USA > Pennsylvania > History of a cavalry company. A complete record of Company "A," 4th Penn'a cavalry, as identified with that regiment in all the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, during the late civil war > Part 3
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of June, 1862, and disembarked a few days after- wards at White House Landing; near which place we at once encamped. The day before arriving there, Stuart made his dashing raid around our army, as a preliminary movement to the enemy's manœuvers on Mcclellan's right at Mechanicsville. On being supplied with forage, rations, etc., we took up the
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"ALAS! THE WEARY HOURS PASS SLOW."
line of march for the Army of the Potomac. We ar- rived on the evening of that day near Mechanicsville, encamped, and were joined by other portions of the regiment, which continued to arrive in detachments. For the time being it was attached to Gen. McCall's division of Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps, operating against Richmond in that vicinity, and we were daily under the fire of the enemy's guns. On this occasion, then, we were for the first time exposed to the more formidable dangers of the war. The shells of the rebels hourly fell into our camp, but fortunately did little damage. The sensation created by being under fire was quite novel and remarkable. It considerably accelerated the pulse-beat, and made the heart thump against its bony prison. It filled the breast with mingled emotions of indignation at the enemy and solicitous care for one's personal safety-the latter, however, "growing small by de- grees and beautifully less," as we became accustomed to the hissing and screeching of shot and shell. It was a striking experience indeed, after having been subjected all our lives to no other batteries of danger, than are known in elegant essays, under the caption of "Death in the tea-cups," "Death in the coffee- pot," or Dyspepsia and Pulmonary Phthisis-the most of them a means of dissolution so mild and slow that the poor patient often dies of old age before they have spent their force-to find ourselves in the midst of straight or parabolic lines which bursting shells and piercing balls were describing incessantly. That a slight tinge of regard for one's longevity entered
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HISTORY OF A CAVALRY COMPANY.
as a factor into the experience, is a very excusable foible, in men who were not yet veterans. We re- mained in camp here until the evening of June 26th. The enemy having advanced on our works at Me- chanicsville, under Lec and other rebel generals who subsequently became noted, orders were issued to prepare for battle. We laid in line of battle all night, in readiness to mount at a moment's notice. On the 26th the Pennsylvania Reserves had a fore- taste of what was in store for them the next day. On the 27th occurred the battle of Gaines' Hill. There being no chance for cavalry demonstrations we gradually retired on that occasion. Other and abler pens have since given the details of this battle. As the enemy advanced, Fitz John Porter's strug- gling lines were forced to yield, which they did very reluctantly. It is a matter of written history now, what issues were involved on that fearful day and what terrible sacrifices our battling minority made against the overwhelming majority arrayed in oppo- sition to them. This occasion being a memorable one, of this campaign in particular, and we partici- pating in it as a company and regiment, claim our share of credit for the valor displayed and for the issues achieved. The fearful odds of the enemy were held at bay awhile, but necessarily not long enough to receive the promised but withheld reinforcements, which never came at all-those expected from the timid and indecisive George. Porter's corps being gradually forced to yield before the overwhelming forces of the enemy, it was only with the utmost diffi-
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"ALAS! THE WEARY HOURS PASS SLOW."
culty that we maintained ground enough to cover our retreat over Sumner's Bridge, during the ensuing night. It was not until the evening of this day that our regiment was actually brought into contact with the enemy. Our troops had been worn-out with su- perhuman efforts throughout the day, in order to hold the enemy in check and keep up a bold front. In consequence of this they were very much disor- ganized towards evening. The enemy then begin- ning to press, at all points, front and flank, our wearied and worn-out troops found themselves una- ble longer to resist the combined attacks of Lee, Longstreet, Jackson and others, and just as the shades of evening began to thicken a panic seized a portion of Porter's corps-not indeed to the extent of the Bull Run panic, but ominous-looking enough to cause the hearts of our commanders to fear for the final issues of the day. The cavalry branch of the service, which had been disengaged all day, was now called into requisition. There were three regiments of Cavalry with Porter's corps. The Fifth United States was first formed, and, under the lead of their brave officers, made a desperate charge on the enemy, with a view to check his advances. They only par- tially succeeded. The enemy were overwhelmingly stronger, and were composed entirely of infantry and artillery. The Fifth United States was immediately supported by the Sixth Pennsylvania, or Rush's Lancers, who also made a dashing and formidable charge. They were likewise repulsed, and effected but little. Our regiment, being the next in order,
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was then advanced in line of battle, but rather with a view to covering the disorder and confusion which the retreating troops had occasioned after coming into action. We presented a stern front to the enemy until darkness ensued, and maintained our position to the last, being finally relieved, late at night, by the afterwards famous Irish Brigade of Sumner's corps. During the night, all our troops on the north of the Chickahominy retired across Sumner's Bridge. Then began the series of movements known in history as the " Great Change of Base," including the first seven days' battles of the war. In this, as in most of Mcclellan's so-called master operations, we might detect, if we chose to examine the details now, a blind submissiveness to the inexorable logic of events, and by no means that powerful exhibition of genius for strategy which the war so frequently invited, and which the commanding general had such unlimit- ed resources to make successful.
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BATTLES ON THE PENINSULA.
CHAPTER V.
BATTLES ON THE PENINSULA.
T HERE is little doubt in my mind that the battle of Gaines' Hill will occupy one of the most brilliant pages of history, as one of the most desperate and stubbornly-contested battles of the war. It was fought, too, by troops new to the ser- vice, the hostile armies having, in any considerable force, met each other for the first time. It demon- strates the fact that Americans are warriors by na- ture ; that the qualities which make the free, enter- prising and independent citizen, are those which make the reliable and efficient soldier. We doubt, indeed, if as many men new in the service from any other nationality on the earth, could have so firmly held themselves, in the face of such dangers, and so creditably parried the blows of such an overwhelming army. Owing to the darkness of the evening and the random firing of the enemy, who were likewise fatigued with the fierce efforts of the day, our loss was comparatively trifling. The total regimental loss was twelve men wounded, and a number of horses killed and disabled. In the company we lost no men,
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but two of our horses were shot. On the morning of the 28th, we made a reconnoissance down the Chicka- hominy to Bottom's Bridge, where we found some of our troops slightly engaged in skirmishing with the enemy. After reconnoitering the country below Bot- tom's Bridge a short distance, we returned to Gen. McClellan's headquarters, and encamped there during the night. Here we drew rations and forage for three days, on which we were compelled to subsist, until the army was safely quartered at Harrison's Landing six days afterwards. On the 19th we marched as rear-guard to the Army of the Potomac, taking part in several of the skirmishes which oc- curred during that day. During the entire retreat, or change of base movement, we participated in most of the engagements it occasioned. We were present at the battles of White Oak Swamp, Malvern Hills, and Peach Orchard. Our casualties, however, con- tinued fortunately few. One of our men was acci- dentally injured, while retiring from a skirmish charge, and was discharged in consequence. His name was Frederick Wunder. On the evening of July 1st, after the famous encounter on Malvern Hills, we found ourselves in a rather disorganized, hungry and fatigued condition, being entirely destitute of rations and forage of every description, with an army all around us in exactly the same circumstances. The worst of the fighting was over, however, for the enemy had suffered a terrible defeat that day; and it was the opinion of most of our prominent generals, although not concurred in by the General-in-chief,
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BATTLES ON THE PENINSULA.
that had the advantage here been promptly followed up, Richmond would have fallen an easy prey to our victorious armies. During the battle of Malvern Hills we were acting as escort to Gen. Fitz-John Porter, and were with him in the morning when the position of the battle was chosen, and before any of the troops had arrived. On the night of July 1st, we marched to Harrison's Landing, on the James River, and encamped in one of the most beautiful fields of grain the eye of man ever beheld. It was ripe for the sickle, yellow-hued, and swayed and seethed in the summer zephyrs as though it were a lake of gold or sapphire. It was a gem, so to speak, set here for the gratification of the human appetite for both the beautiful and the edible-a rare and lovely symbol of the peaceful and happy pursuits of life, when the genius of war and death has folded her wings, and passed into profoundest slumber. But during the night the clouds gathered over the hea- vens, and the rain shot down in thick and constant streams. The whole army moved along here in the darkness, and encamped in these very fields. On the next day hardly a vestige of the wheat was to be seen. Every thing had been ground by feet and trampled into the inud. The whole scene was trans- formed into one of filthy clay, sticky mud, and loath- some mire. So great are the changes of war ! So rapidly do the features of peace disappear before the brusque movements of the martial purpose ! Here we received our first rations from steamers loaded with hard-tack, etc. We found at this place some of
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HISTORY OF A CAVALRY COMPANY.
the Sixth Pennsylvania Reserves that had come down on transports, and also some troops that had been relieved from Gen. Shields' command at Winchester. These were reinforcements for our army. It needed them. For several days after it continued to re- main in an almost perfectly disorganized condition. The men were hungry and worn-out, the regiments and companies were scattered, and at some regimen- tal headquarters not over one-fourth of the men were to be found. It was completely muddled, confused, and disorganized, and floundered in the dirt-under the protection of the gunboats ! This afterwards be- came quite an army-phrase, especially among the newsboys. While passing through the camps, during the stay of the army at Harrison's Landing, and selling the daily papers, they would cry, " Here you are ! New York Herald, Tribune, Times, Press and Chronicle-while you are under the protection of the gunboats ! ! ! " This they would then say seriously. The expression afterwards, however, always evoked laughter. But this indeed was protection enough. In a great measure we owe the demoralization of the rebel army to the fact that our gunboats took an active part in that battle, throwing their huge mis- siles of war entirely over our troops, and lodging them into the rebel ranks with a fatal certainty. Sometimes, as the shot and shell would strike the earth, they would scoop out great cart-loads of soil and make excavations large enough for the burial of a horse and his rider. In this manner they were of
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BATTLES ON THE PENINSULA. 3
use, both in furnishing the corpse, and in helping to do the rite of sepulture.
Here then was an agreeable change in the routine of the past few days. Though still exposed to the inclemency of the weather and to the mud and mire, there was the necessary and grateful consolation which rations and rest invariably afford. The days which now followed were days of feasting and repose -until the exhaustion had been entirely relieved. With several of my companions, I made it my busi- ness to look round for some of the companies and regiments in which our old comrades had participated. We found a portion of the Eighty-first huddled round two or three fuming fires, and scarcely to be recog- nized on account of their smoke and mud-begrimed condition. What few were left, however, had sad tales of casualties to relate. The afterwards famous Billy Barlow, being personally in command of that brigade, was not distinguishable from any of his men as they lay huddled together on about an acre of ground, although he then held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Some of the boys pointed him out to us, as he stood among the men around the fire, and spoke enthusiastically of his conduct in the battle. We could scarcely realize the fact that such an able officer might be found beyond so much mud and con- fusion. After hearing the tales of suffering, and of the terrible casualties which had occurred in the other commands where we had friends and compan- ions, the remembrance of our own hardships was completely whelmed in a sympathy for theirs, and in
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HISTORY OF A CAVALRY COMPANY.
an admiration for the fortitude and courage they had displayed.
We returned to our own company with sorrowful tidings of the lamented Connor, and of numerous other late citizens of our native valley. And yet the sufferings in our own regiment are not to be passed over in silence. At the battle of Malvern Hills, Adj. Biddle received a severe wound, with several other officers and men of the regiment-all of whom were captured by the enemy, as the engagement had taken place in an advanced and greatly exposed position. The enemy captured also the medical staff of the regiment. On the night of the 2d, and during the 3d of July, we reconnoitered and scouted in the vicini- ty of Charles City Court House, where a portion of the regiment had had quite a brisk skirmish a few days before, losing two men killed and six wounded. We remained here on picket duty a little while longer. On the 4th of July, the first anniversary of our National Independence spent in the field, according to orders from Gen. McClellan, a ration of whisky was issued to each and all of the troops. By the time he had concluded that the potion must have taken effect, he personally reviewed the army, and had his famous complimentary order read, claiming the movement of the last seven days as one of the finest on record in the history of all wars. Indeed such an order as this needed the admixture of much good whisky, in order to make it gullible by a few of the discerning men of his command. But we after- wards regarded it, as we would have received in
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BATTLES ON THE PENINSULA.
Mauch Chunk or Philadelphia, a Fourth of July ora- tion or a pyrotechnic exhibition. It was indeed a mere intellectual scintillation, a chaser or pin-wheel of the imagination, which did well enough for a mo- mentary entertainment. Indeed we were altogether in this vein ourselves, for was it possible for a soldier of the Republic, on such a day and in such a situa- tion, to forget the dangers and battles of their revolutionary sires ? Did we not one and all look lovingly back on the pure, peaceful and happy career which characterized the Union for awhile, after our independence had been achieved, and the " Cincinna- tus of the West," the Father of his country had been called to the high post of Chief Magistrate ? Indeed our hearts would have ardently glowed with such memories without the aid of either whisky or rheto- ric from our genial General-in-chief.
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HISTORY OF A CAVALRY COMPANY.
CHAPTER VI.
CHECKING REBEL RAIDS.
W TE continued to do picket and scout duty, in the vicinity of our outposts, around Harrison's Landing, during the month of July and a portion of August, encamping on the bank of James River at Westover Landing, a short distance below. The regiment was here brigaded for the first time, under command of Col. Averill, of the Third Penn- sylvania Cavalry, being composed of the Third and Fourth Pennsylvania and Fifth Regular Cavalry. During the time we were encamped here, the weather being very warm, and the men not inured to the Southern climate, much sickness prevailed. The sun poured down an intense and sultry heat, steam- ing out of river and marsh, miasmæ of the most destructive influence on health. The river was dotted with sloops and schooners loaded with hay, and the shores were covered with the dead carcasses of horses, which festered and putrified there, half on land and half in the water. On the surface of the river was a scum of refuse hay, and the oily and bilgy fragments of the decomposing animal matters on the banks. Couple with these, the still, hot,
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CHECKING REBEL RAIDS.
searching heats of an almost tropical sun, the cool, drenching dews of summer nights in the South, and a naturally unhealthy locality, and you have ample cause for surprise that some ghastly epidemic did not arise from this putrid sepulchre of vapors, and spread disease and death, far and wide into the country. As it was, the health of the troops suf- fered essentially, and many died of low fevers. Our army was well supplied during the encampment at Harrison's Landing, sutlers from the North flocking about us on all sides. Almost every luxury could be purchased, but unfortunately the means for buy- ing were generally limited, if not altogether wanting. Still the presentation to the troops of such varied stores was a great appetizer, and sometimes a fatal one to the worldly prospects of the enterprising merchant. It was not unusual to hear of a sutler's establishment being "cleaned out "-as by the magi- cian's wand, for it was all accomplished in the twinkle of an eye. The men of two or three regi- ments would connive together, and, suddenly sur- rounding one of these magazines of luxury, would at a given signal crack the shell, and distribute the good stuff, with a marvellous rapidity and a satisfac- tory division of spoils. In a moment scarcely a vestige of the stock would be found, the men, by scores, moving off and secreting what could not be devoured at once. The very numerical grandeur of the depredators saved them from arrest ; and the bankrupt sutler would be allowed to curse, whistle, violently gesticulate, or sharply designate any pre- 6
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HISTORY OF A CAVALRY COMPANY.
vailing quality he might have, under sudden and heavy misfortune. During the encampment here the army was in a measure re-organized. All the companies and regiments underwent this process. Vacancies having been created during the late campaign, promotions were in order, and became quite numerous. On this occasion I was promoted Corporal, a position then esteemed an honor, and John Slaven was appointed to Quartermaster's Ser- geant, rice Mclaughlin, reduced at his own request. We lost one man here by desertion-a fact which was little regretted except so far as it reflected on the general character of the company.
On the night of July 31st, the enemy got several pieces of artillery in position, on the opposite side of the James River, and sent us their compli- ments in the shape of shot and shell. They continued this for some time, until our gunboats got the range of them and drove them off. Many of the shot and shell entered our camp, wounding several men and killing or injuring several horses. Joseph Snyder, a member of the company, was very severely wounded, during the night, while lying in his tent. A solid shot struck him, and from the injuries it inflicted, he was afterwards discharged. It was a notable fact that during the same firing, his horse was apparently singled out from among hundreds, and killed on the picket linc. He was the first member of the com- pany wounded by a missile from the enemy. On account of the sickness that prevailed in camp, large numbers were sent to hospitals in the North-three
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CHECKING REBEL RAIDS.
members of our company being included -Sergt. Nathan Brelsford, Corp. Thomas Connor and private Michael Cochlin.
About this time, too, we were surrounded by an enemy whose powers of petty annoyance were greater than his skill in outright killing. Myriads of sharp- teethed, lantern-jawed, empty-mouthed and pertina- cious flies came among us, to add to our discom- forts. They seemed to prefer individual warfare, guerilla attacks, to assaults en masse, and darted down on the nose, and clung and stung that inoffen- sive member, until the tears rolled over from the peepers above. They would fight and bite the hand, nip the eye-lid, flutter and buzz in the ear, scooping up a mouthful of the flesh on their way out, and fairly revel in their dashing advances on the enemy, who all the time struck out darkly, but never quelled the foe, although his better nature was fully sup- pressed in the endeavor. There was no rest among these saucy and impudent fellows. They were probably rebel-flies, who left their exhausted hills and vallies on a raid among the enemy's possessions. They were especially annoying to the horses, who now had no comfort night or day. At all hours you could hear them stamping on the hard dry clay, and snapping and switching their caudal appendages- in vain efforts to repel the pestering swarms.
The entire campaign and movement by the route chosen by Mcclellan for the assault on Richmond having proved a failure, and Jackson with a large force having defeated Pope near Culpepper, the
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HISTORY OF A CAVALRY COMPANY.
enemy were supposed to be following up their ad- vantage, and to be advancing on Washington from that direction. McClellan was, therefore, ordered to vacate Harrison's Landing. Accordingly, on the 16th of August, 1862, the army having already mainly embarked, we also broke camp at Westover Landing, and marched as rear guard to a portion of the army, towards Yorktown, Virginia, at which place we arrived August 18th, 1862. We encamped below the city in a large peach orchard, from which point we did picket duty until the 25th of August, when with Company K we were taken across the York River on a ferry boat, where we made a recon- noissance of the country for a distance of twenty miles. But we did not discover the enemy, and re- turned to camp the next day. The regiment was mustered for pay on the 31st inst., by Col. Childs. A few days afterwards our little band embarked on board of transports, and sailed for Washington. We arrived in Washington on the 4th, having been de- layed for one day by being aground in the river. I learned here, with much sorrow, of the casualties in the old Eleventh Pennsylvania, and especially of the loss of my cousin and cherished friend, Lieut. James Hyndman, who had been killed at the second battle of Bull Run, and whose body was never re- covered. Hle fell while leading on his men, and gave up, in the face of the foe, a truly patriotic, noble and courageous life. May the sod press lightly on his manly breast ! We here for the first time discovered that a series of battles had been fought, and that
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CHECKING REBEL RAIDS.
some mismanagement or succession of re- verses, our forces had been pressed back to the forti- fications around Washington once more. For diso- bedience of orders, or some dereliction of duty, Gen. Fitz-John Porter was court-martialled and cashiered, for having been criminally concerned in the causes of these disasters. It may not be inappropriate to remark here, incidentally, that this decision of a military tribunal has been virtually confirmed since that event-so far as the character of the man is concerned. Having resided since that time in the Territory of Colorado, I well remember how a New York Gold Mining Company suffered a parallel ex- perience with the United States Government, by entrusting this man, Porter, with the responsible duties of managing their business there. Large sums of their money were squandered, injudiciously, to say the least, and without adequate benefit to their interests. I observed that his official functions with this company were suddenly brought to a close.
To return to our narrative ; the enemy, instead of attacking Washington, made their demonstrations further North, by crossing into Maryland. Gen. Burnside's command was organized to meet the rebel army immediately, and at once it marched forth from the Capital, our regiment acting as escort to the commanding general and staff. We first met the enemy on the night of Sept. 11th, when our battal- ion, commanded by Capt. Young, entered Rockville, Maryland, in advance of Burnside's column, on a reconnoissance, drove their advance back, and
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