History of Warren County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, Part 22

Author: Schenck, J. S., [from old catalog] ed; Rann, William S., [from old catalog] joint ed; Mason, D., & co., Syracuse, N.Y., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1020


USA > Pennsylvania > Warren County > History of Warren County, Pennsylvania, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers > Part 22


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MMEDIATELY after the startling news had been received of the surrender of Fort Sumter, Thomas L. Kane, brother of Dr. Kane the famous Arctic explorer, applied to Governor Curtin for permission to raise a company of mounted riflemen from among the hardy yeomanry of the counties of Forest, McKean, and Elk, popularly known as the "wildcat district." Authority was immediately given as requested, and in less than a week the men began to assemble at the points of rendezvous. On the 17th of April it was decided to change the organization from cavalry to infantry. The men, for the most part lumbermen, came clad in their red flannel shirts, bearing their trusty rifles, and wearing each in his hat a bucktail. No one was accepted who did not prove himself a skilled marksman. All were carefully examined by a sur- geon, and none but sound and hardy men taken.


On the 24th of April a hundred men had assembled at the rafting-place on the Sinnemahoning, where they at once commenced constructing their trans- ports. Two days later the entire force, three hundred and fifteen strong, em- barked upon three rafts, and with a green hickory pole surmounted by a buck- tail for a flagstaff, the stars and stripes flying, and the martial strains of fife and


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drums echoing through the forests, they commenced the movement for the general camp of rendezvous at the State capital. Although authority had been given for recruiting this force, yet no order had been issued by the governor for marching, and before it had proceeded far it was found at headquarters that only a limited number could be accepted. A telegram was accordingly dispatched directing them to turn back upon their arrival at Lock Haven, but through the connivance of General Jackman, of the militia, who was very desirous that these hardy men of the forest should be received, the message was never delivered, and they were borne onward by the current over the broad bosom of the Susquehanna, and upon their arrival at Harrisburg saluted the city with a volley from their rifles.


From the insignia in their hats they were at once recognized and known as the Bucktails. Authority was given for mustering them into the service as the Seventeenth (three months) Regiment, and a regimental organization was effected by the choice of Thomas L. Kane as colonel. But here another obstacle was encountered ; a Seventeenth Regiment had already been organ- ized and mustered into service in Philadelphia, and, a difficulty arising as to the acceptance of so large a number of men from a district containing only a small population, the organization was not consummated, and Colonel Kane, declining his commission, was mustered into service on the 13th of May as a private.


Meanwhile other companies had been recruited, and had assembled in temporary camp with like expectations, and were similarly disappointed. Roy Stone, esq., a citizen of Warren county, and a well-to-do lumberman, had recruited a company in April, composed of a class of men similar in occupa- tion and experience to those led by Kane. They were first known as the " Raft- men's Guards," carried their own rifles, and dwelt principally upon the head waters of the Allegheny River. Disappointed in not being admitted to the three months' service, they for four weeks encamped at the court-house in Warren, and were fed by its patriotic citizens. With no authority to provide for them, Governor Curtin advised them to disband. But this they were unwilling to do. Tiring of inactivity, they gladly acceded to a proposition from their captain to move down the Allegheny upon boats of their own manufacture, to Pittsburgh, and thence join General Mcclellan's troops in West Virginia, as an independ- ent company of sharpshooters. They were five days in making the run, being entertained at the towns along the river, and receiving a number of recruits on the way. At Pittsburgh they were the guests of the city, and here Captain Stone received a summons from Governor Curtin to proceed by rail to Harris- burg, where the company would be assigned to the Reserve Corps. Another company was recruited in Chester county, one in Perry, one in Clearfield, one in Carbon, and two in Tioga.


The companies were mustercd into the United States service for three


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years at different dates from May 28, to June II (the Warren county company, " D," being mustered May 29); but there was considerable delay in effect- ing a regimental organization. Finally an election was held on the 12th of June, with the following result : Thomas L. Kane, colonel; Charles J. Biddle, lieutenant-colonel ; and Roy Stone, captain of the " Raftmen's Guards," major. On the following day, however, Colonel Kane resigned, accompanying his resignation with a request that Lieutenant-Colonel Biddle, who had been edu- cated in the profession of arms, and had acquired experience on the battle- field, in the war with Mexico, should be commissioned in his place. It was a noble, magnanimous act on the part of Colonel Kane, who lacked military experience ; but it was quite unnecessary, for as time proved, he was much the best soldier of the two. The change requested by Colonel Kane was acceded to, and Biddle became colonel of the regiment and Kane its lieutentant-colonel. Unwilling to allow so honorable and unselfish an act to pass without some mark of their appreciation, the captains of the several companies passed reso- lutions soliciting a change of the name, from the " Rifle Regiment," to that of the " Kane Rifle Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps." Accordingly, the last-mentioned name became the official designation of the command. Yet the regiment entered service under a variety of titles, such as the Forty-second of the line, the Thirteenth Reserve, the Rifle, the First Rifle, the Kane Rifle, and the Bucktail. The latter, however, was the popular name with its mem- bers; it was the name it bore in the army, and so designated did its fame extend throughout the world, where the record of the great war, its marches battles, etc., was read.


The regiment began its career of active service on the 21st of June, 1861, when, with the Fifth Reserve, Colonel Simmons, and Barr's Battery, it was ordered to the support of Colonel Wallace at Cumberland, Md. Proceeding by rail to Hopewell, Bedford county, Pa., it marched thence to Bedford Springs -its first march, a distance of twenty-three miles. On the 27th the com- mand moved forward to the State line, where was established Camp Mason and Dixon. Two weeks later, Colonel Wallace's regiment having been ordered to Martinsburg to join the command of General Patterson, this portion of Maryland was left open to the enemy, and a mounted rebel force under the leadership of Colonel Angus McDonald was destroying, unchecked, the prop- erty 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 the command of Lieutenant-Col- onel Kane, went forward and crossed into Virginia. At New Creek village the party was surrounded by McDonald's rebel cavalry, but by the skillful man- agement of Kane the rebels were worsted in a sharp skirmish that ensued, and driven away with the loss of eight killed and double that number wounded.


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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.


Not a man of the scouts was injured. Colonel Biddle moved up with his en- tire command to their support, and immediately dispatched Kane with two hundred men to follow the retreating enemy. He came up with them at Ridgeville, nine miles from New Creek, and after a severe skirmish succeeded in gaining possession of the village, posting his men in a stone house, which was held until Colonel Biddle with his command arrived. On the morning of the 13th the entire force fell back and took up positions at New Creek and Piedmont, where it remained until July 27, when, in pursuance of orders, it returned to Harrisburg.


On the 6th of August the regiment 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 Sec- ond United States Cavalry, commanded by Colonel (afterwards Major-General) George H. Thomas. In this brigade it served until October 1, when it moved to Tenallytown and joined General Meade's brigade of the Pennsylvania Re- serves. Subsequently, it being a rifle regiment and adapted to special service, it was detached from the brigade, and its commander ordered to make his re- ports directly to headquarters of the corps. When the advance was made into Virginia the Bucktails led the way. They encountered the Louisiana Zouaves (Tigers) near Hunter's Mill, October 20. A sharp skirmish ensued, which re- sulted in the rebels being easily driven from their position with considerable loss.


Early in December Colonel Biddle resigned to take his seat in Congress, and on the 20th of the same month the Bucktails, under command of Lieuten- ant-Colonel Kane, marched with General 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 vicinity, advancing upon the Centreville road. The Bucktails were at once posted in support of a battery, and the fight opened with an artillery duel between the Union and rebel gunners. After half an 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 design- ing to occupy a brick house within a hundred yards of his line. He accord- ingly sent a detachment of twenty men to occupy the house, which they did, and under shelter of its walls maintained a hot fire upon the advanciag force, which consisted of three regiments and two small guns. As they approached, the Bucktails, inspired by the example of their leader, kept up a steady and destructive fire. Lying upon the ground as they loaded, they would rise quickly, take deliberate aim, fire, and then drop upon the ground again. The fire becoming too hot for them, the rebels began to fall back. As the Buck- tails arose to follow, Colonel Kane was shot in the face, the ball crushing through the roof of his mouth, inflicting a painful wound. But hastily bandaging it, he


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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, but for the positive orders of the general in command, would have been capt- ured by the Bucktails. The loss to the latter 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. McNeil, captain of company D, otherwise known as the " Raftmen's Guards" of Warren county ; Lieutenant-Colonel Kane being at this time in hospital, suffering greatly from the wound received at Dranesville. Colonel McNeil, who left Warren as first lieutenant of his company, was thus promoted over both Kane and Major Stone, and doubtless more or less chagrin and disappointment were felt by these officers in conse- quence.


Upon the recovery of Lieutenant-Colonel Kane sufficiently to take the field, he formulated a plan by which he was to have exclusive command of four com- panies of the regiment - Companies C, G, H, and I -and drill them in a sys- tem of tactics devised by him to the end that more efficient service might be rendered as scouts and skirmishers. Kane's request was acceded to, and he and his handful of Bucktails soon after performed brilliant, never-to-be-for- gotten deeds in the Shenandoah Valley under Fremont. But, in the endeavor to keep an eye upon the Warren county men, we must turn our attention to another field of operations.


Soon after the departure of Lieutenant-Colonel Kane with his four com- panies for service in the Shenandoah Valley, Major Roy Stone (Colonel Mc- Neil being absent and seriously ill), with the remaining six companies, four hundred strong, embarked for the Peninsula. Soon after its arrival this battal- ion took up position on the north bank of the Chickahominy, extreme right of the army, directly north of Richmond and only four miles distant.


Early on the morning of June 26 two companies were stationed at the rail- road and Meadow Bridge, another to the left of the bridge, and the remaining three, which 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 assailed by his advancing columns. The Bucktails had delivered several destructive volleys, and thrown the enemy into considerable confusion, when Major Stone learned that the three companies which he had left guarding the bridges in his rear had been withdrawn by Colonel Simmons, who was in command of the grand guard, and that the enemy 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 (the latter in command of the Warren county company) to their intrenchments,


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where the three companies, withdrawn by order of Simmons, were already in position. One company however-Captain Irvin's-was cut off, and, with- drawing to a swamp, held out for three days, capturing meanwhile 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 engagement re-opened on the part of the line which the Bucktails now held, at half-past four P. M. The fords which they covered were especially coveted by the enemy, and for the possession of these he made his attacks with the energy of desperation, repeatedly advancing fresh lines ; but the steady fire and unerring aim of these well-schooled riflemen of the forest was too terrible to withstand, and as night came on he relinquished the contest, leaving them secure in their position. Here the Bucktails lost but two men killed (being protected by earthworks), and two officers and sixteen men wounded.


When the division was ordered to retire to Gaines's Mill, on the morning of the 27th, Major Stone was directed to hold his position until the main body was well on its way. He accordingly pushed out his sharpshooters to the right and left to keep up the appearance of still occupying the whole line, and at daylight 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 support in great force. Under a heavy fire of artillery, with the enemy already on his flanks and pressing hard his rear, Major Stone began to fall back at six A. M. A part of Company E, Captain Niles, and a part of Company D, hold- ing a detached position on the line, failed to receive the order to retire, and in the confusion they were not missed from the command, until after the bridge at Mill Hospital was destroyed, and it was too late to return for them. This accident, however, proved to be 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 Federal lines at Gaines's Mill was thereby delayed for many hours. They were finally captured, but not until a whole division of the enemy had been employed to surround them. This detachment had the colors, the State


flag presented by Governor Curtin. It was not surrendered, however, but was concealed in a swamp. The loss in the battalion in the morning's engagement and retreat was more than half of its effective force, and upon its arrival at Gaines's Mill it could muster but six officers and one hundred and twenty-five men. In its new position for that day, at Gaines's Mill, the battalion was posted on the right of Reynold's Brigade, First Corps. The enemy in front was con- cealed by woods, except two of his batteries, 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. After maintaining this position for four hours, its ammunition being exhausted and


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relief failing to come, the command fell back, with a loss of one officer and twenty-five men killed and wounded.


The march through White Oak Swamp began on the evening of the 28th, and during the night of the 29th the battalion 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 Sharpshooters. In the battle of the 30th, at Charles City Cross Roads, the command was posted on the right of the First Brigade. This brigade made a vigorous charge and was temporarily suc- cessful ; but the enemy gave no time for the troops to re-form ; they hurled heavy masses upon their broken and somewhat disordered ranks, and drove 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, con- tinuing to fire for some minutes ; but finally, overborne by superior numbers, and finding that his command was in the center of a murderous fire at short range, Major Stone gave the word to retire just in time to escape being sur- rounded. During the same evening on the same ground, Major Stone was wounded, and Major-General McCall was captured, while these two officers were only a few paces in front of the Bucktails, endeavoring to ascertain the position of the enemy. 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 Bucktails, and two officers and fifty- six men of the United States Sharpshooters. 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.


When Harrison's Landing was reached it was found necessary to bridge a stream five hundred feet wide, and in places ten feet deep. Generals in command said that the Engineer Corps would require several days to com- plete it, and meanwhile the army might be sacrificed in detail. Therefore Generals Porter and Seymour entrusted the location and construction of the bridge to Major Stone, expressing the hope that the raftsmen of the Bucktail Regiment might construct it in two days. The only material at hand was the timber growing along the banks of the streams and in the swamps. The bridge was commenced at five P. M., the gallant lumbermen stripping to the work and swimming and wading to raise the cribs ; and at sunrise on the following morn- ing, to the great surprise and satisfaction of the generals, the bridge was ready for the artillery to cross.


Soon after the arrival of the battalion at Harrison's Landing, Major Stone resigned to take command of the One Hundred and Forty-ninth Regiment- the Second Bucktail Regiment-and Colonel McNeil, who had been sick and absent, returned and assumed command. From the Peninsula the battalion


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proceeded to Warrenton, where it joined General Pope's army, and was en- gaged on the 29th and 30th of August in the second battle of Bull Run, los- ing five killed, nineteen wounded, and three missing.


Meanwhile Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, with his detachment of four com- panies, had been winning renown with Fremont, Sigel, and McDowell. They fought in the Shenandoah Valley, near Harrisonburg, where the rebel General Ashby was killed by a Bucktail, and where Colonel Kane was wounded and taken prisoner. Again, at Cross Keys, Cedar Mountain, Catlett's Station, and the second battle of Bull Run, Kane and his Bucktails were conspicuously brave and active, the little command suffering heavy losses. On the 7th of Septem- ber, 1862, in recognition of his gallantry at Catlett's Station and at Bull Run, Lieutenant-Colonel Kane was commissioned a brigadier-general, and the four companies which he had commanded were united with the six from which they had been separated during the Peninsula campaign, amid loud cheers of wel- come from the rank and file of both battalions.


The regiment, now led by Colonel McNeil, began its march to again meet the enemy on the 7th of September, and arrived in his front at South Moun- tain on the 14th. Here the Bucktails, deployed as skirmishers, drove the rebels from the foot of the mountain to its top, losing eighteen killed and forty-five wounded.


On the following morning the troops moved forward in pursuit of the en- emy, and at three P. M. reached the Antietam battle ground. At two P. M. on the 16th the regiment marched with the division to the right of the army, where General Meade directed Colonel McNeil to deploy as at South Mount- ain in front of his division, and to advance to a piece of wood in front of the Dunkard church, then visible. The enemy was soon found in strong force, posted behind a fence in front of the woods indicated. Supports coming promptly up, the order was given to advance. The Bucktails rushed forward with a shout through a terrific fire of musketry and artillery, and gained the wood; but at a fearful cost. Colonel McNeil, Lieutenant Wm. Allison, and twenty-eight men were killed and sixty-five officers and men wounded in this single charge. The last words of Colonel McNeil were, as he faced the death-laden storm and led the way-" Forward, Bucktails, forward !" Supports came promptly to their aid, and the position was held during the night. The regiment, now under command of Captain Magee, fought on the following day with its accustomed gallantry, until relieved by order of General Meade. In the two days of battle its losses in killed and wounded were one hundred and ten officers and men.


In an account of this battle a correspondent of the New York Post spoke of Colonel McNeil as follows: "Colonel Hugh W. McNeil, of the famous ' Buck- tail ' regiment, who was killed at the battle of 'Antietam, was one of the most accomplished officers in the Federal service. A soldier relates an exploit of his at South Mountain which is worth recording :


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" During the battle of South Mountain the rebels held a very strong posi- tion. They were posted in the mountain pass, and had infantry on the heights on every side. Our men were compelled to carry the place by storm. The position seemed impregnable ; large craggy rocks protected the enemy on every side, while our men were exposed to a galling fire.


" A band of rebels occupied a ledge on the extreme right as the colonel approached with a few of his men. The unseen force poured upon them a volley. McNeil on the instant gave the command, 'Pour your fire upon those rocks!' The Bucktails hesitated ; it was not an order they had been accus- tomed to receive ; they had always picked their men. 'Fire!' thundered the colonel, ' I tell you to fire at those rocks!' The men obeyed. For some time an irregular fire was kept up, the Bucktails sheltering themselves as best they could behind trees and rocks. On a sudden McNeil caught sight of two rebels peering through an opening in the rocks to get an aim. The eyes of the men followed their commander, and half a dozen Sharpe's rifles were leveled in that direction. 'Wait a minute ' said the colonel; ' I will try my hand. There is nothing like killing two birds with one stone.'


"The two rebels were not in line, but one stood a little distance back of the other, while just in front of the foremost was a slanting rock. Colonel McNeil seized a rifle, raised it, glanced a moment along the polished barrel, a report followed, and both the rebels disappeared. At that moment a loud cheer a little distance beyond rent the air. 'All is right now,' cried the colonel, 'charge the rascals!' The men sprang up among the rocks in an instant. The affrighted rebels turned to run, but encountered another body of the Bucktails, and were obliged to surrender. Not a man of them escaped. Every one now saw the object of the colonel's orders to fire at random among the rocks. He had sent a party around to the enemy's rear, and meant this to attract their attention. It was a perfect success. The two rebels by the opening in the ledge were found lying there dead. Colonel McNeil's bullet had struck the slanting rock in front of them, glanced, and passed through both their heads."




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