USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, together with a complete roster of the regiment and regimental officers > Part 7
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27
General Peck, in summing up the result of the Union side, says : "We have taken five pieces of the celebrated Farquhar Artillery, about 400 prisoners. Probably 500 or 600 have been killed, 500 have deserted, making a total of at least 1.500. Our own loss, 44 killed, 202 wounded, 14 missing, total 260. All the morale, prestige, and glory belong to the patient and brave officers and men of the Federal army." Probably the general's estimate in killed and wounded is unduly large, for no assault on our works was made and the loss would be offset by con- scripts gathered through the country.
As soon as the enemy withdrew, the old routine was re- sumed, much to the delight of the Eleventh, for all were heartily
72
ELEVENTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
tired of being cooped up for three weeks, especially since the spring season had come with its flowers and scent.
On the afternoon of the 13th a large force of infantry, ac- companied by Howard's and Davis's Batteries. and nearly all the mounted men under Colonel R. S. Foster of the Thirteenth Indiana, started toward the Blackwater. The command halted for supper at Deserted House and resumed its march after dark, reaching Carrsville about daylight next morning. The purpose of the expedition was to protect the workmen who were taking up the rails of the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad, and to pre- vent the enemy from using the road and taking the rails to make repairs elsewhere. The advance halted about three miles from Franklin; work was begun, but the workmen were soon scattered by the explosion of a number of shells in their midst, the enemy having discovered the design. Chaplain Hanson says this dis- covery was caused by the brave and impetuous Spear who had determined to capture the rebel pickets, known to be at the junc- tion of the railroad and the pike. The chaplain also speaks of Colonel Spear's charge: "Away we went! I could think of nothing but a whirlwhind, a cloud of dust rising to conceal us, while the horses seemed to enjoy the affair as much as the men. We drove the rebel videttes into their fortifications, and then as swiftly countermarched." Companies A, E, H, and K were with Colonel Spear on this occasion. The enemy followed him back and quite some fighting took place that day and the next, causing a temporary suspension of the work, but the workmen persevered, and by the 19th enough track was removed in the direction of Suffolk to permit operations to be extended to the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad at Windsor.
While making a night march from Carrsville to Windsor. a fatal error was made sometime after midnight. As we marched along in the dark, half asleep, we were startled by heavy firing on the other road-we were moving by two roads. There were dense woods between us, so we hurried on to the Deserted House, where we joined the other troops and learned the cause of the firing during the night. It seems that the colonel of the One Hundred and Seventieth New York was riding a spirited horse. He struck a match. intending to smoke, when the horse, startled by the flash, sprang to one side, and threw him off. The horse galloped back through the ranks, and a panic ensued. The cry was raised that the rebels were coming; firing commenced; those in front fired into the rear of the Ninth New York, who
1
73
LONGSTREET'S SIEGE. SANTA ANNA RIVER.
were ahead of them. The Ninth returned the fire and marched on. Our men were still on picket at . Carrsville; some of them were sent to ascertain the cause of the firing, but they did not dare to go near. for they seemed to be firing in all directions. The next morning when our company was relieved from picket and reached the spot, they found an ambulance containing Col- onel Murphy's headquarter's outfit overturned and two men lying on the road dead. A man came out of the woods and wished to surrender, thinking they were rebels. He said that there had been a fierce fight the night before. On reaching the woods, six or eight men were found, whom Colonel Spear placed under arrest. The incident illustrates how easily a panic may be created. These men had, only a few days before, met the enemy and fought well.
The work of taking up the track continued until the 27th, when all outside our infantry pickets at Suffolk was removed, and during the work the Eleventh was kept busy picketing and scouting in all directions. During the operations around Carrsville, Private Wall, of Company A, was ordered to assist in removing a family to a place of safety during an impending fight. Wall took a small child in front of him and started for a neighbor outside our lines. While on the way he passed a squad of rebel bushwhackers, one of whom drew up his gun to shoot, but seeing the child decided to wait until Wall re- turned. The private took the child to the intended place and returned by another road, which in all likelihood saved his life.
While at Windsor Private John Brink was sent to Suffolk with an important dispatch. When outside our lines Brink was halted by bushwhackers and ordered to surrender, but instead of . so doing. put spur to his horse, threw himself alongside the animal's neck on the left side, and, as is natural, threw up his right arm which was shattered by a bullet below the shoulder and elbow. Brink arrived at one of our reserve pickets in a fainting condition. He was conveyed to Hampton Hospital where Dr. Allen removed a portion of the bone and inserted a silver tube.
But little of importance occurred during the remainder of the stay of the Eleventh at Suffolk. A dispute occurred be- tween Colonel Spear and Lieutenant-colonel Stetzel which re- sulted in the court martial of the lieutenant-colonel. During the month of June picketing cavalry became very risky: the
:74
ELEVENTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
rebel commander at Franklin sent small companies of his men to the vicinity of Suffolk and several cavalry videttes were killed by them. On the IIth of June Colonel Blake obtained permis- sion to see if this practice could not be stopped. His force .consisted of twenty men from Company A, eight from Company G, and three men from Company E. Private Evans and Farrier Smith, of Company A, acted as scouts, being dressed in rebel uniform. The party left our camp at midnight; rode beyond our pickets, where they dismounted and proceeded on foot. Their horses were taken back by men who went along for that purpose. Keeping in the woods, they made their way for eight miles up the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad, when they secreted themselves near the track. The scouts went on to Carrsville. They visited many houses along the way and found the people more communicative than when they were talking to Union soldiers. After dark the scouts made their way to the hiding place of Lieutenant Blake's party. It was a long tramp and nearly daylight when they reached there. As soon as it was light the lieutenant sent Sergeant Jenkins with eight men to Deserted House to guard that point. Carter was sent to Suffolk with a dispatch. He had not gone far when he discovered a party coming up the railroad and he immediately returned and informed the lieutenant, who hid his men behind trees and bushes with orders not to fire until the word was given. The rebels came on talking and laughing, little dreaming of the ambush ahead of them. Just before they reached the right of the line, a man on the left let his carbine go off. Alarmed by the shot the rebels sprang for the woods on the opposite side when our men fired at random, being as much startled by the unexpected shot as the rebels. Ring threw down his carbine and followed them, revolver in hand. Two of the rebels leveled their rifles at him, but he succeeded in reaching a tree before they fired. The rest of our men came pouring across the track. and, finding they could not stay, the rebels started to run. A shot stopped a sergeant of a South Carolina regiment; the rest fled through the woods pursued by our men. . Sergeant Jenkins and party, who were not far away. heard the firing and started back. and ran into the fleeing rebels. The foremost of them cried out: "My God! Here they are again!" These were his last words. On their return to Carrsville, the rebels told the people the Eleventh had pursued them. Our men returned to Suffolk, and, not wishing the means they had used to be known,
75
LONGSTREET'S SIEGE. SANTA ANNA RIVER.
brought the scouts in as prisoners. As they marched through the town, the road was lined with infantry and the scouts had to run a gauntlet of curses and taunts. "What did you bring them in for?" "See what bad eyes that fellow has got!" were among the greetings they received. The lesson was a lasting one, for the pickets were not molested after that.
From the 12th to the 18th the Eleventh was part of General Foster's command, which was reconnoitering the line of the Blackwater from Laurence's Ford to South Quay to see if the enemy was still in force along the river. Finally, it was learned that nearly all the troops had been sent to reinforce Lee, leaving a few pickets at the principal crossings to make an appearance of resisting. The command returned to camp, and it was soon evi- denced that Suffolk was to be abandoned in the near future. On the 22d the Eleventh bade farewell to its home for more than a year. and took the road for Portsmouth, where it arrived during the afternoon of that day and began to embark on river steam- boats, bound for Yorktown. The transportation was not com- pleted until late in the afternoon of the 23d; the last companies to embark were not landed at Yorktown, and much suffering was caused among the horses for the want of water. At Yorktown, detachments of the Second Massachusetts and Twelfth Illinois Cavalry. numbering 250 men, under Lieutenant Davis, joined the command, increasing its numbers to 1,050 effective men. These detachments were fragments of Kilpatrick's brigade of Stone- man's command which had raided the country between Lee's army and Richmond during the month of May. The horses of these detachments were badly used up by the hard marching, which gave Kilpatrick the well-earned sobriquet, "Kilcavalry." The horses were left to recuperate instead of returning with the rest of the command to the Rappahannock. The colors of the Eleventh were lost while changing boats at Yorktown ; evidently they had been stolen. The companies of the Eleventh, which had landed at Yorktown. together with Colonel Davis's detach- ment. re-embarked during the afternoon of the 24th, arriving at White House Landing about 7 A. M. next morning. The small force of the enemy's cavalry near the landing was easily dispersed by a few shells from the gunboats, and the troops were rapidly landed. using an old canal boat as a wharf.
Colonel Spear marched rapidly to Tunstall's Station, where he found a cavalry picket. which immediately fled. AA sutler's store at the station was looted and burned. The command
76
ELEVENTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
marched to the vicinity of Hanovertown, and, in a heavy down- pour of rain, bivouaced for the night. Early on the morning of the 26th, Colonel Spear marched toward Hanover Court House. On the way, several small parties of rebel foragers were captured. and from them it was learned that a part of Longstreet's quarter- master's train was encamped near the Court House. When the advance guard arrived at the railroad depot near the Court House, a train of cars was pulling out for Richmond, said to have 500 Union prisoners on board, who had been captured a few days before at Winchester. When the Court House was reached, Colonel Spear detached Major Wetherill, with a squad- ron of the Eleventh, with orders to take charge of the Quarter- master's train and other public property ; to send all that could be moved across the river at Nelson's Bridge, and to destroy the balance.
The colonel then marched his command to the Virginia Central Railroad bridge across the South Anna River, which was defended by a block house and an earth work on the north side, manned by 125 officers and men of the Forty-ninth Carolina, under Lieutenant Hargrove. Arriving at the bridge. Colonel Spear attacked the Confederates, opening a vigorous fire on their position. The enemy made a strong resistance. Crossing over to the other end of the bridge, the colonel ordered Captain Skelley, with his own company and Company A, down the river, to cross by a ford and attack the enemy in the rear, which was done. In the meantime, Lieutenant John L. Roper, in command of the advance guard, made up a detail from the several com- panies of the regiment, crossed the river at a shorter distance below the bridge, dismounted his men under cover of a thick growth of brush, proceeded on foot. charged and captured this guard after a hand-to-hand conflict. Captain Skelley came up in time to take part. The Confederates made a gallant resistance. but were not able to withstand the attack, and therefore sur- rendered. First sergeant of Company B was killed by one of the prisoners after the surrender. His slayer was instantly shot and several other prisoners were killed and wounded, it being sup- posed that hostilities had again resumed. Colonel Spear imme- diately marched his prisoners to the south side, burned the bridge and block house, parolled thirteen prisoners who were badly wounded. and returned to Hanover Court House.
While the fight at the bridge was going on, Colonel Spear learned through Theoulious Stratton, Company D, who had lo-
77
LONGSTREET'S SIEGE. SANTA ANNA RIVER.
cated the general from information received from an old colored man, that Brigadier-general Wm. F. H. Lee, a son of Robert E. Lee, was at the residence of General Wickham, his father-in-law, not far away. The general had been wounded in the cavalry fight early in the month at Brandy Station, and had been sent back to his family. Immediately upon the receipt of this news, a detachment of Company F, under Lieutenant Tears, was sent with orders to bring General Lee to our lines, if he could ride. The order was obeyed. The lieutenant hitched up two of his horses to General Wickham's family carriage and thus brought General Lee to Colonel Spear, just as the battle at the bridge ended. Lee and Colonel Spear had known each other in the old army (one as an officer and the other as an enlisted man). Gen- eral Lee asked to be paroled, saying that he had captured thousands of Union prisoners and expected to capture thousands more. but he always paroled his wounded prisoners. Colonel Spear replied that he would have to go to White House, and that ended their intercourse. Colonel Spear would have been justified in granting his request, for it was usual at that time for both sides to parole their wounded prisoners ; but the capture proved to be a fortunate affair. On the 6th of July, eleven days after Lee's capture, the Union captains confined in Libby Prison were ordered to draw lots to choose two of their number to be executed in retaliation for two Confederate officers who had been tried and shot a short time before by order of General Burnside for recruit- ing within the Union lines. Captain Sawyer, of the First New Jersey Cavalry, and Captain Flynn, of the Fifty-first Indiana drew the fatal lots, and they were assured by General Winder that the sentence would be carried out in the near future. When the government learned the intention of the Richmond authorities regarding Sawyer and Flynn, the commanding officer at Fortress Monroe was ordered to shoot Lee and Captain Winder (the gen- eral's son) as soon as he learned positively that the Union cap- tains had been executed: which order he was directed to com- municate to the Confederate authorities at Richmond. The execution was then indefinitely postponed, and Sawyer and Flynn were exchanged long before their comrades.
During the fight at the bridge Major Wetherill's command at the Court House had been busy. Forty wagons undergoing repairs. 300 sets of harness, stables, a wheelright and blacksmith shop and other public property, including 1.000 bushels of corn were burned or rendered useless. When Colonel Spear returned
78
ELEVENTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
to the Court House, the movable property and animals were col- lected and the command fell back across the Pamunkey, bivouac- ing for the night at Mrs. Nelson's plantation.
The day's work had been etirely satisfactory. The com- mand had carried the enemy's works and burned the railroad bridge over the South Anna River; the Confederates had lost nine men killed and 125 captured, including a brigadier-general. Besides destroying much material, 35 army wagons and a number of small wagons and carts loaded with rations and other army stores, 500 mules and 200 horses were brought away. The Union loss was three men killed, thirteen wounded, and one missing.
The report of General Singletary, of the Forty-ninth North Carolina, says: "On the 26th the enemy attacked the Central Railroad bridge over the South Anna River, which was defended by Lieut. Hargrove with 50 men from Company A, and 20 men from Company G were dispatched to their assistance from the bridges near Taylorsville. The enemy forded the river below the bridge, attacking Lieutenant Hargrove from all sides. The fight with Company A must have been severe and close, as the men killed and wounded are cut with sabres; some are burned with powder."
The damage done to the Confederate side by Colonel Spear on the South Anna River raid exceeded that done to the Union side by Stuart on his most vaunted raid, except in its effects upon the morale of the enemy ; for Stuart's raid was, doubtless, one of the principal causes for McClellan's change of base. But with a smaller force Colonel Spear did more damage to the enemy's line of communication, more fighting, destroyed more public property, brought away more than double the number of animals, besides the loaded wagons and carts previously mentioned.
Colonel Stratton, in his brief history of the Eleventh, after outlining the work done by Colonel Spear, says: "Through the fault of the commanding officer no attempt was made to destroy the upper bridge, three miles distant on the Richmond and Frederick Railroad, hence another expedition under Brigadier- general Getty, consisting of 7,000 infantry and artillery, also the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, started from White House on the Ist of July to destroy the bridge and complete the severance of the railroad communications between Richmond and Lee's army. then at Gettysburg. The expedition failed of its main object. but on the night of July 4th Companies G and M, under Major
79,
LONGSTREET'S. SIEGE. SANTA ANNA RIVER.
Stratton, destroyed the railroad bridge, station, and public prop- erty at Ashland."
Rather an uncalled-for criticism of Colonel Spear, who had acted as ordered. General Dix, however, says in his official re- port of the affair: "I am satisfied that Colonel Spear has accom -. plished all that could be done. He is one of the best cavalry officers in the service, and I commend him to the favorable con- sideration of the government."
On the Ist of July General Getty with a force of 10,000 men set out to do what Major Stratton said the previous expedition had failed to do. The Eleventh formed a part of the expedition, which moved by way of King William's Court House, making fifteen miles the first day. Colonel Spear with his cavalry led the advance, and on the march back brought up the rear. On the advance he dispersed several companies of cavalry so effect- ually that they did not again appear, and captured a number of prisoners. On this day the heat was unbearable, large numbers of the infantry were compelled to fall out from exhaustion, and there were several cases of sunstroke. . The cavalry arrived at Taylor's Ferry that evening, but on account of the extreme heat the infantry did not arrive until the next day. On the 4th, General Getty crossed the Pamunkey at Littlepage's Bridge and: occupied Hanover Court House, and from there he sent General Foster with two brigades of infantry, a battery of artillery, and Colonel Spear's command, to burn the Upper South Anna. Bridge.
On the road four Jews were met who made a living by fol- lowing raids, and, taking advantage of the frightened farmers, bought up negroes at low rates and shipped them to the South. They were examined and allowed to pass. But after the column had passed, two men-Barnet, a deserter of the Sixty-third Georgia, and Hiram Evans, of Company A, went back and robbed them of $15,900, State bank bills and jewelry. While. resting at Brandywine, one of the Jews came and reported their. loss. The regiment fell in, but he failed to identify the robbers. Company A had been sent to guard Nelson's Bridge, and a de- tachment under Lieutenant Butts, with the Jew, was sent there. The Jew recognized both of the assailants. The two men were arrested, and $6.970, two watches, diamond pin, etc., were re- covered.
On the way back Evans cut the rope that tied him to his. horse and escaped, and was never heard of afterwards. Barnet.
80
ELEVENTH PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
was tried and convicted of robbery and assault, and the stolen property was returned to the Jew. Two men who were sup- posed to have shared the stolen money deserted. They were of Company I.
From Major Wetherill's note-book :
"July 4. Started for Littlepage's Bridge, where Hireland's brigade was left in charge. The commander under Foster drove in the mounted pickets at the cross-roads leading to the bridges which had been destroyed on the previous raid. There was sharp skirmishing, telegraph wires were cut, tracks were torn up. Coming in sight of the bridge, the Confederates opened fire from the upper battery. Night came on and we laid on our arms until daylight. Heavy artillery fire was kept up during the night by the enemy, but no reply was made, thereby concealing our position. My orderly, Reilly, tried to get my horse to a safe place behind a tree, and while pushing aside the bushes he found an Irishman of the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth New York curled up back of the tree. He trembled at every pop and whispered, 'Kape dark! kape dark!' We stood this thing quietly until midnight, when General Foster sent two regiments along the roads to Ashland, at the same time deployed the Ninety- ninth and One Hundred and Eighteenth New York to force the fighting at the bridge. They moved down and drove in the pickets, capturing a corporal and seven men of the Forty-sixth North Carolina. The enemy then opened with all their bat- teries and showed their full strength. I was asleep on the ground when the music struck up, but soon had the regiment standing to horse, waiting orders.
"The prisoners were examined, and we discovered that Hill's Division had been left at Richmond and was moving up by cars to cut off our retreat. It was decided by General Foster to fall back to Hanover."
Major Stratton was sent with Companies G and MI to Ash- land on the Richmond and Potomac Railroad, with orders to de- stroy all property belonging to the railroad and Confederate government, and to do all the damage possible to the railroad itself. Major Stratton arrived there about 1.30 P. M. on the 5th. and at once proceeded to carry out his orders. After sending out pickets on the various roads. the major divided his force into four working parties. The track was torn up for half a mile. the ties were burned, and the rails bent : the depot and ware- house adjoining were burned, together with a water tank, switches.
MAJOR JOHN L. ROPER.
81
LONGSTREET'S SIEGE. SANTA ANNA RIVER.
three freight cars, and several cars loaded with bridge timber .. General Getty says of this expedition : "For this exploit, the most brilliant that occurred during the expedition, Major Stratton de- serves great credit."
On the 5th. General Getty withdrew his troops to Taylor's plantation, and during the day took up the line of march to White House, arriving there on the 7th. Horace Greeley says of General Dix's campaign, as a whole, including all the operations, . "There was some skirmishing at various points with the ad- vantage often on the side of the enemy." It is singular that so little use was made of General Dix's 20,000 men when General Lee was in the North, although an indirect part was played, by which Lee was partly compelled to retreat from Pennsylvania and interrupted for two weeks Lee's communication with Rich- mond.
On the morning of the 8th, the army marched down the Peninsula, the Eleventh bringing up the rear and acting as provost guard-the same road had been traveled the preceding year. Much rain fell during this march, so that there was an abundance of Virginia mud. On the first day of the march news of Gettysburg and Vicksburg was received. Though the rain was pouring down, three lusty cheers were given. At Williams- burg, on the 11th, the regiment was relieved of provost duty ; then marched to Hampton and was transferred to Portsmouth next day. After several moves the regiment went into camp at Bower's Hill, seven miles west of Portsmouth.
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.