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 46
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
535
The Regiment at Hillsville, Va., in April, 1865.
vented us, quite too often, from preparing a clean brief of title, and this confusion greatly encouraged claimants.
Counsel on both sides, but especially plaintiff's counsel, on every excusable occasion, delighted to repeat the story that Eckman's command of Pennsylvania troops in April, 1865, had destroyed the court records and the deeds to his property. There has always been a doubt in my mind as to whether any part of our Regiment actually did destroy the wagon with its court record contents. I do not know what other troops, if any, accompanied us to Hills- ville, nor can any of the then residents of Carroll County recall the presence of any but Pennsylvania Cavalry on that second day of April or during that particular raid. The people of Hillsville do not condemn or censure our troops for destroying the wagon and contents, but reflect upon the haste and bad judgment displayed by the clerk in moving records from the court-house.
During one of my visits to Hillsville, Captain Wilkinson intro- duced me to Mr. Burnett. In April, 1865, Burnett was a young inan. He was then, and is now a cripple, which fortunately kept him out of the Confederate army. At the news of the approach of a "sure enough" Yankee army and during the excitement and uneasiness that prevailed in Hillsville, Burnett's actions are thus told by Wilkinson. Getting his gun and mounting Judge Kyle's gray mare, Burnett sallied forth to stop the cause of all this con- fusion. He very soon and unexpectedly got close to the advance, and wisely concluded to retrace his steps, but a shot from one of the advance struck the mare and Burnett sought safety by crawl- ing into a culvert, under the road. He was ordered forth, and compelled to step lively by the side of a trooper, and thus led the advance of the Yankees into the town.
Of course, I was presented to him as the Yankee soldier that shot his mare, that brought him from the seclusion of the culvert, and made him trot lively with us into the town.
It was this southwest end of the State of Virginia that supplied, in large part, the iron, copper, lead and salt so much needed by the Confederacy. It is surrounded on all sides by mountains, and it was exceedingly difficult for our army to effect an entrance except from the south, making these industrial operations com- paratively safe from raiding parties.
A HIGH-PRICED MEAL.
-
A. D. FRANKENBERRY, COMPANY K, POINT MARION, PA.
D URING the war of 1861-65 the infantry constantly made the charge that they never stole anything, as the cavalry was always in the advance, and got all the good things, and so nothing was left for the "doughboys" to steal.
But we are fully prepared to prove that the cavalry did not steal, but most liberally paid for everything.
On the 3d day of April, 1865, we were with General Gillem's headquarters at Hillsville, Va. The General's cavalry division was composed of three brigades. The first brigade was made up of the Tenth Michigan Cavalry, Twelfth Ohio Cavalry and Fif- teenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, all under command of Gen. Wm. J. Palmer. The command was here divided ; Colonel Miller's brigade was sent to Wytheville, Va., and Maj. Wm. Wagner with a por- tion of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry was ordered to Big Lick, and thence toward Lynchburg. We left Hillsville at 7 P.M., and on the morning of April 4th reached Jacksonville, Va., or Floyd Court House, and were ordered to halt only to feed and get breakfast.
My chum took our stock of provisions, consisting of a small ham, some Yankee coffee, sugar and a few potatoes, into a house to cook breakfast, while I took both horses into a nearby stable, and passing through a garden I found a "tithe" corncrib, from which I obtained food for our horses. In the garden I noticed a small grave, freshly made, and, as I well knew no human body was buried there, I quickly opened the grave, and found buried a tin box, about six by six inches and about sixteen inches long. Opening the box I found it contained the tax book and money of the Confederate war-tax collector, a legitimate object of cap- ture.
I "appropriated" all the Confederate funds I thought I needed, rolling up the bills and bonds in a bundle, and, stuffing the bundle into my boot leg, went into the house, where I found my comrade
536
537
A High-Priced Meal.
busy talking to three women, the mother and two rather elderly daughters. The women had nothing in the way of provisions except corn meal-not even a grain of salt. The meal was mixed with water and baked, ham fried, potatoes boiled and coffee made. All five sat down to eat breakfast. My comrade and myself were blessed with grand appetites, but we were excelled in that blessing by each of the three women, and when the meal was finished only a little of the bread and meat was left. I put some of it into my haversack. I had in the meantime told my comrade of my "find."
As we had furnished the meat, potatoes, coffee and sugar and the women had furnished only the corn meal, and as there were three of them and only two of us, the equity of the claim for remuneration did not impress me strongly. I was willing to call the matter square, but the old lady remonstrated about taking the food, so I thought I would be liberal, and handed her two $500 Confederate gold bonds, with several coupons yet attached and due. Taking the bonds, she disdainfully said, "We'uns don't like that ar money, but we'uns likes you'ns' money the bestest ;" so, not wishing to be at all mean or stingy, I handed her two more $500 bonds, but even then there was no blessing on our heads as we departed. How many thousand dollars of the now worthless stuff I had I never knew, as I did not even count it.
May 1, 1865, we entered Anderson, S. C., and there I captured from a Confederate Major a fine black horse. The Major pleaded to retain the horse. He said he had lately bought him for $4000. He further urged that it was Confederate money and belonged to the Quartermaster's Department of the South. I told him, there- fore, that as the horse was the real property of the Confederate army and a proper subject of capture, I could not give him up ; but, as I was a Yankee, I would "trade" him another horse that was only tired, as I had then ridden him more than 400 miles ; that I would make all the bargain, take the shoes off my horse and give him "$5000 to boot." So again the cavalry paid for what they got.
The bonds were printed on very common thin, white paper, plain back, nine by fourteen inches. The loan was authorized by Act of Congress, C. S. A., of August 19, 1861, and the one of the lot I still retain is No. 335. The bonds were sold for gold, the rate of interest, 8 per cent. per annum, being payable semi-annually.
"AN ORDERLY ENTRANCE INTO TOWN."
-
CORP. SMITH D. COZENS, COMPANY L, PHILADELPHIA.
H OW well I remember it ! We learned that the next day we would probably reach Salem, N. C., and very early that morning I was ordered to report to General Palmer, and he put me in command of the advance guard. In giving me my instructions he said that in all probability we would reach Salem about the middle of the afternoon, and added that he had ascer- tained that there were no rebels in the town, and that when I came in sight of the place to halt until the column came up and fall in rear of Company L, which was the advance company of the Regi- ment that day. He desired to make an orderly entrance into the town.
I think the detail was about twelve men, and we mounted and moved out the Salem road as far as our picket post, probably a mile from camp, and there awaited the start of the Regiment. We had hardly got to the pickets when it commenced to drizzle, the boys donned their rubber coats, and pretty soon we heard the bugle in our rear sounding "forward !" when we started off.
It was a fine country through which we traveled, and the ride was without incident, although we kept a sharp lookout for the enemy. About noon the command halted for a rest, and soon after we started on again. It was still quite cloudy and occasionally drizzled a little. As I looked around at my little company, most of whom I knew intimately, I felt that if any emergency should arise there would be no laggards. The only one whom I can remember of that advance was Joseph S. Overholt, of my own company-"Little Joe," as we used to call him. He and another man rode in advance of the guard, probably 100 yards.
Toward the middle of the afternoon, as we arrived upon the top of a hill, we caught a glimpse of the town, and could plainly see the church spires directly in front of us. Then I motioned to the two men in advance to halt. We were now going down a hill, and
538
539
"An Orderly Entrance into Town."
just in front of us was another high hill, similar to the one which we were descending. It was suggested that we go to the top of the hill before we halted to allow the Regiment to come up, to which I assented, and as we went up the hill I looked back and could see nothing of them.
We reached the top of the hill, and right in front of us lay the town in plain view, about a mile and a half away, and at the bottom of the hill a rebel picket post of five or six men. We all saw them at once and they us. I can remember so distinctly Overholt's re- mark, "Cozens, there's the Johnnies!" Many things flashed through my mind in that instant. I recalled the General's injunc- tion about an orderly entry into the town, and I remembered that always in our Regiment, at least, when you met the other side, you went for them at once, and I remembered, too, my old comrade "Pat" Lyon's example. I knew that my twelve men were waiting my orders, and instantly I whipped out my revolver and said, "Come on, boys !" and they came.
As soon as the rebels caught sight of us they, with one excep- tion, mounted their horses and commenced to move toward the town; this one threw his carbine over the saddle of his horse and fired at us, and I heard the bullet whistle past me, when he fired again. Three times he fired, but we were going down hill at a tremendous pace, and were close to him before he mounted, and then he flew away from us like the wind and was soon ahead of his comrades.
We commenced to gain on them, and in another 100 yards I was within a horse's length of the hindmost. I shouted to him to "halt!" but he kept on. The boys behind called to me to shoot him, which I could have done, as I was almost touching his horse. While on the dead run I raised my pistol to fire, and as I did so he turned in the saddle and disclosed the terror-stricken face of a half- grown boy. I thrust my pistol into my blouse, and giving "Billy" an extra dig with the spurs, I grasped the bridle of his horse and pulled him back standing, snatching the pistol out of his hand. I looked behind me and saw that all my little party was close up to me. I heard the bugle from the main column sounding, and we kept on at the jump.
Our enemies had disappeared down a side road by this time, and we were getting close into the town, when I discovered, right in
540
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
front of us, a party of twenty or thirty men, drawn up across the road, holding up their hands and hats as if hailing us to stop. I saw that they were not armed, but our blood was up, and we went through them with a shout, scattering them like chaff. On into the town we went, the people flying in all directions, and in a few moments we were in the center of the place, right in the front of the post office.
I halted the little party, swung out of the saddle, ran into the post office, seized a large bundle of letters lying on the tables, re- turned to the street and faced as good an officer as ever led a cavalry regiment. I could not but wonder what his thoughts were of my orderly entrance into the town. I saluted him and passed the letters to one of his staff, and as he returned my salute, with what seemed to me a kindly smile of commendation, he ordered me to take my advance guard and go outside the town and picket the road until the regular picket detail from the Regiment was sent out.
CAPTURE OF THIRD SOUTH CAROLINA CAVALRY.
FIRST LIEUT. CHAS. E. BECK, COMPANY C, PALMYRA, N. J.
I T was in April, 1865, that our Regiment reached Salem, N. C. The battalion under Major Wagner, which had gone into Virginia and made a demonstration on Lynchburg, was still absent. It was this movement of Wagner's cavalry which Gen- eral Grant commented on so favorably as having caused General Lee to halt in his retreat from Richmond, and had much to do with causing his surrender, a few days later.
In his autobiography he criticises the raids made from General Thomas' command at this time, as causing the destruction of much valuable property, which he would liked to have spared, and also that they caused no Confederate troops to be withdrawn from either Lee's or Johnston's armies. - He commends the demon- stration on Lynchburg, which Major Wagner and two hundred nien of our Regiment made, in these words: "The only possible good that we may have experienced from these raids was by Stoneman getting near to Lynchburg about the time that the Armies of the Potomac and of the James were closing in on Lee at Appomattox," and adds "it was the cause of a commotion we heard of there."
Our other two battalions, under Major Garner and Captain Kramer, were with us, but the horses were not in good condition, as our long day and night marches had worn them out.
Soon after our arrival at Salem, N. C., Colonel Betts received orders to take the Regiment and destroy the railroad bridge north of Greensboro, and also a factory below that place, at which firearms for the Confederacy were being made.
Greensboro is twenty-five miles east of Salem, and it was said a considerable force of the enemy occupied the place, so the problem was not a cut-and-dried affair, but one in which the ele- ment of risk was a large factor.
541
542
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
Our march began early in the evening, and at 2 A.M. Major Garner was sent with his battalion to destroy the bridge, and Cap- tain Kramer was also ordered to take his men and destroy the gun factory. For himself Colonel Betts retained ninety men, with whom he intended making a direct demonstration on Greensboro, to draw the attention from the other two columns.
Just about daylight a colored man was picked up who said he was the servant of Colonel Johnson, who commanded the Third South Carolina Cavalry, who were in camp about a half mile distant. He said a good portion of that regiment was scouting, to ascertain the position of the Yankees. They must have gone into camp in some of the farm-houses, as they could easily have found us if half an effort had been made ; but so great was Colonel Johnson's confidence in his scouting parties guarding his camp that he had neither picket nor camp guard to warn him of danger, and his command was just then at the homely duty of cooking breakfast.
All this information Colonel Betts drew from the colored man, who had been sent by Colonel Johnson to mail a letter in a nearby post office. It was not hard to do so, as all the colored men in the South were our friends, and this particular one jumped at once to the conclusion that we were Yanks.
Colonel Betts was just now in a "state of mind." The Con- fcderate force far outnumbered his command. Each one recog- nized the fact that as soon as our presence was known we would have a fight on hand, in which we could hardly hope to be victors.
Our Colonel laid the situation before the other two officers, but beyond the assertion that they would do anything he ordered, received no suggestions, and he then quickly concluded the safest course was to charge the camp.
The dispositions were soon made. I was given ten men, mounted on the best horses, for the advance, with instructions to charge the camp as soon as sighted and to make all the noise possible, and the rest of the column could follow. The men on the poorest horses were to barricade the road at the point where we turned to the right, and protect our rear from any of the scouting forces which might return at any moment. Then the order to advance was given. Soon the camp came in sight, our advance and main col- umn took up the charge, and the surprised enemy fled at once, after
543
Capture of Third South Carolina Cavalry.
firing a few shots. One of these shots was by Colonel Johnson, who made an earnest effort to kill Adjutant Reiff, but shot his horse instead.
The rebels fled to a neighboring meadow, and took cover in a ditch, where they might have made a good defence and beat us off, but our attack was so sudden that they never had time to get their second wind, and on demand they surrendered. The whole action and its results demonstrated what General Palmer had so often drilled into us, that a bold, dashing charge by a small body of good troops would overcome a much larger force.
After eating the breakfast which our late enemies had pre- pared for themselves, cutting the spokes of their wagons, destroy- ing their guns and camp equipage and mounting the prisoners on the poorest horses, we continued our march to within a short dis- tance of Greensboro. At this point Serg. Selden L. Wilson was detailed with ten men to destroy a railroad bridge on the outskirts of that town. After remaining here sufficient time to enable the battalions, under Garner and Kramer, to accomplish the work assigned them, our detachment started back for Salem.
Sergeant Strickler and ten men were detailed for the advance, and the same number for rear guard, which left only sixty men, who were presumed to do the heavy fighting when the time came and also to guard and take care of our prisoners.
As the column was ascending a long hill, not very steep, Colonel Johnson, who was riding with Colonel Betts, turned in his saddle to look at the column, and said with surprise, "Why Colonel Betts, where are your men?" Betts looked, too, and was also surprised, for the men he saw following him were principally prisoners uniformed in butternut clothing; but Betts, concealing his feelings, simply said, "There are others within supporting dis- tance."
Colonel Johnson felt somewhat elated at the prospect, and said that he and Betts would change places before many hours. A small force of the enemy made their appearance on our left, but a dashing charge of our advance scattered them. Soon after a much larger force appeared around a house on our right, but. another charge of our advance and a lucky shot from the revolver of one of the guard, which killed one man, dispersed and routed the rest.
544
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
As if we had not enough excitement for one day, a courier arrived from General Palmer with word that the Tenth Michigan was fighting a superior force and was being driven back on Salem, and that we should hurry back at a trot, and if the enemy were around the town to charge them on the flanks.
Hurrying along we soon reached the point where the other two battalions were to join us, but Kramers' was the only one there. He had destroyed the factory and a great quantity of arms in the process of manufacture, without the loss of a man, and was loaded down with prisoners. Soon after this another dispatch was re- ceived, stating that the Tenth Michigan had driven off the enemy, and to join the column at a walk.
Major Garner and his battalion returned that night, having accomplished all they set out to do, without loss. This was a good day's work-very well done.
BURNING BRIDGE OVER SOUTH BUFFALO CREEK.
-
LIEUT. SELDEN L. WILSON, COMPANY I, WASHINGTON, PA.
T HE Regiment arrived in Salem, N. C., in the evening of Sabbath, April 10, 1865. We found a very nice little town, with a female seminary in session. The young ladies were at the windows, and at one of them a United States flag was dis- played, which was greeted with cheers as we passed.
Having procured provisions for ourselves and horses, I was ordered, about II o'clock, to report to Colonel Betts. By him I was informed that the Regiment was to move at once and that I was to take charge of the rear guard. My instructions were to follow the main road and to close upon the column whenever a detachment should make a detour to the right or left.
We rode all night with advanced carbines. Just before day- break, on the morning of the IIth, Adjutant Reiff came back with information that there were less than 100 men with Colonel Betts, and that a charge was about to be ordered upon the camp of the Third South Carolina Cavalry. Upon receipt of this information we drew revolvers, and scarcely had we covered the interval between ourselves and the column when I heard the Colonel give the command, "Charge!" I followed close, and we rushed pell- mell into the camp of the Southerners. Quite a number of shots were exchanged, but I believe no one was injured on either side.
After securing a number of prisoners, an incident occurred which I have always remembered. When Adjutant Reiff came back to the place where the prisoners were collected, the Adjutant of the Third South Carolina remarked, in a somewhat sarcastic tone, "Adjutant, allow me to congratulate you on your bad marksmanship." Quick as a flash came the reply, "The same to you, d-n you !"
Among the pleasant things I found, that morning, baking in an old-fashioned Dutch oven, was a chicken potpie, upon which several of us made breakfast; also, in an officer's mess chest, a canteen of peach brandy, which I threw across my shoulder, and
545
35
546
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
after getting the prisoners and horses gathered up I passed it around, as far as it would go, beginning with the commanding officer. I have always thought the heavy fog which prevailed that morning was a good thing for us.
We had moved out a short distance with our prisoners when I received orders to report to Colonel Betts, who instructed me to select ten of the best men and horses in the command. As soon as my detail was ready I was to report for further orders. It was not long before I returned, when I received the following instruc- tions : "Sergeant, you are to take the detail and burn a bridge over South Buffalo Creek and cut the telegraph wires. I expect you will find a strong guard at the bridge. Do not get into a fight to burn the bridge, but cut the telegraph line if it costs every man and horse you have. Make the trip as fast as your horses will stand it." He explained to me that the bridge was ten miles south of our present position and within two miles of Greensboro, N. C. He told me that one battalion of the Regiment, under command of Captain Kramer, had gone to Jamestown to destroy a railroad bridge across Deep River, and he gave me the location of different detachments of the Regiment, with instructions to give this in- formation to the detail as soon as we started, so in case we became scattered they would individually know where to go. In addition he said : "You will be a good ways from any troops, for as soon as we have finished breakfast we will start back to Salem, which is twenty miles." He introduced me to a citizen as the guide who would show me the road, then bade me good-by and good luck.
We started at a pretty fair gait, remembering we had a long day's ride. I was mounted on the horse which the day before be- longed to the Adjutant of the Third South Carolina Cavalry, and, in fact, most of the men were on fresh horses. The guide com- plained that we were going too fast, but he kept up all right. I very particularly observed the road and advised the men to do the same.
When we got within one-half mile of the railroad I could see the smoke from a train which was getting away from Jamestown, where Captain Kramer had gone. We arrived at the railroad, but found that we had gone a mile below the bridge. When we ar- rived at the bridge we were delighted to find no guards.
I detailed Jonas Cotterel, who was a Samson, to cut the tele-
547
Burning Bridge Over South Buffalo Creek.
graph pole, while another man held his horse. He had to climb up the bank some distance to reach the pole, so when he cut it off, instead of falling over, as he expected, the wire held the top and the lower end slipped off at the stump, leaving the pole still standing almost erect. Well, the air was blue around that pole, but it did not interfere with Cotterel making the second cut. When the pole fell, the cutting of the wires was but a small matter.
In the meantime the rest of us had been working on the bridge, cutting kindling wood. The material of the bridge was yellow North Carolina pine, and was as dry as tinder, so we were not long in having such a blaze as could not be extinguished by ordinary means.
There was a citizen at the bridge when we reached there, who will figure in a part of this story later on. Another was an old farmer who was ploughing nearby, and from whom we obtained an axe on our arrival. He came down to the bridge and took one of the axes and cut most of the kindling, saying: "Don't spoil my axe. I will help you, for I am as good a Union man as God lets live, but this is the first time I have dared to say so."
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.