USA > Pennsylvania > History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, Vol. II > Part 34
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Wolf, David .do
Nov. 21, '61, 3
Mustered out. Dec. 19, 1864, to date November 21, 1864-expiration of term.
Transferred to company B-date unknown-Vet. Not on muster-ont roll.
Weiss, Joseph F. S do Weaver, John B. .do
Dec. 13, '61, Dec. 23, '61, Feb. 24, '65, Feb. 3, '62,
Transferred to company F-date unknown- Vet. Not on muster-out roll. Not on muster-out roll.
Weber, Ignatz. .do
Jan. 17, '62, Sept. 25, '62, Oct. 22, '6],
3 Not on mnster-ont roll. 3 Transferred to company B-date unknown.
Youndt, William H .. do
3 Pr. to Cor. company B-date unknown-Vet.
Yons, Amandus ..... ... do
Mar. 10, '65, 1
|1 | Not on muster-out roll.
FERM-YRAILS
Not on muster-out roll. Deserted July 8, 1862.
Joice, John
Keck, Simon.
do
Oct. 22, '61,
3 Transferred to company B-date unknown-Vet. Transferred to company B-date unknown.
Morrow, Jantes .. do
Feb. 6. '62, 3
3 Transferred to company B-date unknown-Vet. Transferred to company B-date unknown.
Died August 8, 1863-buried in National Cem., Antietam, Md., section 26, lot F, grave 630.
Sullivan, John.
do
Jan. 14, '65, 1 3 Transferred to company B-dato unknown-Vet.
Stengelic, William.
3 Not on muster-out roll. Not on muster-out roll. 3
Storch, Philip do
do do
Sept. 25, '60 3 Not on muster-out roll.
3 Transferred to company B-date unknown.
Walp. Benjamin ....
Died at Hilton Head, S. C., November 30, 1864. Not on muster-out roll.
Werr, Jacob do Dec. 13, '61. 3
Weitzell, Henry. .do
Wittemeyer, Sam'] do
Walmbold, Henry .do
M'Hose, Edward D .do
174
FIFTY-FOURTH REGIMENT,
DETACHMENT.
NAME.
RAYK.
DATE OF MUSTER INTO SERVICE.
REMARKS.
Richard Yeager
Serg't ..
July 9, '61,
3
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Henry C. Tripp
.do
July 22, '61,
3
Wm. H. Parker.
.. do
July 28, '61,
3 Mustered out, July 23, '64-expiration of termn.
Thomas C. Leet
.. do
Fraucis Eisenbeis
.do
Henry B. Weed.
Corp.
July
Jerome Drumm.
.do
.do
Muc
July
29, '61,
3
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Artman. Owen
Privato
.do
July 29, '61,
Boose, Jacob ..
.do
July
17, '61,
Bows, Dennis
.do
July 29, '61,
Buek, Isaac
do
July
29, '61,
Briner, Jefferson
do
July
29, '61,
Becker. John H
do
July
23, '61,
Clark, Robert.
do
3
Mustered out, July 28, '61-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Cochran. Matthew ..
do
July
29,'61,
3
Carroll, Thomas
.do
July
July
Ditmus, Isaac ..
.do
July 20, '61,
Dickens, Richard ..
.do
July
29, '61,
3
De Hart. Peter.
.do
.do
July 17, '61,
Featherby, Geo. W
.do
July
29, '61, 3 3 3 '61, Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 13, '61, Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 29,
Geathers, Mahlon.
.do
July
Glennon, James
.. do
July
28, '61,
3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3
Haws, Mark D.
.do
July
2S, '61,
3
Hoover, Joseph A.
do
July
29, '61,
3
Keshner. Lewis
do
July July
17, '61,
3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3
Kelley, John.
do
July
July
28, '61,
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Lewis, Enos R.
.do
July
17, '61,
17, '61, 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Miller. Quintis
.. do
July 28, '61,
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
O'Harra, James
.. do
July
17, '61, 29, '61.
3
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Pabst, William .do
July 13, '61,
3
Mustered out, July 28, '6+-expiration of term.
Ryan, Charles H .. .do
Rent, Ferdinand. do
July 16, '61,
July 29, '61, 3 Mustered out, July 28, '61-expiration of term. 3| Mustered out, July 28. '64-expiration of term. 3 Mustered out, July 23, '64-expiration of term.
Shoenberger, Chas .. do
July 28, '61,
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Sheppard, And. M .. do
.Tuly 28, '64,
3
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Springer, Isaac ... do July 17, '61,
Stern, Valentine .do
July 29, '61,
3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Stewart, Joseph E .. do
July 27, '61,
3
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Wall, Anthony J. .do
July 29, '61,
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3
Woodruff, T. A do
July 29, '61, 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
White, Thomas P ... .. do
July
29, '61, 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Waid, Adam. .. .do
July 28, '61, 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Zober, John.
.. do
July 17, '61,
3 | Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
UNASSIGNED MEN.
Andrews, Geo. W ..
Private Feb. 29, '64,
Discharged by General Order, June 29, 1865. Not on muster-out roll.
Blank, Valentine H
.do
April 17, '63, Nov. 24, '63, Feb. 22, '64,
3
Barber, Charles H .. ... do
Dillinger, Emanuel
.. do
Evans, Thomas
.do
Feb. 9, '64,
3 Not on muster-out roll.
Feeney, John
.do
Feb. 2, '65, 1 Not on muster-out roll.
Fisher, John .. .. do Jan. 19, '65,
AZZZZ
1 | Not on muster-out roll. .
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Kessler, George W ..
do
Kelley, Robert
do
July
29, '61, 28, :62.
3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Long, Joha
.do
.do .do
July
July
29, '61, 3 Mustered out, July 28. '64-expiration of term.
M'Cord, Heber.
3
3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Peters, Caleb
.. do
July
28, '61,
Harback. Harrison
do
July
28, '61, 3
Frank, Jacob
.. do
July
17, '61, 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of termn. 29, '61, 3 3 Mustered ont, July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out. July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Cappel, Joseph.
do
3 July 29, '61, 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. July 28, '61, Mustered out, July 23, '64-expiration of term. 3 28, '61, Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3 July 30, '61, Mustered out, July 23, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3
Amos Haney
July 30, '61,
Joseph Stout.
3
Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Berger, William.
July 29, '61,
3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3 |Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. Mustered out, July 29, '64-expiration of term. 3
July 29, '61,
3 July 28, '61, Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term. 3 Mustered out, July 28, '64-expiration of term.
Eachuns, William ..
Shade, Enocli do
July 28, '61,
3
3 Discharged hy General Order, June 1, 1865.
3 Not on muster-out roll.
Manning, William ..
THREE YEARS' SERVICE.
JAMS.
RANK.
DATE OP MUSTER INTO SERVICE.
REMARKS.
.
Gavin, John ..
Private .. do
May Feb.
4, '64, 9, 164,
33
Not on muster-out roll.
Hemming, Henry
Heniwick, George ...
.do
Jan. 19, '63,
3
Kuhns, Samuel.
.do
Mar. 17, '64.
3
Not on muster-out roll.
Kelley, Andrew.
.do
April 12, '64,
Not on muster-out roll.
Love, John
.do
Feb. 26, '64, 3 Not on muster-out roll.
Loeffler, Samuel P
.do .do
Mar. 17. '64,
3
Discharged by General Order, May 26, 1865.
M'Fadden. Malcom
do!
Aug. 11, '64, Jan. 21, '65,
Not on muster-out roll. Not on muster-out roll.
Rock, James S
do
Mar. 17, '64,
Shank, Lewis.
do
Feb. 29. '64,
Shaffer, Jacob.
do
Feb. 29, '64,
3
3 Not on muster-out roll.
Smay, David.
do
Feb. 26, 64,
3 Not on muster-out roll.
Smay, Christian
do
Feb. 26, '64,
Schrenck, Joseph.
.. do
Jan.
19, '65.
1
3 Not on muster-out roll. Not on muster-out roll.
Schleibner, Wm ..
.. do
Feb. 29, '64,
3
Prisoner from June 20, 1864, to April 6, 1865- discharged by General Order, July 19, 1865.
Thomas, Henry L ..
.. do
Mar. 17, '64, 3 Not on muster-out roll.
Umburn, Henry L
.. áo
Mar. 17, '64,
3 Not on muster-out roll.
Varner, Stephen R
... do
Feb. 29, '64,
3 Not on muster-out roll.
Vanartsdalen, S. A :.. do
Mar. 28, '65,
3 Not on muster-out roll.
White, Thomas ......
... do
April 3, '65,
3 |Not on muster-ont roll.
Mar. 17, '64,
3 Not on muster-out roll.
Mishler, Samuel.
Macvoy, Daniel
.do
1 3 Not on muster-out roll.
3 Not on muster-out roll. Not on muster-out roll.
Shaffer, Cyrus
do
Feb. 27, '64,
1
Died April 22, 1864-buried in National Come- tery, Antietam, Md., sec. 26, lot F, grave, 627. Not on muster-out roll.
TRAM ~YEARS.|
175
FIFTY-FIFTH REGIMENT.
T
THE Fifty-fifth Regiment was recruited, under authority granted by Gov-
ernor Curtin to Colonel Richard White, during the summer and autumn of 1861; companies A and C in Cambria, B in Berks, E in Schuylkill, F in Indiana, G in Dauphin, I in Blair and Bedford, and D, H, and K in Bedford. The companies rendezvoused at Camp Curtin, where a regimental organization was effected by the choice of the following field officers: Richard White, of Indiana county, Colonel ; Frank T. Bennett, of Schuylkill county, Lieutenant Colonel, and John H. Filler, of Bedford county, Major. Three of the compa- nies, B, E, and G were, for a time, stationed at Camp Cameron, near Harris- burg, under the command of Colonel Thomas A. Zeigle, and were instructed by regular army officers.
On the 22d of November, the regiment, thirty-eight officers, and seven hun- dred and fifty-seven men, left Camp Curtin, and proceeded to Fortress Monroe. Drill and discipline, which had been commenced at Camp Curtin, was here resumed, and the command was bronght to a good degree of efficiency. On the Sth of December, in company with the Forty-fifth, Seventy-sixth, and Ninety-seventh regiments, it embarked for South Carolina, arriving at Port Royal on the 12th. The Fifty-fifth was immediately sent out to guard the small islands and approaches to the west of Hilton Head, where it remained until the 25th of February, 1862, when it was transferred to Edisto Island. While on duty here, a series of attacks were made by the enemy, in large force, upon the companies, scattered as they necessarily were, in holding the Union out- stretched lines upon the coast. The most determined of these was made on the 29th of March, when companies E, F, and G, posted at the head of the island, nearly twelve miles from the headquarters of the regiment, were attacked by a force of the enemy estimated at two thousand. The action which ensued was severe, but the rebels were signally repulsed, with a loss to the three companies of about twenty killed and wounded. General Evans, who was in command of the enemy, afterwards reported to the rebel government, that he had made a reconnoissance upon Edisto Island, and had found the enemy six thousand strong.
During the summer the only troops upon the island were those of the Fifty- fifth, and the duty, performed beneath a southern sun, was very severe. On the 21st of October, the regiment accompanied General Brannan on an expedition, consisting of about four thousand troops, up Broad River. The command landed, under cover of gunboats, at Mackey's Poiut, and immediately advanced on Pocotaligo Bridge, the object of the movement being to destroy the Charles- ton and Savannah Railroad. At eight o'clock on the morning of the 22d, the enemy was met at Caston, but were soon driven. At Frampton, he made another stand, and, after a sharp engagement, was again driven, and retreated
177
TRANSFER TO THE ARMY OF THE JAMES.
1864
across the Pocotaligo River, burning the bridge as he withdrew. Here he took a strong position, and being largely reinforced from Charleston, held his ground during six hours, in which the battle fiercely raged. Unable to gain an advan- tage, the ammunition being nearly exhausted, the Union forces withdrew under cover of night, and returned to Hilton Head. The Fifty-fifth lost in this en- gagement, twenty-nine killed and wounded. Near the close of the action, while bravely leading his men against a masked battery, Captain Horace C. Bennett was killed.
The regiment was now stationed at Beaufort, South Carolina, where it re- mained for more than a year, performing picket duty at Port Royal Ferry, ten miles from the town, and also serving in the capacity of heavy artillery upon the fortifications.
On the 1st of January, 1864, the majority of the men re-enlisted for a second term of three years, and on the 22d departed for Harrisburg, where, upon their arrival, they were dismissed for a veteran furlough. On the 23d of March, the veterans and recruits returned to South Carolina, where the regiment, now num- bering twelve hundred and fifty effective men, remained for three weeks, en- gaged in drill and guard duty. On the 12th of April, it embarked for Virginia, and landed at Gloucester Point, opposite Yorktown. Here the regiment was assigned to the Third Brigade, * Third Division, Tenth Corps, Army of the James.
General Butler was here organizing his forces, consisting of about forty thousand men, to operate against Richmond, by the right bank of the James. Embarking upon transports, the Tenth Corps moved up the river, and landed at Bermuda Hundred, with the design of seizing and fortifying the peninsula between the Appomattox and the James, as a base of operations. Advancing ten miles west, encountering little opposition, the troops were set to work throwing up intrenchments across the head of the peninsula, and soon had the neck of the "bottle" closed.
On the 9th of May, Ames' Division moved out of the works, and destroyed the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad for a distance of two miles. General Ames then marched upon the turnpike towards Petersburg, as far as Swift Creek, where he met the enemy well posted, and immediately attacked, the contest continuing until evening. Early on the following morning, Ames learned that Terry's Division, in his rear, had been attacked. Facing his col- umns about, and advancing, ne soon encountered the rebel forces, and drove them as far as Drury's Bluff, near Richmond. On the 13th, the Union forces were again pushed forward towards Richmond, but found the enemy strongly entrenched in a double line of works behind Proctor's Creek. The outer line was carried, and Gillmore's troops continued the contest during the 14th and 15th, flanking the rebel position. But he had now been re-inforced by troops from Charleston, and General Beauregard was in command. Seeing that the Union lines were greatly extended, and, in many parts, thereby greatly weak- ened, the rebel leader moved out of his intrenchments at night, and early on the morning of the 16th, under cover of a dense fog, fell upon the left flank
* Organization of the Third Brigade Colonel Richard White, Third Division General Adelbert Ames, Tenth Corps, General Quincy A. Gillmore. Fifty-fifth Regiment Pennsylvania Volun- teers, Colonel Richard White; Fourth Regiment New Hampshire Volunteers, Lieutenant Colonel Frank W. Parker ; Ninety-seventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Henry R. Guss; Eighth Regiment Maine Volunteers, Colonel John D. Rust. 23-VOL. II.
178
FIFTY-FIFTH REGIMENT.
1864
with sudden and overpowering force. The Fifty-fifth occupied a position near the extreme left, and felt the full force of the enemy's blows. Again and again he advanced to the charge. Portions of the line gave way. The Fifty-fifth stood side by side with the Fourth New Hampshire, and gallantly held its ground, until out-flanked and nearly surrounded, it was in danger of being cap- tured. Colonel White, as a last resort, selected three companies, C, D, and E, of his own regiment, and charged full upon the head of the advancing column. But it could not be broken, and the line was forced to yield. The loss in this engagement was very severe, being in killed, wounded, and prisoners, includ- ing those from May 9th, when the fighting commenced, fifteen commissioned officers, and three hundred enlisted men. The Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, and Adjutant were among the prisoners, and Lieutenant John H. Barnhart, was - among the killed. The command of the regiment devolved upon Captain John C. Shearer.
The army now fell back to its intrenched line at Bermuda Hundred, and the regiment was subsequently engaged in several minor skirmishes. Ou the morning of the 20th of May the enemy attacked the picket line on Foster's Plantation at daylight. One-half of the Fifty-fifth was in position, and made a stern resistance, holding its ground until the yielding of the forces, on right and left, made it necessary for it to fall back to save itself from capture.
Butler having completed his preparations, was upon the point of moving upon the enemy's lines about Petersburg, when he received orders from Grant to detach a heavy force under General Baldy Smith, and send it to the support of the Army of the Potomac. The Fifty-fifth was one of the regiments selected for this purpose, and was assigned to the First Brigade, General Stannard, Second Division, General Martindale, Eighteenth Corps. Moving in trans- ports down the James and up the York rivers, the corps debarked at West Point, and marched via White House to Cold Harbor, where, on the 1st of June, it met the enemy, who was engaging the Sixth Corps. The line of battle was immediately formed, and charged the enemy's works, capturing a line of rifle-pits, and taking a large number of prisoners. The contest was continued during the 1st and 2d, but the principal charge was made on the morning of the 3d. Stannard's Brigade was selected for the attack, and was formed in columns of regiments, in which the Fifty-fifth was the third. As it swept for- ward to the desperate work, the intense fire of the enemy cansed the front lines to waver, and, finally, to fall back in confusion upon the third, which was also momentarily deranged. . Captain Shearer, in command, was wounded, and scarcely had the next in rank, Captain Nesbitt, assumed it, when he also was stricken down, and it devolved upon Captain Hill, who soon restored order, and held his position now in the front line. During the night, breastworks were thrown np, which were occupied until the night of the 12th, when the entire army withdrew. The loss, in killed and wounded, was four commissioned officers, and one hundred and thirty-four enlisted men. In conducting this withdrawal from the enemy's front, the Fifty-fifth was deployed in the front line of works, while the regiments successively fell back in the stillness of the night, until all had retired, without casualties or disturbance.
Marching back to White House, the corps again embarked on transports. and moved, via the Pamunkey, York, and James rivers, to Point of Rocks on the Appomattox, where it debarked, and early on the morning of the 15th, advanced on the enemy's works in front of Petersburg, capturing eighteen guns,
179
:1864
STORMING OF THE REDAN AT CHAPIN'S FARM.
and four hundred prisoners. On the following morning, General Stannard ordered Captain Hill, to go forward with his regiment as skirmishers. He promptly advanced in the face of a hot fire, and gained a position close up to the enemy's lines, but not without serious loss. On the 1Stb, Stannard's Bri- gade, occupying the extreme right of the line, resting on the Appomattox, was again deployed for a charge. In front was an open field, commanded by the enemy's infantry and artillery, across which it must pass. Never faltering, the Fifty-fifth, which faced the ground most exposed, pushed forward obedient to command, and, in less than ten minutes, while crossing this open field, it lost three commissioned officers and eighty enlisted men, more than half of its effective strength, a large proportion killed.
On the evening of the 29th, the corps moved to the rear of the position held by the Ninth Corps, and, upon the explosion of the mine, on the morning of the 30th, it was held in readiness to support the assaulting column; but the attack failed, and, without being called into action, it returned to its old posi- tion on the Appomattox. For two months the regiment was engaged in duties incident to a siege, being constantly exposed to the fire of artillery, and the musketry of the pickets and sharp-shooters, scarcely a day passing without some loss.
During the night of September 28th, the regiment crossed the James, and marched to participate in the attack about to be made, by the Army of the James, upon Chapin's Bluff. The capture of Fort Harrison was effected on the morning of the following day, but the, Fifty-fifth being held in support of the attacking troops, did not become engaged. In the afternoon it was deter- mined to carry the works beyond, and at four o'clock, Colonel Jourdan, in com- mand of the brigade, ordered the Fifty-fifth to charge, and take a redoubt in the enemy's second line. The One Hundred and Fifty-eightlı New York was deployed to support it. by advancing through the woods on the left, and the One Hundred and Forty-Eighth New York, to act as skirmishers on the right. The Fifty-fifth advanced over the open ground in front, a quarter of a mile, under a concentrated fire from three redoubts, supported by a heavy body of infantry. Bravely stemming a torrent of shot, and deadly minnie balls, it moved steadily on, and reached a point within twenty yards of the work, when, its ranks almost annihilated, and supports failing to come up, it was forced to fall back, leaving the dead and most of the wounded upon the field, to fall into the hands of the enemy. Of five commissioned officers and one hundred and fifty enlisted men who marched at the word of command, three officers and seventy-eight men, were either killed, wounded, or missing. Lieutenant Blaney Adair was among the killed, and Captain John O'Niel mortally wounded. On the following day, the rebels made three attacks on Fort Harrison, but in each they were repulsed with terrible slaughter.
In November, the colors which had been originally presented to the regi- ment, by the Governor, before leaving the State, carried in all its campaign- ings, and latterly, almost constantly enshrouded in the smoke and fire of battle, having become badly tattered, application was made for a new stand, which was promptly forwarded. The staff and the few remaining shreds of the old one were deposited in the Capitol.
In December, the white troops of the Tenth and Eighteenth Corps were consolidated, and formed the Twenty-fourth Corps. The Fifty-fifth was as- signed to the Fourth Brigade of the First Division, and -was henceforward
180
FIFTY-FIFTH REGIMENT.
1865
engaged in performing picket and guard duty on the left bank of the James. On the 10th of December, while stationed at the redoubt on Signal Hill, near the extreme right of our lines, it was attacked by a portion of Longstreet's Corps. The demonstrations were feebly made, and were easily repulsed. On the 21st of December, upon the muster out of service of Lieutenant Colonel Bennett, at the expiration of his term, Major Filler was promoted to succeed him, and Captain James Metzger was promoted to Major.
On the 27th of March, 1865, the First and Second Divisions of the Twenty- fourth Corps, and one division of the Twenty-fifth Corps, under command of General Ord, broke camp, and crossing the James and the Appomattox, pro- ceeded, by the rear of the army, to Hatcher's Run, and on the morning of the 29th relieved the Second Corps, which moved out still further to the left. Dur- ing the 30th and 31st, a part of the regiment was on the picket line near the run, and in the general advance which was made, skirmished with the enemy, losing two men killed, and one commissioned officer and seventeen enlisted men wounded.
On the morning of April 2d, in breaking through the enemy's lines, the Fourth Brigade, to which the regiment belonged, commanded by General Fairchild, with the balance of the division, charged Forts Gregg and Baldwin, which, after a strong resistance, were carried, the Fifty-fifth being the first to occupy the latter. The loss hete was one commissioned officer killed, and one commissioned officer and four enlisted men wounded. On the morning of April 3d, having ascertained that the rebels had evacuated Petersburg during the previous night, General Ord's column was pushed forward to cut off their line of retreat at Burkesville Junction. By a forced march, along the South Side Railroad, Ord reached the Junction on the evening of the 5th, a distance of about sixty miles. Resuming the march on the following morning, it hastened forward, seven miles further, to Rice's Station, the Fifty-fifth leading the column as skirmishers, and losing nine men wounded. At the Station, Ord held his position, cutting off the direct way of retreat to Danville, and forcing the rebel column towards Lynchburg. At daylight on the 7th, Ord resumed the march, with the design of again cutting the rebel line of retreat. He . reached Appomattox Court House, a distance of forty-two miles, early on the morning of the 9th, in advance of Lee's columns, and with Sheridan's Cavalry, held firmly the only avenue of escape. "Sheridan," says Greeley, "was with his cavalry near the Court House, when the Army of Virginia made its last charge. By his order, his troops, who were in line of battle, dismounted, gave ground gradually, while showing a steady front, so as to allow our weary in- fantry time to form, and take position. This effected, the horsemen moved swiftly to the right and dismounted, revealing lines of solid infantry in battle array, before whose wall of gleaming bayonets, the astonished enemy recoiled in blank despair, as Sheridan and his troopers, passing briskly around the rebel left, prepared to charge the confused, reeling masses. A white flag was now waved by the enemy, before General Custer, who held our cavalry advance, with the information that they had concluded to surrender."
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