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 43
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At the time that Captain Kramer's force left us, Major Garner with 100 men was sent to burn the bridge over Reedy Fork. It was the expectation that by an all-night march these detachments would arrive at their destination about daylight. But Garner encountered some trouble, which forced him from the direct route, so that he did not arrive until II the next day, and as the bridge was a new one, built of hardwood, it took longer to destroy. By two hours' hard work with axes and saws on the main beams it was put in condition for fire to do the balance of the work.
In the meantime the enemy was constantly being reinforced.
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so that Serg. John K. Marshall, who was defending the working party, had serious doubts at times whether he could succeed, but eventually all was accomplished, and the command started back. Lieut. Theo. Ramsey was detailed to lead the advance guard, but Marshall objected, and he (Marshall) was told to go ahead, while the enemy continued to follow at some distance.
Garner expected to cross the Yadkin at Shallow Ford, but learning that it was held by a superior force of rebels, he made for Conrad's Ferry, some distance above. After a wait of a couple of hours he got his men and horses across on a boat, at 2 o'clock in the morning. In crossing South River in the darkness and rain, the horses swimming, one man was captured. He had lost his horse, the mule he rode would not swim, and while he debated what to do the rebels came up and settled the question for him.
Garner made numerous captures of men and horses, and brought the first authentic news of the whereabouts of Jeff Davis and his Cabinet, who had passed over the Reedy Fork bridge just an hour before it was destroyed. To prevent the enemy from sending any forces to stop Kramer and Garner in the work laid out for them, Colonel Betts with ninety men moved forward to demonstrate on Greensboro, where the enemy was said to be in heavy force. Just at daylight he learned that a cavalry regi- ment was encamped within a mile of him, and feeling the impor- tance of neutralizing its movements he determined to attack it. Strengthening his advance he moved ahead cautiously, and when in sight of the camp charged at once, making all the noise pos- sible. Strickler, the bugler, sounded the charge as well as he could, on a blind horse, who needed more guiding than the bugle he held to his lips. The attack was a surprise, and although many escaped, Betts found he had nearly as many prisoners, including the commanding officer, Colonel Johnson, as he had of his own men. The Regiment was the Third South Carolina Cavalry.
Soon after the capture, Serg. Selden L. Wilson was detailed to take ten men, burn the bridge over South Buffalo Creek and cut the telegraph wire. The bridge was ten miles from their present position and within two miles of Greensboro, and from the known superior force of rebels in the neighborhood it was not considered likely that the work could be done without the loss of all or part of the detachment. However, Wilson did it, and rejoined, without
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the loss of a man. A few days after we learned that while the bridge was being destroyed Jeff Davis and party were in a train on a siding in Greensboro, two miles away, expecting to be cap- tured. Had Sergeant Wilson known it, Davis would have been caught then, had it taken every man he had.
Colonel Betts' column was somewhat amazed by the numerous parties of rebels who hovered around, but no serious attack was mnade. At Kernersville, Captain Kramer's command was await- ing their arrival, and without stopping for Garner, who came in the following night, the command moved toward Salem. A courier from General Palmer met them, ordering them on at a gallop, as the rebels were pushing into that place. A second courier soon after arrived with word that the attack had been repulsed, and to bring the column on at a walk, and at this orderly gait Salem was reached about 2 P.M. on the IIth.
It was considered that the marching in the last forty-eight hours had been sufficient to satisfy all, but it was not so, for at 5 P.M. "boots and saddles" sounded again, and the weary ride was again taken up. Crossing the Yadkin at Shallow Ford, the column continued until 3 o'clock in the morning, when it stopped near Mock Mountain, having been constantly on duty for forty- eight hours. "Shallow Ford" over the Yadkin, as well as the ford we used over the Dan River, three miles from Danbury, were both used eighty-five years before by the British army, under Lord Cornwallis, while pursuing the troops of General Morgan, who had so beautifully whipped the British, under Colonel Tarle- ton, at Cowpens.
April 12th .- We had thoroughly destroyed the railroad around Greensboro, and attracted the attention of the rebels to that place, so that General Stoneman with the greater part of his command could capture Salisbury. We started for the latter place early in the morning, and trotted our horses most of the way. It was a long, weary ride. Forded the Yadkin again at a very deep ford, but arrived within five miles of Salisbury by IO P.M., and went into camp.
In capturing the place General Stoneman got over 1000 pris- oners and fifteen pieces of artillery. One of the rebel batteries was manned by "galvanized Yanks"-those who had been prisoners in Andersonville, but had gone into the rebel service to get
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something to eat. As they were charged by our men their cannon was fired over the heads of the charging party, who, as they came nearer, were greeted with cheers for the old flag. Two hundred of our men, Salisbury prisoners, were recaptured, but the great majority had been hurried farther south. The men we recap- tured were emaciated and gaunt looking. In the burial ground, attached to the prison pen, thousands of our men sleep. A great fire in the town that night lighted up the heavens, while the burst- ing of shells sounded like a heavy battle. Salisbury had been a hated place, and was paying dearly for its iniquities.
April 13th .- Major Wagner rejoined us at 5 P.M., and the Regi- ment moved toward Statesville, but marched only twelve miles, and bivouacked at a place called Fleming.
April 14th .- The second battalion rested to-day, but the third, under Captain Kramer, was sent to destroy a bridge and guard a ford in the river. It was here that we learned of the surrender of General Lee. Quartermaster-Sergeant E. H. Engel, of Com- pany L, with one man was sent by Lieutenant Morton to report to Colonel Betts, and on the way met two Confederate cavalry- men, displaying a white rag, to show they were friendly. They reported Lee's surrender to General Grant, and were then on their way home. At 7 P.M. the Regiment marched to Statesville, which place was reached some time after midnight.
April 15th .- Daylight showed us that Statesville is a very pretty town. It was said that it had been picked out as the future capital of the Southern Confederacy, but from present appearances the latter won't need a capital. We meet now plenty of returning Con- federates, and they give interesting accounts of the fall of Rich- mond and Lee's surrender. They say it was Phil. Sheridan and his cavalry that did the mischief. They never saw any fighting equal to what our cavalry did on that campaign. All are glad it is over, and to get home once more. After resting in camp all day our command started on the march at 6.30 P.M., and after midnight reached Taylorsville, and went into camp. There was considerable firing at us by the rebels on the march, but it was harmless, so no attention was paid to it. The word has been passed around that as the chief object of the campaign-the de- struction of railroads and the capture of Salisbury-had been at- tained, the whole command will now return to East Tennessee.
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General Stoneman, who has been in command, has gone back to Knoxville, and General Gillem, who is the next in rank, is on his way there, while the brigade commanded by Gen. Wm. J. Palmer is to go to Lincolnton, to pick up and parole all returning rebels who have not yet surrendered but have simply "slid out, as the jig is up," as some of them expressed it.
April 17th .- Marched thirty miles to-day. At Hickory, a sta- tion on the road, the rebels destroyed a large amount of stores and cotton. In a military sense it was wise to destroy stores that might be of use to us, but to burn their cotton was rank foolishness. We cannot use it and have no way to transport it North, where it is selling at seventy-five cents per pound. Everyone recognizes that the rebellion is on its last legs, and that in a short time they could realize from a waiting market an amount of money which would go far to make up for their losses, but a madness seems to make these people believe that in so despoiling themselves they are in some way hurting us. About dark we reached Lincolnton.
The advance guard entered the town without any disturbance, but when the column appeared a half hour after, with General Palmer at its head and the buildings of the town in sight, one shot was fired from the side of the road in front which came near end- ing the career of our General. Without waiting for an order to do so, the orderlies, under Serg. Jas. Agnew, dashed forward, followed by Company E, which was the leading company that day. The bushwhacker running across the field was in plain sight, and in a few moments our men were across the fence and had him surrounded. The prisoner, a beardless boy of fifteen or six- teen, was taken along, the General ordering that he be brought to him as soon as we were quartered in the town. To this hearing his mother came also, and her pleadings for the boy's life were so strenuous that the General told her to take the boy home and keep a better watch over his actions.
April 18th .- The Regiment rested at Lincolnton. The Tenth Michigan and Twelfth Ohio were sent off on the railroad, while Major Wagner's battalion was out after horses. This is a pretty town, of about 1000 inhabitants ; they are extremely rebellious- bitterly so-but with it all are refined and intelligent. They have hardly felt the ravages of war, and we are the first "Yankee in- vaders to pollute their soil." But even with these sentiments the
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proverbial Southern hospitality governs them, and invitations to dinner are generously given, while the colored people are eager to help us by baking biscuits and cakes for the men. Cigars are plen- tiful, too, and for a time the pipe is discarded and we revel in some of the best the town affords.
It was here that we lost the last man killed in our Regiment, Corp. Geo. J. French. He was on picket at the time, and was shot by a bushwhacker, dying shortly after being brought to camp. His gentlemanly manners had endeared him to all, and the loss was felt deeply. Before he died he sent this message: "Tell mother and sisters that I die like a brave man and my comrades carried me from the field."
So far on this campaign our loss has been very light, only fifteen men.
Major Wagner's battalion, the first, started at 3 o'clock in the morning, and shortly after daylight went into a large rebel camp, but they, hearing of his approach, had just left. Continued on to the Catawba River, and after driving off a small party guarding a bridge, burned it. Next they destroyed a splendid railroad bridge, over the same river. On the following day details from the bat- talion were sent in all directions, hunting up the enemy, but they had all fled from the vicinity. Our troops were the first Federals the citizens had seen, and it seemed comical to us to witness the fear they had of being killed or robbed by us. Major Wagner was at the Vesuvius Iron Furnace, paroling men from Lee's army, and George Neil, of Company D, started up the furnace to see how it worked: The battalion rejoined the Regiment in Lin- colnton on the 20th.
April 19th .- A good many prisoners and disbanded men were brought in and paroled. We were visited by three Confederate officers under a flag of truce, bearing despatches from General Sherman announcing that an "armistice" between his forces and those of General Johnston, which was subsequently disallowed by Secretary Stanton. They also brought us an order from General Sherman to join his command, but before we could get started orders came from our commander, General Geo. H. Thomas, ordering us to return to Tennessee. One of the flag of truce es- cort was Colonel Prentice, son of the editor of the Louisville Jour- nal. He said: "There will be no further need for my services
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in this war, but in case of a foreign one I am a United States man."
We buried Corp. Geo. French to-day with military honors, in the Episcopal graveyard, and several of the ladies in the town contributed wreaths of flowers to place on his coffin. It is pleasant to record this of them, and also of the change in their feelings toward us in twenty-four hours. They say we are not destructive and are so gentlemanly, and wish their own soldiers were more like us.
Lincolnton was a pleasant place to be in, and we lingered here . until the 24th, which was a long rest for us, in the meantime cap- turing and paroling over 800 Confederates. Our General had strong hopes that we would join Sherman, and possibly such would have been the case had not General Gillem, who was off some distance with his brigade of Tennesseeans, sent for General Palmer to join him, when threatened by a rebel force.
These Tennesseeans in their present condition do not add any strength to the Union forces. In the beginning and during most of the war they had suffered terrible cruelties at the hands of the rebels. They had been hunted and shot down as unworthy of any humanity being shown them. Their homes were burned and their families driven away, and all because they were loyal to the flag , but now that the tables were turned and disloyal families were at their mercy, they repaid what they had suffered by an indis- criminate pillage. The result was a demoralized command, out of which little military duty could be had, and their General knew they were in no condition to fight an organized force, no matter how small.
It was while here that we heard the rumor of the assassination of President Lincoln. The three Confederate officers, one of whom was the son of Geo. H. Prentice, of the Louisville Journal, had heard the report in their camps before they left. Its truth- fulness was doubted, but on being confirmed, it is safe to say that if any citizen of Lincolnton had expressed himself in sympathy with the assassin, it might have resulted in the destruction of the town and many of its inhabitants.
April 24th .- Marched thirty-five miles to-day toward Ruther- fordton, crossing the South Catawba and First Broad rivers.
April 25th .- Entered Rutherfordton about 9 A.M. It is a very
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ordinary town, and the two days' stay of the Tennesseeans did it no good. They stole everything they could carry off, put pistols to the heads of the citizens, persuaded them to give up their pocketbooks, and even took the rings from ladies' fingers. The sympathy we used to feel for the loyal Tennesseeans is being rapidly transferred to their enemy.
April 26th .- Left at 2.30 P.M., but only marched ten miles, when we made camp. The next day we marched sixteen miles, to the top of Blue Ridge, on our way back to East Tennessee, whither we were ordered. Our march to-day was through the grandest scen- ery we have looked on during our term of service. We went up through Hickory Nut Gap in the mountain, along the Broad River, up to its source. Towering above us, almost to the clouds, were the precipitous crags of Hickory Mountain, and at High Falls the water drops 380 feet from the summit. It was so im- posing that the usual chat of the riders was hushed, as they gazed with awe on the sight. As we rode along we plucked the fragrant magnolia from the forest trees, and the wish of all was to stay longer with it, but that could not be done, and we went on up to the top, where plenty of forage was found. Our camp was at the entrance of the present "Biltmore" grounds, near Asheville, North Carolina.
April 28th .- This morning other orders were received from General Thomas by courier from Nashville, bearing a despatch from the Secretary of War, Stanton, saying that the Sherman "armistice" was disallowed and that we were to return and con- tinue the war, "living on the country" and "pursue Jeff. Davis to the ends of the earth, if necessary, and never give him up." General Palmer was to take command of the whole division and get in Gen. Joe. Johnston's rear, destroy his communica- tion and supplies, and do him all the damage possible. It was some disappointment to the men. The greatest desire was to get letters from home, but to offset that, Stoneman was gone, and Gillem, who had asked for and received a leave of absence, had gone too, and our Colonel, as Brevet Brigadier General, com- manded the whole division. So we marched down the mountain again and enjoyed the scenery once more, and took up our quarters again in Rutherfordton, where the citizens furnished us horses and corn. They did not do so willingly. They supposed we
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had left them for good, and at once began bringing both in town from the places where they had been concealed, and we got back just in time for them.
April 29th .- The orders were to concentrate all the division at Yorkville, S. C., and to prepare for fighting again, so we marched twenty-three miles in that direction. At the same time we received a large package of posters, which as we marched along were dis- played on trees and at all prominent places. They read :
"$100,000 "REWARD IN GOLD.
"HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY .CORPS, MIL. DIV. MISSISSIPPI. "MACON, GA., April 28, 1865.
"One hundred thousand dollars' reward will be paid to any per- son or persons who will apprehend and deliver Jefferson Davis to any of the military authorities of the United States. Several million dollars of specie reported to be with him will become the property of the captors.
"J. H. WILSON, "Major General."
The news we have of Davis is that he has an escort of four brigades of cavalry, under Basil Duke, Ferguson, Dibbrell, and one made up of scattered detachments, none of which had been included in the surrender to Sherman. With these was a small wagon train, said to be loaded with specie, which the Confederates estimated at $10,000,000. They were marching from Yorkville, S. C., toward Abbeville, with the avowed intention of crossing the Mississippi and keeping up the rebellion in that section. But the cause was on its last legs now, and desertions were numerous. The Federal forces were close to Davis, and he saw the futility of trying to make his escape, encumbered with troops who were only half-hearted in his cause, so he disbanded all but 500 men, under Breckenridge, and with these continued his efforts to escape. This force he found too cumbersome to escape the notice of his pursuers, and on his arrival at Washington, Ga., they also were discharged, after each one was paid $35 in gold.
Colored men would visit our camp at night, and tell us they heard an officer tell their master that Mr. Davis was in camp a few miles off, at a certain place, but when a detachment of our
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men was sent there nothing was found. This and similar in- cidents were of daily occurrence. The white people seemed to be doing all they could to throw us off Davis' trail and impart false information to their slaves, knowing the latter would lose no time in bringing it to us.
April 30th .- Started on our march at 5 A.M., and crossing Broad River at Island Ford, and the South Carolina boundary line at 9 A.M. reached the pretty town of Spartanburg at night. This was the first State that moved to go out of the Union, and just now none of them is more willing to come back. One of the most prominent citizens of Spartanburg, a Mr. Shivers, made a speech on our entrance into town, asking us to respect private property. In conversation afterward with our Hospital Steward, Chas. P. Sellers, he said: "I was as bad a secessionist as there . was in the country. We are badly whipped and very willing to return to our former allegiance, and my feelings are an index to those of most all." The people were surprised to find us in this part of the Confederacy. We found plenty of rations here. This is the oldest town in the State, the center of wealth, and has many fine residences.
It is a positive pleasure for the men to take up their old civic pursuits once more. Probably it is done to see if what was once learned has been forgotten. Company G was placed in the town, and Serg. Jos. R. Lonabaugh was in charge of the guard. Origi- nally a printer, he naturally took up his quarters in the office of the Carolina Spartan, to the expressed disgust of its editor, Mr. Trim- mier. Lonabaugh told him that he was a printer, and to prove it took a "stick" and turning to a case of type set up the following extra :
"SPARTANBURG, S. C., April 30, 1865.
"This evening, about 5 o'clock, Brevet Brigadier-General Wm. J. Palmer arrived in town with his brigade of Yankee cavalry. Much to the relief of the citizens, no private property was dis- turbed, strict orders having been given to prevent it. It is to be hoped that their conduct may meet the approval of our citizens, and that they may learn to know the Yankees and not find them such devils as they were led to imagine they were.
"PHILADELPHIA."
This was published the next day, and brought Lonabaugh an in- vitation to take supper with Mr. Trimmier. A few days later our
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Sergeant had another opportunity at Athens, Ga., and worked all night to get out an edition of the Southern Watchman.
May Ist .- Made a long march to-day to Raiborn Creek, and on the way pressed about 100 mules into our service. We are about twenty-four hours behind "Jeff," who we hear has several thou- sand cavalry with him as a guard. Our first battalion was sent by way of Lawrenceville, and the whole command went into camp at Abbeville, S. C.
May 2d .- Early in the morning a detail was sent out to pick up horses, and as they reached the only bridge over the Saluda River they found it burning. They picked up two Confederates, and brought them to camp. Adj. J. C. Reiff, on questioning one of them, who had belonged to Dibbrell's cavalry, learned that Jeff Davis and his party were only a few miles ahead with a mixed group of wagons, Generals, officers and their staffs and his Cabinet. The prisoner stated that Jeff had with him a force of cavalry as an escort. He told, too, of the large amount of specie, which they estimated at $10,000,000, he was carrying along in the wagons.
Seated on a log, Colonel Betts held a council with the seven or eight officers with him, and with the exception of Reiff they were for pressing after Jeff Davis and his party, insisting that with our organized force we could defeat all the disorganized escort which Davis had. Reiff maintained that our efforts were to capture Jeif, and not merely to whip his men; that if a fight should take place the result would be a number killed and wounded, and in the confusion the man we most wanted to take prisoner would escape. Colonel Betts concluded to be governed by Reiff's reasons and at once hunt up General Palmer and report the situation to him. It was said that Davis and most of his Generals were headed for the rebel armies across the Mississippi, and the policy on our part should be to hasten across the Savannah River, head him off and force his surrender. Just then Corp. J. P. Fullerton, with ten men, arrived from General Palmer with orders to march to Anderson Court House, and by a forced march we reached that place at 2 o'clock in the morning, where we met Lieut. Anthony Taylor with further orders. After a few hours' rest the march was continued, and we met General Palmer, who with some of his command was making for the crossings of the Savannah River.
The wealthy men of Charleston, in order to save their fine old
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Madeira and port wine from being used by the Yankees when they captured that city, and sent it to Anderson Court House for safekeeping, and we got it all. Nearly all our men had a canteen full, and barrels of it were emptied in the gutters of the streets by standing orders from General Stoneham, who was fearful of its demoralizing effects on his troops. When General Gillem's divi- sion reached North Carolina, a short time ago, they ran across a distillery, from which they took enough apple whiskey to intoxi- cate the whole force, and Stoneham wanted no more of it.
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