History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 78

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372

USA > Pennsylvania > York County > History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 78

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).

430

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ward, take charge of the wagon train and ishly put himself in my rear. After a fight proceed with all possible speed toward Jef- of about two hours, in which my whole com- ferson. The fight had now ended but the brigades of Chambliss and Hampton re- mained in position until the sun had sunk behind the western horizon and the shades of evening had begun to fall. They fol- lowed the wagon train toward Jefferson. The local incidents of this movement will be found in the Confederate reports which follow, and in the history of the boroughs of Jefferson, Dover and Dillsburg, and the townships of Codorus, Dover and Warring- ton in this volume. Stuart's men had cap- tured 385 horses in Codorus Township and by the time they reached Dillsburg they were in possession of 1,000 York County horses which they rode into the battle of Gettysburg. mand at different times engaged, I made a vigorous attack upon their center, forced them back upon the road to Littlestown, and finally succeeded in breaking their center. Stuart then retreated toward York. As the enemy was reported to be advancing toward me from East Berlin, I made no further attempt to intercept Stuart's com- mand. I have captured one battle flag. Lieutenant Colonel Payne, one captain and forty-five privates. Upwards of fifteen of the enemy have been killed. My loss was eleven killed and several wounded. I have gone into camp at Hanover. We have plenty of forage, men are in good spirits, and we don't fear Stuart's whole cavalry composed of three brigades.

UNION REPORTS OF THE BATTLE.

At the time the engagement opened, Meade in command of the Army of the Po- tomac, had his headquarters at Taneytown, Maryland, where he was laying plans for the impending battle with Lee. General Pleas- anton, in command of all the cavalry of the Potomac Army, remained with Meade at Taneytown, during the afternoon of June 30 and July I. Lieutenant Colonel Alexan- der, assistant adjutant general of Pleasan- ton's cavalry, had been moved forward to Littlestown, seven miles west of Hanover. From this point, he sent out couriers to no- tify the head of the army and General Pleas- anton, of all the movements of the contend- ing forces in the vicinity of Hanover and York. Early in the afternoon of June 30, General Kilpatrick at his headquarters, wrote the following report of his engage- ment with Stuart and sent it with a courier to Pleasanton :

General-Five minutes after your dis- patch saying that General Stuart was mak- ing for Littlestown, my rear guard was at- tacked in Hanover, driven in, and a vigorous charge was made upon the rear and flanks of my commands. At the same time the enemy opened with artillery from the hills at the right of the town. Brigadier General Farnsworth quickly threw his brigade into position and by quick and vigorous charges, checked the attack and drove the enemy out of town. The enemy soon showed himself in force on the left of Hanover, and fool-

Soon after sending the above dispatch, General Kilpatrick rode out the turnpike toward Abbottstown. His force was then going into camp for the night on both sides of the turnpike between Hanover and the Pidgeon Hills. He was continually send- ing out scouts to ascertain the movements of the enemy and in this work was remark- ably successful. On the morning of June 30, General Early, with his division of 9,000 men, had left York and reached East Berlin in the evening, on his way toward Gettys- burg. He had moved toward Heidlersburg to join the other two divisions of Ewell's corps, which had been moved from Carlisle toward Gettysburg. About 7 o'clock in the evening having obtained this informa- tion and with his headquarters in his sad- dle, on the highest point of the turnpike, over the Pidgeon hills, Kilpatrick wrote a second dispatch and sent it to Alexander at Littlestown, who conveyed it to Pleasan- ton, at Taneytown.

General-I have the honor to report that after an encounter with General Stuart's force, I have succeeded in cutting his col- umn in two. One portion, estimated at about 4,000, with from five to seven pieces of artillery, is now encamped in the woods on the left (east) side of the turnpike from Hanover to Baltimore; the other is also in the woods on the right (west) side of the road from Hanover to Littlestown. I am not informed as to its strength. I have sent out scouts to ascertain the exact position of the first division and intend,

MAJ. GEN. JUDSON KILPATRICK

Commander of the Union forces at the Battle of Hanover

4. Falmouth.

GEN. E. J. FARNSWORTH

Commander of a brigade at the Battle of Hanover, and killed in the Battle of Gettysburg

GEN. GEORGE A. CUSTER

Who commanded a Michigan brigade at the Battle of Hanover

43I

BATTLE OF HANOVER

if possible, to attack their camp at day- upon the town with artillery. Skirmishers break.

A strong column of the enemy's force, under General Early, left York this morn- ing to march westward. I conclude that they are concentrating at Gettysburg. I will attack if I can by any means find proper roads. Stuart is now moving toward York, cutting his way through the fields southeast of Hanover. There is a considerable force at East Berlin. I am now midway between Abbottstown and Hanover. I can not advance further and keep communication open with Littlestown. Scouting parties have been sent out toward York, Dover and Carlisle.

General Farnsworth, whom Hammond's Kilpatrick credits with having Report. saved the day at Hanover, was killed on the extreme left of the Union line at Gettysburg, on July 3. No official report of his brigade appears in the government records. Major Ham- mond, who commanded the Fifth New York, at Hanover, in August, 1863, made the following report :

were immediately sent forward, and a re- serve force placed at the outer edge of the town. On returning to the other side, where the rest of the brigade was drawn up in line, I was ordered to act as a support to Elder's battery. Finding that our position endangered the town, we moved around to the eastern side, when the Second Brigade. having returned, I was ordered by General Kilpatrick to flank the enemy's position and capture the battery, if possible, and to order an advance of the skirmishers on the right, which was done.

On August 10, 1863, forty

Kilpatrick's days after the engagement at

Report. Hanover, General Kilpatrick,

then in camp in Virginia, sent his official report of the Gettysburg cam- paign to the government. In this report he makes the following statements :

On June 29, in compliance with orders from headquarters cavalry corps, I assumed command of the Third Division, till then known as Stahl's division. The actual strength of the division was 3.500, although it numbered on paper upward of 4,000 men for duty. On the morning of June 29, the First Brigade (General Farnsworth), con- sisting of the Fifth New York, Eighteenth Pennsylvania, First Vermont, First West Virginia Cavalry, and Elder's Battery, United States Horse Artillery, left Fred- erick City, and marched to Littlestown, Pennsylvania.

My regiment was fourth in column on the march from Littlestown, the First Ver- mont, First West Virginia, and Elder's battery being in advance and the Eigh- teenth Pennsylvania Cavalry in the rear. After we entered Hanover, we halted on the main street. While resting, an attack was made on the Eighteenth Pennsylvania, which moved forward in confusion upon the rear of my regiment, which had faced about The Second Brigade (General Custer). consisting of the First, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Michigan Cavalry, and Penning- ton's Battery, United States Horse Artil- lery, reached the same place at 10 P. M. the same day. and was trying to clear the streets of the fugitives preparatory to making a charge upon the advancing column of the enemy. They finally succeeded; and, without waiting for orders, immediately charged upon the enemy, driving them to the out- At daylight on the morning of the 30th. the division marched to find the enemy. We reached Hanover at 10 A. M., and while passing through the town (the Second Brigade in advance), the First Brigade (General Farnsworth) was attacked in side. of the town, where we found a large force drawn up in the road as a reserve, and received from them a severe fire, causing the men to halt for a moment. General Farnsworth, arriving from the front at this time, the men were re-formed, and made flank and rear by the Confederate cavalry another charge, driving the enemy in con- under Stuart. Some confusion ensued. fusion along the road and through the The attack was determined and fierce. The fields. Private Thomas Burke, of Com- main and side streets swarmed with the pany A, captured a battle flag from the enemy's cavalry. The Eighteenth Pennsyl- enemy in this charge, and subsequently vania was routed, but the gallant Farns- turned it over to General Kilpatrick. The worth had passed from front to rear ere the enemy finding himself repulsed, opened shout of the Confederate charge had ceased

432

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

to ring through the quiet street, faced the bered by the enemy six to one. This regi- Fifth New York about, countermarched the ment lost 15 captured. other regiments, and with a rush and blow Battery M, Second U. S. Artillery, under my command, while between Hanover and Abbottstown, had a chest of one caisson explode, mortally wounding one man and killing 2 horses. struck the enemy's hosts in full charge. For a moment, and a moment only, victory hung uncertain. For the first time our troops had met the foe in close contact ; but we were on our own free soil; fair hands, regardless of the dangerous strife, waved CONFEDERATE REPORTS. our men on, and bright tearful eyes looked pleadingly out from every window. The brave Farnsworth made one great effort, and the day was won. The foe turned and fled.

General Custer's brigade had now re- turned, and to save the town, I moved first to its left and afterward to its right. The main streets were barricaded and held by our troops and the citizens, who gallantly volunteered to defend their homes. After an artillery duel of an hour, in which Pen- nington and Elder both participated, the enemy gave way and we formed a junction with the main army, from which we had been separated for several hours.

In this engagement we lost: Officers, 2 killed, 6 wounded, and five missing; enlisted men, 17 killed, 35 wounded, and 118 missing, making an aggregate of 197 killed, wounded and missing. Owing to the nature of the attack, our loss was greater than that of the enemy. We killed upward of twenty, took fifty prisoners, and captured one battle flag. The First Brigade (Gen- eral Farnsworth), and especially the Fifth About 10 A. M. the head of our column reached Hanover and there we found a large body of the enemy's cavalry going through the town, moving toward a gap in the mountains (Pidgeon hills) which I in- New York Cavalry, was greatly distin- guished in this engagement. July I, the division marched to Berlin, via Abbotts- town, to intercept Stuart, but failed. A detachment under Lieutenant Colonel A. tended using on account of the elevation. J. Alexander pursued Stuart to Ross- ville.

General George A. Custer, in his official report, made out September 9, 1863, says :

First Michigan of my command was ordered to support Battery M, Second U. S. Artillery, at the Hanover engagement. No loss was sustained, as this regiment was not actually engaged.

Fifth Michigan was also in the fight but suffered no loss.

Sixth Michigan Cavalry drove the enemy to their guns, which we found supported by a heavy force of cavalry. A sharp engage- ment followed, in which we were outnum-

In September, 1863, General J. E. B. Stuart reported to his government at Rich- mond the part he took during the Confed- erate invasion of 1863 into Pennsylvania. His account of the engagement at Hanover will be read with interest :

I engaged a squad of the First Delaware Cavalry at Westminster, Maryland, June 29th. They soon retreated towards Balti- more. We encamped, that night, a few miles above Westminster, General Fitzhugh Lee's brigade in advance, halting the head of the column at Union Mills, midway be- tween Westminster and Littlestown: At Union Mills we heard that the Federal cavalry had reached Littlestown and was encamped there June 29th. Early next morning we resumed our march by a cross route for Hanover. General W. F. H. Lee's brigade, then commanded by Chambliss, was now in the advance. General Wade Hampton was in the rear with the wagon train and Fitz Lee's brigade was moving on out left flank between Littlestown and our road.

The enemy soon discovered our approach, and made a demonstration toward attacking us, which we promptly met by a gallant charge by Colonel Chambliss' brigade, which not only repulsed the enemy, but drove him pell-mell through the town in great confusion. We captured ambulances and a large number of prisoners, all of which were brought safely through to our lines, but were closely followed by the enemy's fresh troops. If my command had been well closed now, this cavalry column which we had struck near the rear, would have been at our mercy, but owing to the great elongation of the column by reason of

1 1 I I

433

BATTLE OF HANOVER

the one hundred and twenty-five captured wagons and the hilly roads, General Hamp- ton was a long distance behind us on his way to Hanover, and Fitz Lee was not yet heard from. In retiring with the prisoners and ambulances, Lieutenant Colonel W. H. Payne, of the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, temporarily in command of the Second North Carolina Cavalry, was taken prisoner in a gallant attempt to cut off a body of the enemy by a flank movement on the town. The delay in getting up reinforcements enabled the Federal cavalry to gain posses- sion of the town.

Trouble

Hanover is situated in a valley surrounded by heights which

with were in our possession. These

Wagon heights were crowned with artil-

Train. lery. Our position was im- pregnable to cavalry even with so small a force. We cut the enemy's column in twain. General Fitz Lee in the mean- time fell upon the rear portion, driving it handsomely and capturing one of Kilpat- rick's staff. Our wagon train was now a subject of serious embarrassment, but I thought by a detour to the right, by Jeffer- son, I could save it. I therefore determined to try it, particularly as I was satisfied from any accessible source of information, as well as from the lapse of time, that the Army of Northern Virginia must be near the Susque- hanna. My supply of ammunition was nearly exhausted. I had an immense train of wagons and four hundred prisoners which I had captured in Hanover and on the way northward. General Hampton arrived at Hanover in the meantime, and engaged the enemy farther to the right, and finally with his sharpshooters, dislodged the Federal force from the town of Hanover. The enemy then moved to our left, appar- ently to re-unite his broken columns, but pressing us with dismounted men on our left flank.

General Fitz Lee's brigade was Sleeping now just at the head of the in Their column, and he was instructed to Saddles. push on with the train through Jefferson to York, and com- municate as soon as possible with the army. Hampton brought up the rear. We were not molested on our march, which was over a very dark road on the night of the 30th of June. Our soldiers were much fatigued.

Whole regiments slept in the saddle on the march, their faithful horses keeping the road unguided. In some instances they fell from their horses, being overcome with sleepiness. We passed on through Jeffer- son to Dover, reaching there on the next morning. There we paroled our prisoners.

I. heard that General Early had marched westward from York. We then pushed on to Carlisle, going through Dillsburg. I be- lieved while on this march that most of the Army of Northern Virginia was then around Harrisburg.

Major H. B. McClellan, adjutant general and chief of staff to General J. E. B. Stuart, wrote a volume entitled "Campaign of Stuart's Cavalry," which was published in the year 1885. One of the chapters of this interesting volume gives an extended account of the cavalry engagement at Han- over. The author also describes the march of Stuart's cavalry corps after it crossed the Potomac until it reached Hanover and finally Gettysburg, with so much care and exactness that his account is given herewith in full, because of its historic value. Major McClellan gives a graphic description of the manner in which Stuart's cavalry crossed the Potomac at Rowser's Ford, about twenty miles northwest of Washington, and captured Meade's wagon train, which inci- dent gave rise to the engagement at Han- over. He says :

Stuart's men carried the con-

Crossing tents of the caissons and limber

the chests across the Potomac at

Potomac. Rowser's Ford and put them back after the caissons and lim- ber chests had been taken over. Stuart, with three brigades, commanded respect- ively by Wade Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee and Chambliss, completed the crossing of the river at 3 A. M. of June 28. No more difficult achievement was accomplished by our cavalry during the war. The night was calm and without a moon. No prominent object marked the entrance to the ford on either side, but horse followed horse through the water, which often covered the saddles of the riders. When the current was strong the line would unconsciously be borne down the river, sometimes so far as to cause danger of missing the ford, when some bold rider would advance from the op- posite shore and correct the alignment.

434

HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Energy, endurance, and skill were taxed to from two companies of the First Delaware the utmost; but the crossing was effected, Cavalry, commanded by Major N. B. and so silently that the nearest neighbors were not aware of it until daylight. Knight. This fight was more gallant than judicious on the part of Major Knight, for Captured he reports a loss of sixty-seven men out of ninety-five. Two officers of the Fourth a Wagon Virginia Cavalry who were well known as Train. among the best in the regiment-Lieuten- ants Pierre Gibson and John W. Murray, were killed in this affair.

It was past noon when Stuart entered Rockville. While halt- ing for the purpose of destroy- ing the telegraph line, and to procure supplies, information was brought of the approach from Wash- ington of a large train of wagons on the `For the first time since the 24th Kilpatrick Near. an abundance of provisions for men and horses was obtained at Westminster; and moving the head of his column to Union Mills, on the Gettysburg road, Stuart rested for the remainder of the night. Here he ascer- tained that Kilpatrick's cavalry had reached Littlestown, seven miles distant, on the same evening, and had gone into camp. At this day we can see that it would have been One better had Stuart here destroyed the cap- tured wagons. Up to this time they had way to Meade's army. Lieutenant Thomas Lee, Second South Carolina Cavalry, with four men from his regiment, dashed along the train and routed its small guard. Al- though some of the wagons in the rear had turned . about and were moving rapidly toward Washington, Lee reached the one foremost in the retreat, and halted and turned it about within sight of the defenses of the city. Chambliss' brigade followed, and the whole train was secured. hundred and twenty-five of the wagons, and all of the animals belonging to the train caused no embarrassment, for the necessary were turned over to the chief quartermaster of the Army at Gettysburg.

It must be acknowledged that the capture of this train of wagons was a misfortune. The time occupied in securing it was insig- nificant, but the delay caused to the subse- quent march was serious at a time when minutes counted almost as hours. Had Stuart been entirely unimpeded, he would have probably passed Hanover on the 30th before the arrival of Kilpatrick's division, and would have been in communication with General Lee before nightfall on that day. That this would have altered the result of the campaign is a matter of grave doubt, but it would certainly have relieved the movement of the cavalry around the rear of Meade's army of the disapprobation to which some have given expression.

Much time was necessarily Clash

Skirmish at consumed in tearing up the track at Hood's Mill, in Arms.

Westminster.

burning the bridge at Sykes- ville, and in destroying the telegraph line : but this work was effectually accomplished and the last means of communication be- tween General Meade's army and Wash- ington was destroyed. Stuart now pressed on to Westminster, which he reached about 5 o'clock P. M. Here the advance en- countered a brief but stubborn resistance

delay in destroying the railroad and tele- graph on the previous day had given ample time for the movement of the train. But now the close proximity of the enemy sug- gested the probability of a collision on the morrow, and the separation of the brigades by the wide interval which the train occu- pied was a disadvantage which might well have caused its immediate destruction. But it was not in Stuart's nature to abandon an attempt until it had been proven to be beyond his powers; and he determined to hold on to his prize until the last moment. This was unfortunate. Kilpatrick's divi- sion, at Littlestown, was only seven miles from Hanover. His march would of course be directed upon that point early the next morning. -

To reach the same place Stuart must traverse more than ten miles ; of but an early start and an unimpeded march would have placed him in advance of his adversary. As it was he struck the rear of Farnsworth's brigade at about 10 o'clock on the morning of the 30th, in the town of Hanover, and scattered one regiment, the Eighteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, inflicting upon it a loss of eighty-six officers and men. The Second North Carolina Cavalry, tempo- rarily commanded by Lieutenant Colonel

1 A

------- 4

435

BATTLE OF HANOVER

WV. H. Payne, of the Fourth Virginia Cav- commanding position that the enemy de- alry, made this attack, which, if it could clined further advance. Hampton, on his have been properly supported, would have resulted in the rout of Kilpatrick's com- mand. But Hampton was separated from the leading brigade by the whole train of captured wagons, and Fitz Lee was march- ing on the left flank to protect the column from an attack by way of Littlestown. There was nothing at the front but Cham- bliss' small brigade; and before anything could be brought to the assistance of the Second North Carolina, General Farns- worth rallied his regiments, and drove the North Carolinians from the town. In this charge Lieutenant Colonel Payne was cap- tured.

The road upon which this fight occurred debouches from the town of Hanover to- ward the south, and at a distance of per- haps three hundred yards from the town makes a turn almost at right angles as it ascends the hill beyond, enclosing a piece of meadow land, through which flows a lit- tle stream, whose steep banks form a ditch from ten to fifteen feet wide and from three to four feet deep. Stuart, with his staff and couriers, occupied this field, on the side next the enemy. When the Second North Carolina broke and retreated under Farns- worth's charge, this party maintained its positions for some moments, firing with pistols at the flank of the enemy, who pur- sued the North Carolina regiment on the road.

The position soon became one of Stuart's Peril. extreme personal peril to Stuart, whose retreat by the road was cut off. Nothing remained but to leap the ditch. Splendidly mounted on his favorite mare, Virginia, Stuart took the ditch at a running leap, and landed safely on the other side with several feet to spare. Some of his party made the leap with equal success, but not a few horses failed, and landed their riders in the shallow water, whence by energetic scrambling they reached the safe side of the stream. The ludicrousness of the situation, notwith- standing the peril, was the source of much merriment at the expense of these un- fortunate ones.

Upon the repulse of the Second North Carolina, Stuart retired to the hills south and east of Hanover, which gave him such

arrival, was moved to the right, and by means of his sharpshooters dislodged the enemy from that part of the town. Fitz Lee, in moving up on the left, had en- countered a part of Custer's brigade, and captured a member of Kilpatrick's staff and a number of other prisoners. In the mean- time the wagons had been placed in closed park, and preparation had been made to burn them should the necessity arise. But Custer's brigade, which had at first been placed on Kilpatrick's left, was subse- quently moved to his right, and Hampton's success having relieved Stuart's right, he now determined to send Fitz Lee forward with the train, through Jefferson toward York, hoping thus to gain information which would guide his future movements.

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.

History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume I, Part 78

Author: Prowell, George R. Publication date: 1907 Publisher: J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1372

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1372