USA > Pennsylvania > History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania volunteer cavalry which was recruited and known as the Anderson cavalry in the rebellion of 1861-1865; > Part 21
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AT HEADQUARTERS DURING THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA.
JOHN E. BROWN, COMPANY H, LOS ANGELES, CAL.
T HE escort was in bivouac at Crawfish Springs on the morning of the first day's fight at Chickamauga. Reveille sounded about 4 o'clock, and John Lingerfield, our Com- missary Sergeant, issued to us some excellent beef which we cooked over our fires, and with it and good hard-tack made our breakfast. All signs indicated that the dates of our next meals were uncertain, and the thoughtful ones made up sand- wiches of beef and hard-tack, which were stored in their haver- sacks for future use.
Out in front, along our whole line, the skirmishers of each army were popping away at each other except away over on our left, where Gen. George H. Thomas was, the heavy volleys of musketry told of more serious work being done. We were all saddled up and standing "to horse" when General Rosecrans and staff passed us on the way to Widow Glenn's house, in and around which was his headquarters the first day, and the escort fell in behind the staff and followed.
The movements of the troops and the near sound of battle are always an exhilaration, but at times gloomy thoughts flitted through my brain-why, I did not know. Our General was one of the finest who ever commanded an army, and it was an army that had never been defeated. Vague rumors were flying of a heavy concentration of Confederates to crush us, and it may be that these had something to do with the feeling I could not throw off that this was the time that the old Army of the Cumberland would not come out on top as it had always done before.
Just before we reached Widow Glenn's house I was sent with a dispatch to the officer in command of the troops at Lee & Gordon's mill, with orders to "ride hard." I was well mounted on a pacer that had belonged to our Quartermaster, Lieutenant
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George S. Fobes, who liked a sedate animal with a good walk. This one was very fast and gay, so we traded. He was very intel- ligent, seemed to know what I said to him and at my command would lie down. It was a mutual love affair between us. It did not take me long to deliver the dispatch, and within fifteen min- utes the battle opened furiously on that part of the line where they had only been skirmishing before, and I felt a growing im- portance in having done something to start the fight.
It is hard to recall more than a few of the many incidents that happened in the next two days during the battle. We were kept on the go continually, carrying messages, acting as orderlies to staff officers, and at night building fires at places where no troops were, to deceive our enemies. Very early in the morning of the second day's fight I was sent with a verbal message to General Thomas by General Rosecrans. The very words he uttered have been engraved on my memory, and to this day I cannot help re- peating them just as I did on my ride so that I would not forget them : "Orderly," he said, "ride to General Thomas on our left and tell him, with my compliments, that there are a number of pieces of artillery in front and to the left of Glenn's house that seem to have no owners, and to see that they are taken in and cared for ; also to hold the Chattanooga road."
It was about 6 o'clock in the morning when I got to General Thomas. He was sitting on his horse as calm as a summer's day, and no man could have fathomed his thoughts at that mo- ment, for he appeared to me no different from other occasions when I had carried dispatches to him which were of minor im- portance. There had been heavy fighting right here where he was, as dead men lay scattered around, and I noticed the flaps of their cartridge boxes were all open, the survivors having transferred their contents to their own depleted boxes. General Thomas made use of no unnecessary words and impressed one with the fact that he meant to do what he said. The message he returned was: "Give my compliments to General Rosecrans, and tell him I will take care of the cannon and will hold the road at all hazards." With this word I started back to Widow Glenn's and reported it to General Rosecrans.
A little later I was sent out as orderly to Major Seys, Assistant Medical Inspector of the army. We went out just behind the
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firing line to superintend the proper placing of the wounded in the ambulances, which were drawn up ready to receive their human freight when brought in by the stretcher bearers. He was a gallant officer and did not have much fear in his composition, but I thought at the time that he could have got through his work a little faster, and not left me under a hot musketry fire, with two spirited horses to hold and not even a tree with which to protect myself. It was enough to demoralize a better man, or rather boy, than I was at that time. Both horses were slightly wounded but I never got a scratch. It is very hard on one's nerves to be under fire and not doing anything to injure those who are trying to injure you. I would rather be on the front line any time than hold horses just back of it. It gives some foundation for some very bad dreams all the rest of one's life. After an hour of this mental torture the Major was relieved and we went back to headquarters, and I thanked my heavenly Father that I was still in the land of the living.
Just a little while after came that massed charge of Longstreet's Corps, of the Virginia army, which struck our line of battle at its weakest spot, the division that had been holding it having just moved away in response to an order to reinforce General Thomas on the left which should never have been given, and would never have been given had the situation pending at that point been known. It came just in front of headquarters, and General McCook, who held the field to the right of us, had to fall back in such a hurry that he lost nearly everything on wheels. Some very desperate fighting took place right here, but it was impossi- ble to make headway against the heavy force of the enemy or even hold what we had. A part of our force fell back up the Mission- ary Ridge, but the greater part went to General Thomas and reinforced that "Rock of Chickamauga" which Longstreet's vet- erans could not split. The last I saw of General Rosecrans he was riding the line, endeavoring to get a new position which he could hold, but, seeing the futility of such a course, he hurried to Chat- tanooga and, gathering what men he could, fortified it so that it was impregnable to Bragg's assaults.
I have no idea what became of the escort when the break oc- curred. They were nearly all off on some duty, and I had not yet left Major Seys, but hung on to him with the feeling that he
At Headquarters During the Battle of Chickamauga. 247
would be my salvation. I just discovered that my horse liad cast a shoe, and I tried to calculate how many more miles were in her before she became too lame to go farther, when all around us it was, as some one expressed it, "Hell let loose." The "rebel yell" predominated, which sent the cold chills down one's back, es- pecially when under a cloud, as we were just at present.
The infantrymen straggled along, and when told to stop and fight, said: "It's no use, Mister ; they're too many for us." It seemed to me that if someone could exercise the proper author- ity and in a commanding way that these men could be gathered together and formed into line, but none of the officers in our party-and they were all officers except myself-took it on them- selves to do it, so I plucked up courage and turned to Major Seys and said: "Major, why can't this straggling be stopped?" He looked at me and said : "Can you stop them ?" "I'll try," was my answer. He said: "Go ahead."
So far as my uniform was concerned it looked as well as that of any officer. I wore one of those gay jackets that were first issued to us, trimmed with orange braid, dark blue trousers and those high-topped "Dickerman" boots, which were better and finer than many of our Major-Generals had, and over all I had a cavalry cape lined with yellow. These are trifles, but if I was going to act an officer's part I knew I could do it better if I looked like one. We were part way up the crest of Missionary Ridge now, when I drew my saber and shouted to a group of men going to the rear: "Halt! fall in!" A tall Sergeant, carrying the colors of his regiment, was the first man to respond, and I can see his big blue eyes yet, with not a very cheerful look in them, as he replied : "Halt! it is," and then planted the colors in the ground. I knew then it was all right. "Fall in on colors!" was my next command, and they did it in good style, and when the officers saw what my individual efforts were accomplishing, they came to my aid and we succeeded in getting quite a command together.
That was one of my proud moments-a private in the Ander- son Cavalry commanding a good-sized regiment on the battle- field of Chickamauga ! for I did not give up my position as Com- mander until we were joined by Col. Tom. Harrison with a regiment of Wilder's mounted infantry. They came dashing up,
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well mounted, and armed with Spencer rifles that fired seven times before you had to load again. In the meantime the rebels were close at hand, and with that fiendish yell of theirs hoped to drive us off the field, but our men had grit and reinforced as we were would do no more retreating. After a short tussle it was our enemy who retreated.
We were not molested again during our ride to Rossville, where I stayed all night with Colonel Harrison's men and the next day went into Chattanooga. My improvised command had scat- tered by this time.
EXPERIENCES OF A COURIER AT CHICKAMAUGA.
WILLIAM L. BRATTON, COMPANY A, NEW YORK.
O UR Company was lined up a little to the left and the rear of what was the General's headquarters at Widow Glenn's. Messages were being dispatched, and our boys were flying over all sections of the field of conflict. The writer was leaning over the pommel of his saddle and endeavoring to ease his posi- tion as well as that of his very strong and faithful horse, when a Sergeant of the company galloped up and exclaimed : "Bratton. we've just sent Branthover with a message to General Wood and we sent him in the wrong direction. He was directed to the left of the field and he should have gone to the right. We want you to find him and bring him back. Now ride 'hell-to-split' after him and be sure you get him."
On receiving these orders I immediately started my horse off on a gallop, going nearly directly south of the position, but in a direction pointed out by the Sergeant when he gave his orders. Singular to say I passed very few troops, and in less than two minutes found myself in a field apparently unploughed and bordered with young sapplings and shrubbery, and with quite a heavy woods in the background from the point I viewed it. Looking around to see if I could discover any trace of mounted men, I was much surprised to find myself in close proximity to a butternut-clothed soldier who was so attentive to his business as not to notice me, although I was within thirty feet of him.
I saw that he apparently was the extreme left skirmisher of a company deployed by our foes, and I felt as though I would cer- tainly soon be held up or shot. As I was on a dead "lope" and continued on my course I passed numerous "Graybacks" and butternut-clothed men, some of whom were escorting to the rear a number of our troops who had been made prisoners. They seemed full of enthusiasm and excitement, and possibly it was good for me that they were, for they didn't take any notice of me, which I have always accounted for by the fact that I wore a gray
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felt hat. I soon reached the woods and found them full of soldiers, and directed my horse where I saw they were not so numerous. I gradually made a circle and came out of the woods in a short time without a word being said to me by anyone.
The course I took brought me out at nearly the exact point I had entered, and as I saw the enemy's skirmishers were de- ployed, made a detour more to the left and came out apparently on their extreme left of the regimental line, where I found a big butternut soldier, with his gun held by both hands, so intently interested in watching in front that I rode up within three or four feet of him where I could reach over and let him feel the muzzle of my Colt's revolver on his cheek. He was taken completely by surprise, handed me his gun and exclaimed, "My God! are we surrounded ?" I told him to run straight forward, which he did. The skirmisher next to him on the right, discovering something was wrong, banged away at me but did not hit me; but the report of the gun and the whir of the bullet were so decided and came so near that the prisoner thought I must have shot at him, for he turned around and said : "For God's sake! don't shoot me in cold blood." I told him to "run for his life as fast as he could or he would be shot," and being a very lusty personage as well as a long-legged, strapping big fellow, he made such good time that my horse was on a pretty fast "lope" to keep up with him.
In a short time I came across several of our army ambulances with Surgeons attending to the wounded and dying, and I was very glad to find that I was inside of our lines again. Knowing the direction of headquarters I escorted mv prisoner to where our company was in line of battle, awaiting orders, and turned him over to the Provost Marshal, who was at headquarters. The pris- oner turned out to be one of the Sixth Arkansas Confederate regiment, and I was told he gave valuable information to our offi- cers which, accompanied with my report of the break in the lines where I rode through, led to the gap being filled up by some of the troops. I did not "bring back" Branthover, and must con- fess I felt very happy to find myself again with the boys, as I then realized that I had run a great risk.
I camped with the boys that night near headquarters. In the morning when I awoke I found that some discriminating judge of horseflesh had substituted a very thin and skinny bay horse
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Experiences of a Courier at Chickamauga.
for my exceptionally good cavalry mount. This led to another incident on the following day when our line was broken in the center and a great number of our soldiers "skedaddled." I do not know, of course, who took my horse, but it happened on the night that Negley's division was removed from the extreme right to the extreme left of our line of battle, and many stragglers be- longing to different parts of the army passed through our camps. I tried to console myself with the hope that the horse might be serving someone who could make better use of him than I could. I felt convinced that no matter how good a fellow the "confisca- tor" might be he certainly would have received a token of my regards in the shape of lead balls, for I was so mad that even the blue uniform would not have saved the "good judge of horse- flesh" had I ran across him. My horse had no U. S. mark on him, and was an available animal if you wanted to make a good trade.
The thing called a horse which had been exchanged for mine was a very weak animal, and I resolved to try and get another one. There was only one way to do it and that was to get immediately to the fighting front and watch my chances. I fol- lowed up the line of heavy firing and soon found myself among a thin line of our men who apparently had been suffering from a heavy fire, for very many men were being carried to the rear. The artillery fire as well as the musketry was very regular, and the damage it inflicted must have been great. I found, a short time after I reached there, that the Confederate fire had apparently been expended, for there was a lull in the noise and the "music" that generally accompanies the bullet, the shell and the cannon ball. I was obliged to dismount, for my horse stumbled, and when I dismounted I found that he had been wounded in the leg and he limped very badly. Our troops were being re-formed, and I led my horse to the extreme left of one of our regiments, when a heavy yell in front told us that the Confederate signal had been given and a charge was being made. Our boys delivered a very withering fire, apparently, for the Confederates retreated, but again re-formed and charged in a heavier body. Our boys had to give way and retreated to a slightly higher position on the field and made a temporary stand. Evidently the Confed- erates had been reinforced, for they came on in a much heavier body. It was here that a streak of luck enabled me to get an-
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other mount. A Confederate officer, who had been acting very gallantly and was very conspicuous, mounted on a dappled gray horse, was shot, and as he was leading his men at the time his horse galloped right into our lines and came close to me. I sprang forward and after a slight tussle led him to where I had left my horse, and retreating to what I considered a fairly safe place I changed saddles in quick order. I had mounted my "find" when I was addressed by an officer who, with the aid of a private of infantry, was assisting a wounded Major who asked me if I would "carry the officer off the field." I said, "yes," but as I had the lame horse saddled they placed the officer on it and he rode away into the woods, being led by the private soldier. The officer who had assisted the wounded one returned apparently to his command. I stood there bewildered, not knowing which way to go, when I found that our troops were flying from the field in a panic and were seeking the shelter of the woods. It was here that I saw one of our regiment who endeavored to rally a number of the fleeing troops actually gather some 200 of them in such a way as to have some order in them for a time, and they delivered several volleys. He seized the colors of one of the regiments and rode up and down in front of them. I always thought it was one of the best things I saw any of our Regiment do, and I also thought I recognized the party who did it, and believe it was no other than Arthur Carrier. In the excitement among the panic-stricken soldiers they must have seen that it would be useless with the great number of soldiers before them to do any- thing practical unless they were protected by the woods, which were several hundred feet back of their position. I recollect see- ing the soldier, who I think was Arthur Carrier, giving some orders and acting as if he were an officer, but he had given the flag back to the color bearer or made someone act as color bearer. What position this party of soldiers got in the woods I do not know, for when I reached the woods I found one of the most gallant little soldiers that ever straddled a horse riding up and down in front of the woods on a gray animal, very conspicu- ously, giving orders to men who were behind the first line of trees, and who belonged, I found out later, to Wilder's Hatchet Brigade. I saw the officer and rode up to him, greeted him in a most cordial way, for I recognized in him a schoolmate, George
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Experiences of a Courier at Chickamauga.
B. Thatcher, and his regiment was the Ninety-eighth Illinois. He informed me that he was "an Adjutant of Wilder's regiment." I told him that I "belonged to Rosecrans' headquarters" and asked him in what direction it was. He told me that Rosecrans and all his headquarters had gone to Chattanooga. While we were talking the rebels made another charge, but the Hatchet Brigade had Spencer rifles and all the Confederate efforts on the first charge were futile. I turned my horse in the direction of what I supposed to be Chattanooga, but found that I had gone to the right in such a way that in a short time I was at Thomas' headquarters. As I had taken many a dispatch to "Old Slow Trot" I was not "backward in riding forward" and reporting per- sonally to him what had occurred.
Asking his permission to stay with his troops I was told curtly that my "duty was at my headquarters." By inquiry I soon found the road that led to Chattanooga, and late in the afternoon found our company encamped a short distance from where Rosecrans had made his Chattanooga headquarters. I greeted my mess- mates with a spirit of thankfulness, for they had built a fire and had plenty of hot water to make coffee, which, with hard-tack, was most acceptable.
The Confederate horse I secured we named "Chickamauga," and he has frequently been referred to by George P. Franklin, Sep. Knight, and others of my messmates, for he lasted me quite a while. In Sequatchie Valley he did a great deal of courier duty very acceptably. Frequently he accompanied some of the boys on midnight tours looking up dainties in the shape of chickens, geese, pone, hogs, etc., to replenish our stock of eatables.
The writer may add that in his career as a soldier he had quite a number of horses. One large powerful dark-brown horse was named by himself and messmates "Beautiful Dreamer." This horse must have had a musical soul, for after the rider had been to the North on a furlough and brought a new song of that name to the regiment he taught it to the boys. We used to sing it while going on different expeditions. This song being sung, fast or slow, the horse kept time on the easy lope that he had, in perfect rhythm to the tune, and as we altered the time purposely he would alter his gait accordingly. His name, of course, occasioned comment among the boys, but he was a good animal and did good service.
WITH GENERAL GARFIELD AT CHICKAMAUGA.
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SERG. T. J. MCCALL, COMPANY K, PITTSBURG, P.A.
C N September 9, 1863, General Rosecrans rode into Chatta- nooga, the rebels having evacuated during the night pre- vious, and we found our General Wagner in command. On the morning of the 11th "Old Rosey," as we called him, with staff and accompanied by the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Companies B, H and K being his escort, left Chattanooga for McLemore's Cove, via Lookout Mountain. My memory is not clear as to what happened between the time that we arrived at the Cove and the 17th, on the afternoon of which we arrived at Crawfish Springs.
I very distinctly remember that J. G. Henvis, during a short halt, laid in a supply of green peanuts, which he pulled up in a field. I suppose he lived on them when rations were scarce.
Headquarters were pitched about 125 yards below the spring, on the northeast side of the stream, which at that point was from 200 to 300 feet wide and in places ten feet deep. The Fourteenth Corps were pushing to the front and forming in line of battle, its left near Reed's bridge.
On Friday, the 18th, there was occasional firing along the picket line. In the afternoon I went with General Garfield, Chief of Staff, to Lee & Gordon's mills, on the Chickamauga River. While we were dismounted and the General was talking to General Sheridan I was looking around to see what the place was like. The rebel sharpshooters were annoying a battery that was posted above the mill. Opposite there was a field about 500 yards long and 300 yards wide. On the farther end and two sides were thick woods, the ground being covered with underbrush so dense that you could not see men in it. There was a pile of rails about 100 yards from the end of the field next to the woods and about centrally located from the sides. While standing there I noticed a man run out of the woods to the rail pile, then another
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With General Garfield at Chickamauga.
and another, until six or seven of them reached it, and then opened up pretty lively on the battery. The Captain trained a gun on the rails. The first shot went over; the next struck the pile fairly in the center, the end being next to us. It threw the rails in every direction and our boys cheered lustily. Out of the six or seven men I only saw two run away. We mounted and rode down to the Brotherton house and returned to headquarters, convinced that we had a battle ahead of us. Those of us who are living to-day will never forget that awful, bloody battle of Saturday.
Headquarters had been established at Widow Glenn's house about 8 A.M. At about 9.30 a brisk skirmish fire began on our extreme left, and ran clear down to our right, followed by a roar of musketry along the whole line. The artillery fire was very heavy on our left, but, owing to the ground being flat from the center to the right, the artillery fire was not so heavy on that part of the field. It continued without cessation until 6 P.M. and then stopped suddenly, as though it was all over. But, oh, what a day ! We who carried dispatches on the field saw some of its terrible effects. There were streams of wounded, some being carried back and some in ambulances. The groans and cries of the poor fel- lows touched our hearts, but we had our duty to perform, and rode at a gallop wherever we were sent. The dead were left on the field where they fell.
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