History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, Vol. I, Part 152

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn
Publication date: 1869
Publisher: Harrisburg, B. Singerly, State Printer
Number of Pages: 1360

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On the 21st of June, the regiment, together with the Fifth, Colonel Simmons, and Barr's Battery, was ordered to the support of Colonel Wallace, at Cumber- land, Maryland. Proceeding by rail to Hopewell, Bedford county, it marched thence to Bedford Springs, a distance of twenty-three miles-its first march. On the 27th, the command proceeded to the State line, a distance of about forty miles, where was established Camp Mason and Dixon. Two weeks later, Col- onel Wallace's regiment having been ordered to Martinsburg to join the com- mand of General Patterson, this portion of Maryland was left open to the enemy. A mounted force under the leadership of Colonel Angus M'Donald was destroy- ing, unchecked, the property of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and at the earnest solicitation of the officers of the road, the command broke camp on the 7th of July, and marched to Cumberland, occupying the camp which Colonel Wallace had vacated. On the 12th, a scouting party of sixty men, under com- mand of Lieutenant Colonel Kane, went forward and crossed into Virginia. At New Creek Village the party was surrounded by M'Donald's rebel cavalry, but by the skillful management of Kane, the rebels were worsted in a sharp skirmish that ensued, and driven away with the loss of eight killed and double the num- ber wounded. The scouts escaped without injury. Colonel Biddle moved with his entire command to their relief, and immediately dispatched Kane with two hundred men to follow the retreating enemy. He came up with them at Ridge-

* LETTER OF COLONEL KANE TO GOVERNOR CURTIN, JUNE 13, 1861 .- "SIR: I this day resign the post of Colonel of the Rifle Regiment of the Reserve Volunteer Corps of Pennsyl- vania, respectfully presenting for appointment by you, to fill my place, Lieutenant Colonel Charles J. Biddle, of Philadelphia, whose merits as an officer and a gentlemen need no other advocacy on my part."

¡RESOLUTIONS .- Resolved, That in accepting the resignation of our Colonel, and electing another officer in his place, which we do because he insists upon it-and calls on us to give proof of our attachment and confidence in him by this sacrifice of feeling-we desire not to be forgotten Colonel Kane's self-devotion ; therefore be it

Resolved, That we respectfully solicit Major General M'Call, if there is no rule in the ser- vice to prevent his doing so, to change the name of our regiment from the " Rifle Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve," to that of "Kane Rifle Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve." [Signed.] H. M'Donald, John Eldred, E. A. Irvin, Roy Stone, Philip Holland, Langhorn Wis- tar, A. E. Niles, William T. Blanchard.

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ville, nine miles from New Creek, and after a severe skirmish succeeded in gain- ing possession of the village, posting his little force in a stone house, which was held until Colonel Biddle with his command arrived. On the morning of the 13th, the entire command fell back, and took position at New Creek and Pied- mont, which were held until the 27th of July, when, in pursuance of orders, it returned to Harrisburg.

On the 1st of August, the regiment was reviewed by Governor Curtin, and on the 6th, was ordered to report to General Banks at Harper's Ferry. Here it was assigned to a brigade composed of the Twenty-eighth New York, the Second and Twelfth Massachusetts, and the Second United States Cavalry, commanded by Colonel George H. Thomas. In this brigade it served through all the marches made by the division until the 1st of October, when, in accord- ance with orders from the Secretary of War, it moved to Tenallytown and joined the Reserves. Here it was for a time attached to the Second Brigade, commanded by General Meade. After witnessing for the first time the drill of the regiment, the General wrote in very complimentary terms to its com- mander, in which he said: "The promptness and precision of the manœuvres, the spirited manner in which the movements were made, reflected great credit on yourself and the officers and men of your command. I feel satisfied that men giving such evidence of practice and good discipline can be relied on in the hour of trial." It being a rifle regiment and adapted to special service, General M'Call detached it from the Second Brigade, and ordered its com- mander to make his reports directly to his headquarters. Upon the advance of the division into Virginia, the Bucktails led the way. On the 20th of Octo- ber, companies A, G, H, I and K, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kane, encountered a body of the Louisiana Zouaves, (Tigers,) near Hunter's Mill. A sharp skirmish ensued, in which the Zouaves were driven with loss.

On the 12th of December, Colonel Biddle resigned to take his seat in Con- gress, to which body he had recently been elected from Philadelphia. On the 20th of December, under command of Licutenant Colonel Kane, it marched with Ord's Brigade to Dranesville, where the enemy was met in force. About noon, information was received that a large body of the rebels were in the vi- cinity, advancing upon the Centreville road. The Bucktails were at once posted in support of the battery, and the battle opened with an artillery duel, during which the infantry laid upon their arms. After a half hour the enemy's fire began to slacken. At this time Colonel Kane, who was on the right of the column, discovered that the rebel infantry were passing through an opening near the wood, evidently intending a flank movement, or designing to occupy a brick house within a hundred yards of his line. He accordingly sent a de- tachment of twenty men to take the house, which they did, and under shelter of its walls maintained a hot fire upon the advancing force, which consisted of three regiments and a battery of two small guns. As they approached, the Bucktails, inspired by the presence and example of their leader, kept up a steady and effective fire. Lying upon the ground as they loaded their pieces, they rose suddenly, took deliberate aim, and fired, then dropped upon the ground again. The fire becoming too hot for them, the rebels began to fall back. As the Bucktails arose to follow, Colonel Kane was shot in the face, the ball crush- ing through the roof of the mouth, inflicting a painful wound. But bandaging it, he continued to advance with his men. The enemy now fled in precipitation, leaving his dead and wounded upon the field, and one piece of artillery, which,

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BATTLE OF DRANESVILLE,

1862

but for the positive orders of the General in command, would have been cap- tured by the Bucktails. The loss was two men killed, and two officers and twenty-six men wounded.

On the 22d of January, 1862, an election was held for Colonel, which re- sulted in the choice of Hugh W. M'Neil, Captain of company D; Lieutenant Colonel Kane being at this time in hospital suffering greatly from the wound . received at Dranesville.

Upon the recovery of Colonel Kane sufficiently to take the field, he addressed a paper to General M'Clellan, containing the out-lines of a system of skirmish tactics which he had devised, and which he submitted for the General's opinion. The system was regarded with much favor, and the paper was returned with the following endorsement : "March 7th, 1862. Respectfully referred to Gen- eral M'Call, with instructions to detail four companies of the Kane Rifles to report to Colonel Kane, and until further orders to be drilled by Colonel Kane exclusively in the system of tactics devised by him, so far as the same is not inconsistent with the official system." In conformity with this order companies O, G, H and I were selected and placed under his tuition.

On the 10th of March, the campaign opened, and ten days of rough weather were spent, without shelter, in the march to Manassas and return to Alexan- dria. The Bucktails were now attached to the First Brigade, commanded by General Reynolds, and the Reserves were assigned to the First Corps. Upon the arrival of the regiment at Falmouth, owing to the serious illness of Colonel M'Neil, and the detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Kane, Major Stone assumed command of the remaining six companies.

About the middle of May, Colonel Kane, with his force of four companies. was ordered to report to Colonel Bayard, commanding a brigade of cavalry, The brigade being the extreme advance of General M'Dowell, the Bucktails were pushed on a reconnoissance to within six miles of Hanover Court House, whence they were re-called and ordered to support Fremont in the pursuit of Stonewell Jackson up the Shenandoah Valley. The brilliant service of the brigade between May 25th, and June 6th, following, is a memorable period in their history. They led Freement's extreme advance throughout the entire pur- suit, conducting their marching and fighting according to their peculiar tactics. In twelve successive days, during seven of which they were constantly engaged with the enemy, they marched nearly twenty miles a day, and counting flank marching and service in fight, exclusive of foraging, an estimate of thirty-two more. Without tents, blankets, or regular rations (there being issued to them in twelve days only three and a half rations of crackers, one of meat and two of coffee and sugar,) they outmarched and wore down all the horses of the cav- alry. Thus in less than a fortnight the effective force of the battalion was reduced to one hundred and twenty-eight men. On the 6th of June, upon their arrival at Harrisonburg, at evening, reports came that the First New Jersey Cav- alry had fallen into an ambuscade, and that the wounded, including Captain Haines, a brave young officer, were left lying upon the field. It was necessary to know the position and strength of the enemy. It was important, also, to keep him too hard pressed to suffer him to act separately against Shields, whose command he could not cope with when united with Fremont's. Colonel Kane and his scouts, one hundred and four in number, voluntered to go forward, hoping to rescue the wounded. Advancing through a wood to the left of the road, they suddenly encountered a rebel regiment in line of battle. Sending

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back the good tidings that he had found the enemy, he at once attacked. The enemy's line broke in front under the Bucktail fire, and was driven back; but others on the line held their ground or closed inward. When it was evident that the enemy was in force, private Martin Kelly signalized himself by an act of heroic devotion. The line of the enemy was protected from the fire of the battalion by the crest of a hill, the Fifty-eighth Virginia being formed but a few paces in front. Kelly seeing that the Colonel was about to give the order to advance, said "Colonel shall I draw their fire ?" and deliberately stepping from behind a tree received, without flinching, a volley of balls, falling dead upon the instant. Relying upon a promise of support from General Fremont, the Bucktails stoutly held their ground under cover of the trees, loading and firing with the accuracy for which they were celebrated. Colonel Kane was wounded in the leg early in the fight; but leaning against a tree he directed the battle. The rebel line beginning to waver, an officer stepped out in front and urged them on, the emphatic "Virginians!" sounding through all the din. Private Holmes, who had already received a mortal wound, and was lying close by Colonel Kane, rose up and deliberately fired at the officer, who leaped sharply up and fell dead .* It was the rebel General Ashby, who was commanding Stuart's Brigade, consisting of the Forty-fourth and Fifty-eighth Virginia, the First Maryland and a Louisiana Regiment of this brigade. Against this pow- erful force the handful of Bucktails was contending, at every moment in ex- pectation that reinforcements would come; but though repeatedly called for, and, as is alleged, two regiments were ordered, none ever appeared on the ground. After maintaining the contest for upwards of an hour, and finding the rebel force closing in upon him, Colonel Kane gave the signal to scatter; but scarcely had it been given, when he was struck heavily on the breast with a sharp heeled rifle, throwing him senseless upon the ground. Captain Taylor drew off the remnant of the command, but unwilling to leave his commander alone, wounded, upon the field, turned back to rescue him facing the fire, and was captured. t The enemy recognizing his chivalrous conduct offered him his parole; but he

* Ashby witnessed this result, and the persistent stand of his opponents, with fiery impa- tience. He directed the Fifty-eighth to cease firing. and press the enemy with the bayonet ; and, putting spur to his horse, rushed forward, shouting "Virginians charge," when the ani- mal was shot under him and fell. In an instant he was on his feet, and again advanced. He had not, however, moved ten steps, and was still ordering the men not to fire, but depend on the bayonet, when a bullet pierced his body, and he fell dead almost instantly, at the very moment when the shout of triumph around him indicated the repulse of the enemy .- Military Biography of Stonewall Jackson, John Esten Cooke, (Rebel,) p. 170.

¡ It was perhaps two hours after, that orders came for three regiments of infantry to retrace the steps they had taken in the morning, and we felt sure, from the command being accom- panied by General Ewell in person that some serious work was on hand. The regiments se- lected were the Fifty-eighth and Forty-fourth Virginia and the First Maryland. After moving through the woods for some distance we were met by General Ashby, when the command was halted and two companies of the First Maryland thrown forward as skirmishers under the immediate eye, I may say, command, of Ashby. The reserves followed closely, and in half an hour three or four shots announced that the enemy was near. The Fifty-eighth was ordered up and soon became hotly engaged. The fire of the enemy was very deadly, and the Fifty- eighth recoiled before it. * * * After the fall of Ashby, the troops engaged fell back in great confusion, when General Ewell, rushing through a storm of bullets, ordered the Marylanders to charge. Under the gallant Johnson they rushed to the attack, and, after a short but sanguinary engagement, drove the enemy from the field. We then discovered that we had encountered the celebrated Bucktail Rifles, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Kane, who was wounded and a prisoner in our hands .- Memoirs of Ashby, Avirett, (Rebel,) p. 222-3.

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BATTLE OF CROSS KEYS.

refused it as did Colonel Kane. The loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners was fifty-two, just half of the entire number engaged. One prisoner was taken be- sides the officers named, his thigh broken by a musket ball. A published rebel statement showed that the loss of the enemy in killed and wounded in that hour of contest with the Bucktails was five hundred and fifty-nine.

On Sunday, June 8th, the enemy was met at Cross Keys, and a severe en- gagement occurred between the forces of Jackson and Fremont. The remnant of the Bucktails, less than a hundred strong, were again in the front line, and when, after holding their position in conjunction with the Twenty-seventh Penn- sylvania, Colonel Bushbeck, until Fremont's line was driven back, and they were supposed to be cut off and captured, they fought their way out, bringing off the pieces they had been ordered to support. After the battle, Colonel Pil- son, chief of artillery, shook each man roughly by the hand, and thanked them ; particularly for having saved his best battery. General Fremont gave them rations from his own headquarters.

Soon after the departure of Lieutenant Colonel Kane with his four compa- nies for service in the Shenandoah Valley, Major Stone, with the remaining six companies, four hundred strong, embarked for the Peninsula, arriving on the 9th of June, and on the 13th, went into camp at Dispatch Station. On the fol- lowing night it was ordered with other Reserve regiments to counter-march and re-open communication with White House, the base of supply for the whole army, which had been broken by Stuart's famous raid in its rear. The enemy was overtaken near the landing, and a slight skirmish ensued. On the follow- ing day the command returned to camp, and was immediately ordered to move along the north bank of the Chickahominy, and take position on the extreme right of the army, directly north of Richmond, and only four miles distant. From the 18th to the 26th, the Battalion was engaged in picket duty along the river, and in entrenching the position chosen for a final stand on Beaver Dam Creek.

On the morning of the 26th, two companies were stationed at the railroad and Meadow bridge, another to the left of the bridge, and the remaining three, which at first were held in reserve, were later ordered to the support of the cavalry, which was falling back before a superior force of the enemy. Scarcely were these supporting companies deployed, when they found themselves as- sailed by his advancing columns. A well directed volley checked his advance and threw his lines into some confusion. Another and another was delivered. At this juncture, Major Stone learned that the three companies which he had left guarding the bridges in his rear had been withdrawn by order of Colonel Simmons, who was in command of the grand guard, and that the enemy, ad- vancing, had already cut off his retreat. Masking his movement by a show of great activity, he withdrew, and making a wide detour to the north, contesting, the ground with determination as he went, Major Stone succeeded in bringing in two companies, Captains Wistar and Jewett, to their intrenchments, where the three companies, withdrawn by order of Colonel Simmons, were already in position. One company, Captain Irvin, was cut off, and withdrawing to a. swamp, held out for three days, capturing many of the enemy's stragglers; but eventually, was forced by hunger to come forth and surrender. The loss in the movement in killed, wounded and prisoners was seventy-five. The enemy suf- fered severely from the well directed fire of these marksmen of the forest. The earthworks which the men had previously thrown up under the supervision of 115

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FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT-BUOKTAIL.

Major Stone, now served an excellent purpose, protecting the gunners at the batteries, and the riflemen in their exposed position. The engagement opened on the part of the line which the Bucktails held at half-past four P. M. The fords which they covered were especially coveted by the cnemy, and for the possession of these he made his attacks with the energy of desperation, re- peatedly advancing with fresh lines; but the steady fire and unerring aim of these well schooled riflemen was too terrible to brave, and at nightfall he re- linquished the contest, leaving them secure in their position. The loss was slight, being but two men killed, and two officers and sixteen men wounded. Two companies of the United States Sharp Shooters, Captains Drew and Gi- roux, were attached to the Battalion, and acted with great gallantry. Colonel M'Quade, of the Fourteenth New York, was ordered to relieve Major Stone in the evening, but he declined to be relieved except as to picket duty, and the men slept in the trenches where they fought.

On the morning of the 27th, the division was ordered to retire to Gaines' Mill. Major Stone was directed to hold his position until the main body was well on its way. He accordingly pushed out his sharp-shooters to right and left to keep up the appearance of still occupying the whole line, and at day- light opened fire upon the enemy, who had advanced under cover of night and planted new batteries, within grape shot range, and had fresh infantry in line in undiminished numbers. So long as the ammunition of the battery held out a hot fire was kept up. But at six A. M., it being entirely expended, the order was given to retire. Under a heavy fire of artillery, with the enemy already on his flanks and pressing hard his rear, Major Stone commenced the retreat. At three hundred yards from the ford, Captain Holland was posted, with orders to obstruct the road and cover the withdrawal of the main body. Captain Wis- tar was directed to destroy the bridge at the Mill Hospital. A part of company E, Captain Niles, and a part of company D, holding a detached position on the line, failed to receive the order to fall back, and in the confusion they were not missed from the command, until the bridge was destroyed and it was too late to return for them. This accident, however, was most fortunate in its results; for this small body, falling back through woods and swamps, engaged the enemy at various points until late in the day, which so puzzled and annoyed him, that his attack on the lines at Gaincs' Mill was thereby delayed for many hours. They were captured at last, but not until a whole division of the enemy had been employed to surround them. This detachment unfortunately had the colors, the State flag presented by Governor Curtin. It was not, however, surrendered, but was concealed in a swamp. Had the battle of Gaines' Mill commenced earlier, it is not difficult to divine in what disaster to our army it would have ended. General Reynolds complimented the command warmly for its galiant conduct in covering the withdrawal, and recommended its leader for promotion. "I take great pleasure," he says, " in bearing testimony to the gal- lantry and good conduct displayed by him, (Major Roy Stone,) while in com- mand of the First Pennsylvania Rifles, at Mechanicsville and Gaines' Mill, and particularly in covering the withdrawal of our troops from the former to the latter position on the morning of the 27th of June, which took place under my personal supervision. I know of no officer more worthy to be placed at the head of a brigade of light troops." The loss in the morning's engagement and retreat was more than half of its effcetive force, and upon its arrival at Gaines' Mill it could muster but six officers and one hundred and twenty-five men.

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1862

GAINES' MILL AND CHARLES CITY CROSS ROADS.

At Gaines' Mill the battalion occupied a position on the right of the First Brigade. The enemy in front was concealed by woods, except two of his bat- teries, which were visible at a distance of five hundred yards. Upon these the fire of the Rifles was concentrated, compelling frequent changes of position, and finally silencing the guns. For nearly four hours its position was little changed. Upon the retirement of the troops on its right, its ammunition being nearly spent, and relief, promised by General Reynolds, failing to come, it fell back. The loss in killed and wounded was one officer and twenty-five men.

On the evening of the 28th, the command commenced the march through White Oak Swamp, and during the night of the 29th, performed picket duty on the Richmond road, leading to Charles City. Many of the slightly wounded, and those who had been cut off, here joined the command, increasing its numbers to five officers and one hundred and fifty of the Bucktails, and five officers and eighty-four men of the United States sharp-shooters. In the battle of the 30th, at Charles City Cross Roads, the command was posted in rear of the batteries on the right of the First Brigade. When the brigade made its first charge, Major Stone was ordered to move to the left of the Parrott guns. The charge was vigorously made and was successful; but the enemy, giving no time for the troops to re-form, hurled heavy masses upon their broken and somewhat disordered ranks, driving them back in confusion. Hugging the ground until the retiring forces had passed, the Bucktails sprang to their feet and poured in a deadly volley, continuing to fire for some minutes; but finally overborne by superior numbers, and finding that his command was in the centre of a mur- derous fire at short range, Major Stone gave the word to retire just in time to escape being surrounded. The enemy maintained the pursuit but a short distance, when he wheeled to the right. The worsted troops from several regi- ments were now rallied and re-formed under the command of Major Stone. At dusk the force moved forward in excellent line of battle. "General M'Call had come out of the woods," says Major Stone in his official report, "wounded and alone, and taken his place at the head of the column. After the halt the Gen- eral took me forward a few paces with him, and in the darkness suddenly we found ourselves close upon the levelled muskets of a column of the enemy which filled the road in front of us. We were ordered to halt and dismount, but I turned and escaped, only slightly hurt, drawing two volleys from the enemy. General M'Call was not so fortunate, and is in the hands of the enemy. My men at the same time had captured the Colonel of a rebel regiment with a small party who were scouting in our direction. I formed my first company across the road, and went to the rear by order of Major General Kearney, in search of a battery to sweep the road in front. I soon became, however, so faint and dizzy from the effects of my hurt, that I was taken to the hospital, and took no further part in the action, which soon terminated." The loss in the command was unprecedentedly large-being nearly two-thirds of its entire number-two officers and ninety men killed, wounded and taken prisoners of the Rifles, and two officers and fifty-six men of the United States sharp-shooters. At the close of the battle the remnants of the battalion occupied the very ground which they had held when they entered it, and after a short respite moved off to Malvern Hill.

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History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, Vol. I, Part 152

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn Publication date: 1869 Publisher: Harrisburg, B. Singerly, State Printer Number of Pages: 1360

Author: Bates, Samuel P. (Samuel Penniman), 1827-1902. cn
Publication date: 1869
Publisher: Harrisburg, B. Singerly, State Printer
Number of Pages: 1360