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 45
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 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73
Generals Stoneman and Gillem, at the head of their troops, are coming, and after saluting, I told Stoneman I had been left and why, and so down to the river we went. I saw at once that the river had risen a foot or more and was running wild. "How long has it been since they crossed?" Stoneman asked. "Easily an hour and a half," I replied. Swearing does not look well in print, nor sound well in talking, so what he said you will not know. I would have tried had he let me, for I knew "Camelback" could swim it, but he ordered one of his staff, on a fine, big strong horse, to try it. He was hardly in, however, before his horse began to flounder about. Stoneman swore at him to come out, that he would drown the horse. It may seem strange to you, but some cavalry officers would as soon lose a man as a horse. I thought both man and horse would be drowned, but after some trouble they got out. I also thought that Gillem's last day had come. Inl' fact, I thought everybody around Stoneman would be killed. He fairly roared like a lion, and in his roaring would say, "Palmer on one side of the river with those Pennsylvania boys and me on this side! Gillem, I am going to see what you have." So we drew back from the road and Gillem's troops passed in review before us.
Of all the reviews that were ever seen this one beat them all. The very heavens had opened their floodgates, and the water was coming down in sheets, which accounted somewhat for the appear- ance of the troops on the outside, and several whisky stills, which had been struck back of the Ridge, accounted for their appearance
524
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
on all sides. The number of the "wounded" was startling, and a good many were "dead," for corn whisky is fearful stuff. With the rain coming down in torrents and mud knee-deep, and the stuff warm in the stills, our brave allies were driven to drink. Stoneman blamed the officers for this, and was calling them down. Palmer had a way of hypnotizing everything he looked at, and everything about him in his command moved like clockwork.
All the carriages and omnibuses along the route had been con- fiscated. There was a carriage of the George Washington kind, filled with soldiers, their big boots sticking out in all directions. Here was the stage coach, which in times of peace had run between Rutherfordton and the Blue Ridge, filled to its full capacity, with some on top. If my memory serves me right, this caravan of carriages and buses reached a mile or more. All the different kinds of carriages were there. General Stoneman was a powerfully built man, standing six feet four, with a face that showed the marks of long and hard service in the field. He would stop the parade occasionally and make a general reduction of Captains and Lieutenants. But when the "wounded" came along in the car- riages he said something like this: "By - if - I -I'll -- you - can it - where in - this - beats -they ought -to be - be killed - - if I don't - -. "
A halt is ordered, and they are all tumbled out of the carriages, and ordered to dump into camp wherever they choose, and to go no farther. All this time Palmer was signalling on the other side of the river with flags. Not understanding the code, I do not know what those signals were. Stoneman's headquarters' wagon came up and his tent was unloaded. The staff tried to pacify him. but he was mad at them, and blamed them for the condition of things.
I do not write this through egotism, but as his salvation was with those on the other side of the river and as I was one of them, his conversation was now addressed to me, and I was nowise slow to talk. He seemed to think that if the enemy came down on his side he was a goner. I told him that if they came down on the other side General Palmer and the Fifteenth would clean them out. I did not know as much about the Tenth Michigan and the Twelfth Ohio as I found out afterward. Sufficient to say they were the real thing, and feared no noise. The rain began to
525
With Gillem's Tennesseeans on the Yadkin.
slacken, the signaling seemed to be more encouraging, and Stone- man began to grow more composed. As night was coming on we began to put up his tent, he helping and superintending the work. We became so sociable that I crawled in, and was soon asleep. The morning opened fine, and everybody was in better humor. The "wounded," after a good night's sleep, awoke quite refreshed. Although treated with all kinds of respect, I was anxious to be with my own "Camelback." I found a way to accomplish this, and surprised General Palmer by standing before him in the early morning, and telling him what I have told you-it was fresh, then. Palmer rarely indulged in a good laugh, but did this time.
The General is in the saddle, and so are we all. The order has gone forth to burn the bridges behind us, and if anybody should ask us what we wanted, to tell them earth and water. Railroad stock was still on paper, but nowhere else. The rolling stock and the roadbeds were destroyed. As we went along the escort was kept very busy, and would be away from Agnew and the General three or four days at a time, riding with one of the other regiments and unable to get back.
The troops were divided into squadrons and battalions, and were scouring the country in every direction, and would only close up when nearing some place that was fortified and garrisoned.
When Salisbury, N. C., was reached the General had the Fif- teenth close behind him. The squadrons and battalions were now with the Regiment. Agnew was called to the front. He came back with an order for me to go forward and report to the General. We had passed the Tenth Michigan some two or three miles back, dismounted. The General ordered me back on the road we came, to give his compliments to Colonel Trowbridge and order the latter to bring his Regiment up at a trot.
I guess Colonel Trowbridge knew what to do when this order came, it being understood by those high in authority how this fort and place were to be taken. The order to mount was given, and we were soon at a smart trot. In going up the road we passed the place where I had left the General and the Fifteenth, but kept on with the Tenth Michigan. We took a road to the left, and soon came in full view of a fort, and a few shells came whistling over our heads. The Regiment was ordered into line, the trot was changed to a gallop, and before I hardly knew what was going on
526
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
"Camelback" and I were carried over the entrenchments into the fort.
"Camelback" was bad when excited, and persisted in tramping on the toes of our illustrious Southern brethren after they had surrendered. He was a Fifteenth horse, and wanted to show off before the Tenth Michigan horses, and if I had not sawed him with the curb bit he would have had me into the fort before I was ready. Horses are very intelligent, but when excited, like men, do not know what they are about.
I used to like to talk to our prisoners, who to a man blamed the politicians for bringing on the war. I was astonished to hear this from so many that I had met at different times, and told them so. They asked me if we had any politicians in the North. I had not been North for several years, and had to stop to think. I told them we had some before the war. "Yes," they said, "then is when we had them, and they blathered and called your people doughfaces and cowardly Yankees, who would run if we said boo to them." "I suppose these stirrers up of strife are all killed now, as they would be first in war?" I ventured to say. "No," said they, "not one of them went, but sat secure in Richmond to attend to the financial end of the affair. Did yours come out?" I did not like to say they did not. I hesitated a moment, and then said :
"They did, and were in the first battle of Bull Run. They could not all be Generals, although they wanted to be anything but pri. vates. A battle is not much without privates, you know. They went down in carriages. Your folks commenced with cavalry and our folks will end with cavalry. Your cavalry got after those carriages and other things, and they all came flying back to Wash- ington, never stopping to take breath. Some never stopped until they arrived way up North, where I live when at home, and told their tale of woe, occasionally looking over their shoulders to see if the Black Horse Cavalry was still coming. So our Government decided to call out 300,000 more men and a regiment or two of cavalry, and we are some of them."
They said the way we came over their breastworks "was a terror." There are more flies caught with molasses than with vinegar, so we gave them everything we had to eat, shook hands with them all and told them they had fallen into good hands, as
527
With Gillem's Tennesseeans on the Yadkin.
our General was not a political one, but a soldier built up regularly from the foundation, and would send them all home to their families, as we had hundreds before. After swearing them back into the United States of America they were all glad to get back.
The command was again scattered and each company had a story of its own. The General kept the main road, while the troops operated both to right and left. Neither army had invaded this part of the country before. There were no marks of the dreadful thing called war. We were not expected. We would come suddenly into the cities and towns. The stores would be open, and even the banks. We saw things that reminded us of the past at times. The Tenth Michigan had just charged into the place. I think it was Statesville. The banks and stores were open to do business, and did more than they ever did before. The boys of the Tenth Michigan were examining the bank. I do not know what the assets were before the examination took place, but knew that afterward they were "nothing."
Some of the "examiners" had nearly all their clothing torn off, in their eagerness to get at the assets. One would try to get out with a little bag of gold, but he would be downed, the bag would be bursted, and then there would be a scramble, and he would be glad to get out with whole bones, his fingers nearly tramped off by heavy cavalry boots. This is but a sample of war. These men had become warriors, and had forgotten all about home influences, and were but doing that which has been done in every war. No doubt some are now the pillars of the church. But I am sure they are all sound money men. They were then, I know. They would take silver, but preferred gold, the same as we all do. Some of the banks heard about our coming and ran their specie to the woods, but a soldier's scent is something wonderful, and they had no trouble in finding it.
Things were getting very warm at Richmond, and they con- cluded to send their valuables farther south. Col. Charles M. Betts with the Fifteenth came across the valuables, however, and captured them. The amount was large, and he put a strong guard over it, and brought it in. It was sent to Macon, Ga., and turned over to our Government. A part of the Fifteenth, under Major Wagner, drove the pickets into Lynchburg, and would have gone right into Richmond if they had not been called off. They were
528
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
operating on the left of us, the Tenth Michigan on our right, the Twelfth Ohio in our center.
To give an idea of how we traveled, say, for instance, we have started from Valley Forge, Philadelphia being the place we were aiming for. The Fifteenth would be on the York road, the Twelfth Ohio on the Germantown road, the Tenth Michigan on the Ridge road, and in that order would clean up everything be- tween the two rivers. If one regiment was attacked and wanted help, the nearest regiment would hurry to its assistance. The orderly's duty was to carry orders from the General to the differ- ent regiments. The opportunity to see the country was fine. The roads were known to our General as well as if he had lived there all his life. He had maps, and would hypnotize a colored man or a man too old to be with our illustrious Southern brethren, so his directions always carried us through. The guerrillas, how- ever, bothered us a little. The escort was mounted on running stock, and we lost only one of our number, one of our best men.
WITH THE FIRST BATTALION TO LYNCHBURG.
GEORGE NEIL, COMPANY D, MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA.
O N the fourth of April, 1865, the First battalion of the "Fif- teenth," and details from the Second, in all about two hun- dred and thirty men, under the command of Maj. Wm. Wagner, left the Regiment at Christiansburg, Va., on a rapid march for the neighborhood of Lynchburg, to do what damage we could to the Southern Confederacy by making a demonstration on that place.
Just at this time General Grant had broken up the rebel lines around Richmond and Petersburg and was pushing Lee's army to that last ditch of which we had talked for four long years, and which was found at Appomattox Court House, just twenty miles east of Lynchburg. Our force, approaching from the opposite direction, created some consternation and confusion in the rebel lines, which was the main object intended. It had been rumored throughout our army that it was to move up through East Ten- nessee and Virginia, and attack General Lee from the rear, and, no doubt, many of our enemy looked on our demonstration as the beginning of that movement. Our commanding General had little doubt of Wagner being able to reach the vicinity of Lynchburg, but we had serious misgivings of his ability to join the Regiment again, and his orders allowed him, after making his demonstra- tion on the town, to go north in case he found the rebels had closed up in his rear and prevented the return march.
It was after nightfall when we left the Regiment. As if to hide our start, a heavy downpour of rain drenched us, but it also hid our march from rebel sympathizers who would carry the news of our approach, and the result was that the next day we marched through a country which had never known the tread of hostile forces, and so we were not expected. The good horses of the farmers, instead of being run off and secreted, were kept in their stables, where we found them, and traded our played-out
529
34
530
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
ones, without the usual dickering, which goes along with a horse trade.
Passing through Salem, Va., and nearing Big Lick, we learned that a trainload of provisions was about leaving that point for the rebel army and we tried to capture it, but the clatter of our horses' hoofs as we charged through the town gave a warning to the train crew and they started too soon for us to intercept them. Horseflesh cannot equal the steam engine for strength and endur- ance and, while we had some hope at first, the train gradually pulled away from us and escaped. It was some consolation to burn the railroad bridge over the Roanoke river and to feel that our enemy would not use that track for some time to come. To make up for our loss we captured at a small station, called Coners Springs, an express car filled with tobacco and provisions, and, after taking as much of these as we needed, gave the balance to the negroes, who were always our friends and naturally gravitated to us, and then burned the car.
We stopped one night at Beaufort. If anything was needed to prove that we were in the enemy's country, the constant fire from the bushwhackers did it. Always from such a long distance as to be harmless, their fire was kept up and the ping of their bullets added to the excitement, and served to drive away the monotony of long and tiresome marches. While we were under fire all the time, no particular attention was paid them, nor did they succeed in hitting any of our men or of stopping the march of the column. When we neared the town of Liberty, we were met on the road by the Mayor and the Town Council, who, carrying a white flag to show their peaceful errand, surrendered the place to us.
This was the fashionable and proper manner of surrendering cities several centuries ago, but these formalities just now do not make any particular impression on us except the humorous side of them. Since we became soldiers, the habit has grown on us of taking anything we wanted, and while there was nothing particu- lar in the town of Liberty that we wished for, or was worth taking, it stood on our line of march and we had to take it, and the osten- tatious display of the white flag by the town officials made no difference to us, while it probably made them feel the importance of their civic position.
After leaving Liberty we reached the Big Otter River, which
53I
With the First Battalion to Lynchburg.
was spanned by two high trestle railroad bridges. These were en- closed and roofed over with pitch pine, being dry as tinder, were in good condition to burn. All the fences in the neighborhood were levied on and the rails piled inside the bridges. It was nine o'clock in the evening when all was in readiness for the torch. From this place the distance to Lynchburg was eighteen miles, and Major Wagner, giving his men two hours rest, started for that place at II P.M., first firing the two bridges. They burned rapidly, and when the entire framework bursts into flames, the column started on its march, burning also one other railroad bridge nearer Lynchburg. Wagner endeavored to reach that place in the early hours of the morning and, if he found the enemy unprepared, to capture it. He had no definite idea as to what force he might en- counter, and, although his orders called only for a "demonstra- tion," it left him at liberty to capture the town, if he believed he could do so. When about five miles from the place, the first of the rebel pickets were met, and these were hastily driven back two miles, capturing two of them. King, of Company D, was killed in this first attack. The reserve picket was found to be in such force that Wagner did not care to hazard an engagement, and after a volley or two marched his command over to another road at a point within three miles from Lynchburg and fed his horses and men. The coolness of the Major in thus inviting an attack and waiting for it, must have impressed the enemy that his force was greater than it really was, for they made no effort to drive him away. After a leisurely wait the battalion started back on another road. The advance guard met a force of rebels, and in the action which followed Corporal Wm. J. Currin, of Company B, was se- verely wounded and had to be left at a house on the roadside. That night the camp was made at Goose Creek.
At this time Major Wagner heard that the Yankee cavalry was marching to Salisbury to release our prisoners there, and he deter- mined to move south and rejoin the regiment if possible. The bushwhackers were more annoying this day, and exhibited greater boldness in their operations. Heretofore they had been satisfied to take a long shot at the column which, while it may have pleased them, did us no harm, but now they boldly rode up to within a few hundred yards of the rear guard, fired a volley and then raced off. They kept this up for six or seven miles and were successful
532
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
in shooting one horse. To stop this annoyance one company was placed in ambush and waited till the enemy came along, and then suddenly fired on them at close range, killing two and taking sev- eral of their horses. This put a stop to their operations for that day.
The next morning we left camp in a heavy rainstorm, crossed a mountain, passed through Franklin Court House, and marched to within seven miles of Henry Court House, where a halt was made to feed. Major Wagner here learned that General Basil Duke, with fifteen hundred men, was at the Court House waiting to op- pose our further progress. The enemy had located our line of march, and had also sent troops from Danville to head us off, and had planted a battery so that it would sweep the road we must take. To avoid all this calamity, Wagner took to the left across the country, forded a river, and that night passed so close to the rebel troops that strict orders were given to light no matches, nor talk loud, and to hold the sabers to prevent them rattling. The march was kept up all night and was a continuous one of twenty- four hours.
The next day we crossed the mountains again into North Caro- lina and about nightfall our advance guard ran into a detachment of twenty rebels, and by a quick charge dispersed them and recap- tured three men of the Eleventh Michigan the rebels had as pris- oners.
Our march took us through Lewisville and Huntsville, and at 5 P.M., on April 12th, we crossed the Yadkin. Passing through Mocksville during the night, the Regiment was reached at three o'clock next morning, during a heavy rainstorm.
This camp was three miles from Salisbury, which had been cap- tured that day. During the last three days and four nights the bat- talion had marched two hundred and seven miles.
THE REGIMENT AT HILLSVILLE, VA., IN APRIL, 1865.
SERG. JOHN W. ECKMAN, COMPANY B, PULASKI CITY, VA. -
O UR Regiment entered Carroll County, Va., from North Carolina on April 1, 1865. We were then part of Stone- man's command, and on our way, as it transpired later, to destroy the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad west of Lynchburg.
Ours was the first organized body of Union soldiers seen in this part of Virginia, and as we approached Hillsville, the county town of Carroll County, there was much apprehension and alarm among the citizens as to the treatment they might receive at our hands. It was this feeling of uncertainty and fear that gives point to this brief narrative, and, too, has caused me much litigation and provoking losses during the sixteen years that I have made my home in southwest Virginia.
Old residenters assure me that Pennsylvania troops were the first to enter their town, and that General Palmer was in com- mand, but they also state that General Stoneman was with the troops, and made his headquarters at the home of my old friend. Jas. Wilkinson, which stands in the center of the town, next door to the court-house.
An old well, with windlass, chain and bucket, still remains in the center of the main street, immediately in front of the court- house, just as it was in April, 1865. It was from this well that Stoneman, Palmer and their staff officers obtained a refreshing supply of good cold water, and doubtless many of our boys filled their canteens from the old bucket. The windlass, bucket and per- haps the chain have been renewed since those days, but improved methods of drawing the water from the well do not find favor, and their daddies' plans and ways of doing things are quite good enough for the present residents of this old-fashioned town.
James Wilkinson, in 1865, was about thirty years of age, and was a Captain and Quartermaster in the Confederate army. It was his duty to stay home, and return to their command paroled men, "leave-of-absence men" and men at home without leave, and also
533
534
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
to buy and forward food and supplies of all kinds to Richmond for the use of the troops in the field.
He was at home when the news of the approach of our com- mand was brought to Hillsville, and tried to quiet the excited people by advising them to remain at their homes, assuring them that they would not be molested. He said that we would likely take any serviceable horses, also provisions and food for use of men and horses, and that these should be given as cheerfully as pos- sible, for if we needed them they would be taken.
The proprietor of the old grist mill was told to stay at his mill, which he did, kept his burrs busy grinding for our use during our stay, and concluded the Yankee soldier was a real clever sort of a man after all.
The Captain's advice was taken generally, but there was one notable exception. A. M. Hale, clerk of the Circuit Court, in his anxiety to preserve his court records, carried many of them quickly from the clerk's room, and loaded them on a wagon, with horse attached, that stood in front of the court-house door. In his haste he carried out several deed books belonging to the County Court records. In driving away he was seen by our Pennsyl- vania troops, was quickly captured, and, as the story goes, his wagon with contents was destroyed.
If any member of our Regiment can recall this incident and can give any detailed account of the destruction of this wagon and court records, he will receive a very patient and welcome hearing if he will communicate with me.
With some friends and associates I became the purchaser of large tracts of mineral lands in Carroll and the adjoining county of Grayson in 1889, and the absence of these deed books has kept my associates and myself in perpetual litigation, and there is apparently "no end to it."
During the war a portion of these lands was worked and copper mined for use of the Confederates, but aside from this the lands purchased were not regarded as especially valuable. They were assessed at a very low valuation per acre and no attention paid to them-no disputes about title until we purchased, when innumer- able claims to title were presented. Titles to these lands were traced back to grants from the Commonwealth, and, of course, there were numerous interlocks, and the missing deed books pre-
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.