccefs of the morn- ing, General Merritt was obliged to be fatisfied. After dark we were recalled from this errand, which prom- ifed to be a fruitlefs one, and were ordered to follow
344
THE PURSUIT.
1865. the line of General Sheridan's march with the 5th Corps, toward Amelia Courthoufe. En route we en- countered the 2d Army Corps, which was haftening on to reinforce him, and we had a moft tirefome ride all Apl. 5th. night, ftriving to make headway in a crowded road walled in by impenetrable woods. At Jeterfville, five miles below Amelia Courthoufe, we found the 5th Corps and General Crook's Cavalry in line of battle, and Gen- eral Sheridan fent us out to the left of the line after the 2d Corps had formed on the left of the 5th. Mean- time Crook's Divifion, which had gone on a reconnoif- fance toward Amelia Courthoufe, and had captured a wagon train, was violently attacked by a ftrong body of the enemy's infantry and driven back rapidly toward Je- terfville. We ftood to horfe in General Merritt's com- mand, hearing the firing, that was coming clofer and clofer, and expecting every moment to fee the enemy come over the brow of the hill in our front, when there would be ftirring work for our cavalry to do, as the ground was open and gave us a chance to ride horfes into a fight. But the enemy did not crown the creft, and we foon were trotted over to the extreme right of our line by an order from General Sheridan, who was planning a cavalry movement there in cafe Lee's troops fhould continue to advance. It is a pity that they halted where they did, for there was a little valley winding along the front of the 5th Corps, through which our troopers could have fwept like a wind upon the flank of any force that had come down to attack our infantry. With Crook's return, however, the fighting ended for the day, and darknefs came on foon after.
345
THE PURSUIT.
We were undifturbed that night by any of war's 1865. alarms, and woke next morning, the 6th, to find work Apl. 6th. to do, foon after daylight, on the Deatonfville Road, five miles on our left, as we looked toward Amelia Courthoufe. General Crook's reconnoiffance of the day before had fhown that the enemy was trying to fteal a march by paffing our left flank and avoiding a fight for the railroad lines : fo at earlieft dawn General Sher- idan fent Crook out again on our left, and before the fun peeped over the murky horizon his cavalry had be- gun to worry the flying trains and troops which Gen- eral Lee, by this new road, was feeking to pilot to Dan- ville. General Merritt moved up in fupport of Crook, and we got the entire benefit of a very brifk fhelling in- tended by the enemy for him. When General Sher- idan came up he fent us all off to the left, to try for a better opening, this one of Crook's not promifing well, owing to the heavy force that the enemy fhowed on the flank of his wagons here. We rode on then paral- lel to the Deatonfville Road, where the hurrying trains could be plainly feen, and Merritt and Crook were in- ftructed to pafs each other from time to time, while each fhould feek a chance to gain a footing in the en- emy's column. For a good while no favourable oppor- tunity for an attack was feen, and by the afternoon our flanking movement had carried us over a little ftream, called Sailor's Creek, that runs into the Appomattox.
Feeling then along the line of the enemy's march be- yond the ftream, and there feeming to be fome profpect of fuccefs at laft, a handfome effort was made by Crook's Divifion to get poffeffion of the Prince Edward Court-
44
346
THE PURSUIT.
Apl. 6th.
1865. houfe Road, into which the enemy now had ftruck. They failed at firft to make an impreffion, as well they might in the face of fuch a warm reception as they met ; for the enemy guarded the road with a heavy infantry force, and was evidently difpofed to fight defperately for the right of way. But General Devin foon came up on the left of General Crook, General Cufter was foon charging gallantly on his right, and then General Ewell's troops found it impoffible any longer to hold our brave cavalry in check : the impetuous troopers fwept over the temporary earthworks which lined the road, and, riding down all oppofition, were foon among the coveted wagon trains. They captured many officers and men and much fpoil of guns and vehicles and mules (the lat- ter two fomewhat the worfe for wear) ; but hurrying the prifoners away to the rear and burning whatever was combuftible, they preffed on ftill through the enemy's column and fought to make a junction with General Sheridan, who was thought to be near by, fomewhere on Sailor's Creek, with the 6th Army Corps, which had temporarily reported to him, the 5th Corps having been returned to General Meade. As we gained a creft overlooking the creek, the rear-guard of Ewell was feen juft below us, warmly engaged with the gallant 6th Corps, which had croffed the water and was trying to drive Ewell's men from their ftrong pofition on the hill- fide. Our cavalry meanwhile was preffing on, and, to the utter aftonifhment of our enemies, now burft into view from among the pine trees on the creft. There was no time to form a line to meet them ; there was not a moment from the firft alarm till they were riding pell-
347
THE PURSUIT.
mell through the enemy's ftaggered troops, which in an- 1865. other moment, completely hemmed in and panic ftricken as they were, threw down their arms and furrendered. It was a thing of an inftant almoft : each man had feen for himfelf what needed to be done and had not faltered in the doing. It was one of the fineft of our cavalry fucceffes, and to our men it was almoft a bloodlefs vic- tory, for in the rufh of their bold charge they had trampled all danger under foot.
It was quite dark before the infantry and General Sheridan reached the ridge from which our troopers had borne down fo refiftleffly, and here, by this time, were gathered the fhattered remnants of Ewell's force, in- cluding himfelf and his generals; for, to the great hon- our and glory of the 6th Corps and the cavalry, hiftory has to tell that, fo far as is known, Ewell's whole com- mand, some 10,000 men in all, it is thought, fell into the fnare which General Sheridan fpread fo fuccefsfully on the banks of Sailor's Creek.
Lee, with the remnant of his army, recoiled before this heavy blow, and, forfaking now the highroads to Danville, reeled back towards the headwaters of the Appomattox, and croffed that river at Farmville, hoping perhaps to find fome refpite from purfuit or to miflead the relentlefs flankers who were fruftrating all his de- vices of efcape. But on the morning of the 7th our Apl. 7th. cavalry ftill bore to the left as it marched, without regard to Lee's backward movement, and paffing through Prince Edward Courthoufe, a little town on the Rich- mond, Prince Edward, and Danville Pike, we left Farm- ville and General Lee far away on our right and preffed
348
THE PURSUIT.
1865. forward to Profpect Station, on the Richmond and Lynchburg Railroad-a march of nearly thirty miles- before we called a halt. It was thought that General Lee's army would foon be compelled to feek this rail- road for fupplies, which now could be drawn only from Lynchburg; and fo General Sheridan determined to keep his cavalry in hand on this line, feeling certain that before very long it would encounter here the head of Lee's retreating column.
Apl. 8th.
Early on the 8th we fet out again, marching now with our faces toward Lynchburg, and, following the railroad, ftill difregarded the momentary whereabouts of General Lee. To Appomattox Station, fome twenty- five miles in our front, comes the Cumberland Road, a good broad highway, which Lee might eafily gain from Farmville ; and our march to-day was for that point, where it was hoped we might intercept him. Late in the afternoon, as we were riding behind General Mer- ritt, between his two divifions, General Cufter, in ad- vance, ftruck the enemy at the ftation, and the evidence of their prefence there was borne back to us on the wind in rapid reports of artillery. We hurried on to fee what fort of fight the impetuous Cufter had found, and juft as we gained the ftation fome of his leading regiments were furrounding four heavy fupply trains, that had lately arrived from Lynchburg by rail with rations for General Lee, while acrofs the track and up the road and through - the woods a perfect ftorm of fhells was hurled from fome unfeen fource. Cufter's men rapidly difappeared among the trees, where, for a moment, there was a fearful fufil- ade of mufketry and heavy guns; but as Devin came
349
THE PURSUIT.
up on Cufter's right, and difmounting his men advanced to his fupport, the firing ceafed; and as the fun went down, his laft blink over the hills faw us peacefully gath- ering in the fruits of a brilliant little victory. Some of the trains and fupplies were burned, and fome were run off to Farmville ; twenty-five guns and as many wagons rewarded Cufter's dafh at the artillery parks, and to him and Devin more than one thoufand prifoners were to be credited.
Night found us on the road to Appomattox Court- houfe, toward which place a demoralized remnant from the ftation had flown, and we lay down here for our laft fleep in the lap of actual war; for, though we hardly hoped for fuch good fortune then, the morning would fee us toffed fuddenly into the arms of peace.
Shortly after daybreak on the 9th of April-a day to Apl. 9th. be always remembered with pride and pleafure by all of us-we became aware that heavy reinforcements had come to our fupport, and, as the enemy came down from Appomattox Courthoufe and opened their fierce attack on General Crook, in our front, it was pleafant to fee that long lines of our infantry were forming in the woods behind him, and before very long would con- front the ardent troops of General Lee, who feemed confident of breaking through to the railroad. Mean- time General Merritt's command was not engaged, and our men fcouted about everywhere to learn what was going on, and here and there one got himfelf among the enemy.
Sergeant Golden went into a fight with one of Crook's brigades, on the left of the line, and charging in the
1865.
350
THE FLAG OF TRUCE.
1865. woods, wounded himfelf in the face with his own fabre, Apl. 9th. which rebounded from the branch of a tree as he cut at a rebel who was galloping away. Soon General Mer- ritt was moved out to the right, and he advanced toward the Courthoufe leifurely, while Crook gave way in the fame direction to unmafk the infantry, which now was ready to take his place.
As the cavalry thus withdrew from the enemy's front we could hear the cheers of Lee's tried troops, who thought that at laft they fhould make good their efcape ; but in a moment they were ftruck dumb with furprife as the grand line of the 5th Corps and General Ord's com- mand furged forward to the open fields and prefented its impaffable front. From this new and unexpected ca- lamity the enemy fell back amazed; our infantry fol- lowed them filently, in battle array, and our cavalry, with Cufter in advance, pufhing rapidly out on the right, foon caught fight of Lee's trains and guns lying almoft unprotected in the valley beyond the Courthoufe. Re- garding thefe with eager eyes, and joyfully noting the fteady advance of our infantry line, General Merritt's command was gathering up the reins for what would doubtlefs be a final charge, when an order to halt paffed along the column. In a moment it was known that a flag of truce had been received, and then, after a rouf- ing cheer, each man dropped his reins from his hand, and difmounting from his horfe fat quietly down by the roadfide to await the furrender of Lee.
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.