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 48
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
We were placed in command of an officer-a Lieutenant Colonel, I think-whose home, before the war, had been in the South. Colonel Palmer, the Commander of the Fifteenth Regiment, had about this time been promoted, and was now in command of three regiments, and later on of the whole division. The officer who was now placed over us undertook to take us by a shorter route over the Smoky Mountains into North Carolina, where we expected to join our command, then on its way to capture Salisbury Prison. He lost his way, and we wandered among the mountains for days without a sign of civilization, but we finally found our road and joined our command. We marched to Salisbury and destroyed the public property effectively. The escape of the commander of the prison and the horrible condition of the prisoners are so well known that I shall barely mention them in a communication of this length.
Shortly after the destruction of the prison we reached a small town in North Carolina, where six of us were detailed to carry a dispatch to General Stoneman. Corporal Jones, of Philadelphia, had charge of us. When about to start General Palmer said to
560
561
Carrying Dispatches on Our Last Raid.
Corporal Jones : "Here is a blank dispatch, which you yourself must keep, as the rebels will naturally look to you for any dis- patches. Let the man who has the swiftest horse have the genuine dispatch, and if you are captured let him escape at the risk of his life." Corporal Jones was a three years' man and had seen service, but he had an undertaking on his hands when he started out with five of us, all recruits, who had enlisted in July, 1864. We set out, and as soon as we were away from our officers took more liberties than we should perhaps have done. Before we had gone fifty miles the man who had the "best" horse traded him and got $24 "to boot."
We decided to ride at a moderate rate of speed all day until after night, then retire from the road some distance into a thicket, and without fire, picket or guard lie down and sleep.
On the fifth day we were riding along a straight piece of road that ran up onto a little knoll, on which we could see men forming in line, directly in front of us. Corporal Jones called a halt and ordered us to examine our guns. While the halt was made the hero of the play began to develop himself. George Alexander, of Company I, said to Jones : "May I act as advance guard to rout the enemy ?" Jones said: "George, would you go up that hill in the face of fifteen or twenty men with loaded guns?" Alexander answered, "All I ask is your permission." Scarcely was it granted when Alexander leaned forward in his saddle, put both spurs in the sides of his horse, and rode straight at the enemy. The remain- ing five of us followed, about 100 yeards behind him, at a dead gallop. The enemy leveled their guns, and a rain of bullets came down the road. None of us fired a shot, but rode forward at a gallop. The rebels dispersed in different directions, after empty- ing their guns, and when the main body of the army, five in num- ber, reached the top of the hill not a man was in sight. Alexander was missing.
Near the top of the hill there were three roads-one to the right, one to the left and one straight ahead. Jones ordered two men to go on the right-hand road, two on the left-hand road and he him- self went straight ahead, the object being to find Alexander and help him if he needed help. J. M. Shaw, of Homestead, Pa., and I took the road to the left. After riding about a mile we came to another crossroad, and stopped to "hold a council of war" as to
36
562
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
what course to pursue. In a moment we heard three or four shots fired off to the left, and we put spurs to our horses and galloped down the left-hand road for about three-quarters of a mile, where we found Alexander, off his horse, and instead of having one horse he had three, or, to be more accurate, two horses and a mule. He had pursued the enemy so closely that they left their horses and ran across a field. He had his carbine on the fence firing at the enemy- as he said, "Just to see how close I can come." We left one horse and took the mule along with us. We soon disposed of it to a farmer for $25 in silver. We went forward, thanking God and taking courage.
Then, without further incident of note, we struck the railroad between Atlanta and Chattanooga, and Corporal Jones left us here while he went forward by train and delivered his dispatches, and then rejoined us, and we started back.
We traveled the same road on our return for about 150 miles. We then went in a westerly direction, and finally struck the trail of our Regiment. In a short time after striking the trail we visited a plantation to get some rations. It was a Union family and in the greatest distress. The father, with his negro servant, had started to mill with a team of oxen and a wagonload of grain. On the way they were attacked by bushwhackers. The man and the negro were killed and the grain, oxen and wagon were missing. He had favored the Union, and sometimes harbored Union sol- diers ; hence the dislike. The family made us welcome, gave us our dinner, and told us that our command was two days ahead of us. They warned us that our Regiment had been attacked by bushwhackers not far ahead and that we would have to pass the headquarters of the same men who attacked our Regiment. They warned us that we should not consider surrender under any cir- cumstances, as we would be only cut to pieces if we did so. We thanked them for the information and departed.
About a mile from the plantation we came to the place where the Regiment had been attacked, and the bushwhackers were nu- merous. Here again Alexander got in his work. Five or six of the marauders came out of an old building and came straight toward us. What their intentions were we did not know, and Alexander did not wait to inquire. Jumping from his horse he ran right at them, revolver in hand. They all had revolvers, so he could
563
Carrying Dispatches on Our Last Raid.
turn his attention to but one at a time. Running up to one of them, he tore the fellow's revolver from its socket and demanded of him what command he belonged to. Then he said, "You are guerrillas ; get out !" They skulked off without waiting to be told the second time.
We then moved forward, and without further molestation at length joined our command, on the shores of the Tennessee River. After waiting for a few days for a boat to cross the river we went to Huntsville, then later to near Nashville, Tenn., where in June, 1865, we were mustered out. We estimated the distance traveled at 600 miles, since leaving the Regiment in North Carolina.
CARRYING NEWS OF THE ARMISTICE BETWEEN SHERMAN AND JOHNSTON. .
CORP. W. E. REPPERT, COMPANY C, CULPEPER, VA.
O N Friday, April 21, 1865, while the Regiment was at Lin- colnton, N. C., a courier arrived from General Sherman, notifying us of the armistice between him and General Johnston, and ordering us to join Sherman's army at Raleigh.
It looked as if the war was over and we were to have a rest from the long marches, which had been continuous, day and night, since we left Knoxville, Tenn., on March 2Ist. Men and horses had been put to their utmost endurance. Our company and part of the first battalion, under Colonel Betts, had joined the Regiment at Lincolnton the evening before.
After having driven Duke's command across the Catawba River and burned the wagon and railroad bridges, our horses were far from being fresh or in condition for a long march. At about dark, while eating supper, I received orders to take six men and report to Lieutenant Beck in Lincolnton. I do not remember the number of men Lieutenant Beck had in his command, but it was a small party. I think I was the only non-commissioned officer. Lieuten- ant Beck's orders to me were to take five men for the advance, to start out on the Morganton road, and keep up a trot all night. Morganton was fifty miles away, and we must make it by day- break. General Gillem with the second and third brigade was supposed to be there, on his way to Asheville, N. C.
It was 8 o'clock when we left Lincolnton. The night was exceedingly dark, with not even a star to guide us. Anyone who has traveled country roads, even in daylight, knows how per- plexing it is to always keep the right road. After keeping up a trot for about two hours we decided to impress a citizen for a guide. The streams were quite high, and we lost some time at one of the fords. The old citizen was very much scared and reluctant to go with us. We lost half an hour getting him out and mounted. It was a waste of time, for when we were twenty miles from his
564
565
Carrying News of Armistice.
home he did not know any more about the roads or fords than I did. I could not tell whether his ignorance was real or assumed, but turned him loose, thinking it safer to trust to my own instinct than to an ignorant or unwilling guide.
We arrived at Morganton as day was breaking. There were no Union soldiers in the town, and we learned from one of the citizens that General Gillem's command had moved toward Ashe- ville the day before. We did not stop in the town, but moved out about three miles on the road to Marion, where we stopped for an hour to feed. We made the twenty-five miles between Morganton and Marion before noon. Here we received information that part of General Gillem's command, under Colonel Miller, had been defeated on the mountain, and had passed through Marion on the Rutherfordton road at 10 A.M. We overtook them at 3 P.M. in the mountain gap, and delivered our dispatches to Colonel Miller, to be forwarded to General Gillem by fresh horses, as ours were played out.
We turned back with General Miller's command to Rutherford- ton, where we arrived about 5.30 or 6 o'clock. The distance we had traveled since 8 o'clock the evening before we estimated at IIO miles. This included a number of delays and a stop of one hour to feed. We figured the entire distance had been made in about nineteen hours.
We left Rutherfordton late in the forenoon, on the road to Lincolnton, and met a party of the Eighth Texas Cavalry, who in- formed us President Lincoln had been assassinated. At noon, when we stopped to feed, General Palmer and the Regiment came up.
The rumor of the assassination of President Lincoln proved too true, and instead of the Regiment joining Sherman's forces at Raleigh, which would have taken us home via Washington, D. C., we started on a long march after Jeff Davis and his Cabinet, which ended at Huntsville, Ala., May 25th, sixty-five days after we left Knoxville. In that time we had marched about 2000 miles.
THE CAPTURE OF GENERAL BRAXTON BRAGG.
WVM. SPANG, CORPORAL COMPANY E, PHILADELPHIA.
D URING the latter part of April, 1865, Gen. Wm. J. Palmer, commanding the former division of General Gillem, began his great pursuit of Jefferson Davis and train. The Fifteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, commanded by Col. Chas. M. Betts, was also on that raid. For about two weeks, night and day, we followed on the trail of the Confederates. We were moving in a southerly direction, and every day seemed to develop more wagon tracks, until the roads had become so con- gested with material, that the Confederates had taken down the fences, creating new roads, about fifty feet wide or more, directly through the farms, as an outlet for their hurried retreat southward. About 6 A.M., on the morning of May II, 1865, while our Regi- ment was moving on the main pike, we came to a smaller road leading to the left, which contained a number of ambulance wagon tracks.
Lieut. Samuel Phillips halted his company there, and made a detail of about seven men from Companies E and G, including Serg. Levi Sheffler and myself. Sergeant Sheffler was in com- mand, and we were to follow the wagon tracks on the small road. We marched about two miles, and coming to a little church or country schoolhouse, we noticed that inside the rail fence, part of which had been taken down, were wagon tracks leading in. There were also the remains of a small camp fire in the field, made possi- bly the night previous.
After a considerable march we turned to the right and began ascending another road, with fresh wagon tracks, leading through a large forest, until we came to a stone building located in the forest. We halted there, and I climbed in through the window. The interior looked to me as though it had been a meeting place for Masons or Odd Fellows, and had been quickly abandoned. There were a couple of tables and chairs, and scattered on the floor were some newspapers and manuscript. We then continued
566
567
The Capture of General Braxton Bragg.
to follow the wagon tracks downward through the forest until we came to the open road along which we had been moving. We were scattered along, not observing any special discipline, but keeping an eye to the surroundings. We were now west of the town of Monticello and Concord a short distance north.
Nearing the cottage, we hurried along the road until we came up to it. Sergeant Sheffler had captured General Bragg a few moments before I arrived, and Bragg had just seated himself on the porch with a large map of the State of Georgia thrown over the back of the seat. Bragg was in full gray uniform, and had endeavored to conceal his identity by removing the buttons and insignia of his rank from his discolored uniform. About a half hour after Sergeant Sheffler had captured General Bragg, Lieu- tenant Phillips and his men arrived on the scene. Lieutenant Phillips spoke to the General, and after a short conversation with the boys he and the General walked away about forty yards. They went to a rail fence, climbed on it and sat there talking for about three-quarters of an hour. Then Lieutenant Phillips made prepa- rations to leave, as we heard that he had paroled the General.
In the meanwhile Sergeant Sheffler and myself had been search- ing the General's effects. We found his gold-mounted spurs, and on them was engraved "Presented to Gen. Braxton Bragg by the people of the State of Georgia, for his gallantry at the battle of Missionary Ridge." We also found his sash, field glasses, woolen blankets and other articles. While we were searching, Bragg came to the wagons, and saw us uncover two new U. S. uniforms. Bragg requested that they be not taken from him, as they had been presents, and in the presence of Sergeant Sheffler and myself declared upon the honor of a soldier that he had never worn them. A trunk was also taken from the cottage, which proved to be the property of Mrs. Bragg. She opened her batteries by reminding us who we were, and said that she had never been so insulted in all her life as to have her effects searched by a set of Yankee hirelings. While she was giving vent to her eloquence she was at the same time tearing up a letter or dispatch into very small pieces, and by the time her tirade was exhausted the ground was covered with small bits of paper, reminding me of "the beautiful snow."
Shortly after Mrs. Bragg's harangue, Lieutenant Phillips de- manded that Sergeant Sheffler give up all he had that belonged to
568
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
the General-the sash, field glasses and spurs-which Bragg's colored servant saw Sergeant Sheffler take, as he had been watch- ing us while we were searching, and had reported it to Lieutenant Phillips or to Bragg.
In a short while after Lieutenant Phillips made a detail of about eight men, including myself, which was to escort the General and Mrs. Bragg on the road. We mounted our horses, and Mrs. Bragg, the General and myself rode together. I found him pleasant company, but reserved and very much of a gentleman. Mrs. Bragg had nothing to say except to engage in an occasional conversation with the General. She had expressed her opinion to the Yanks an hour before. And now, while I think of her, she was good looking, had black hair and eyes; in fact, a perfect type of a Southern brunette.
I think we must have traveled several miles and then halted, and the General, finding no one to disturb him, must have written a dispatch which he handed to me to give to Lieutenant Phillips. I do not remember handing the dispatch to Lieutenant Phillips, but the circumstance and the date agree. It must have been the very last dispatch ever written by Braxton Bragg as a prisoner of war. It ran :
"INDIAN SPRINGS, May 11, 1865. "LIEUTENANT PHILLIPS :
"Finding no one to disturb or molest my quiet progress, your escort is discharged.
"The Sergeant and his men have been considerate and attentive and deserve my thanks. Accept the same for your consideration. "BRAXTON BRAGG."
I tipped him the usual salute, lifted my hat and facing about we left the General to join his friends.
Several hours after we reached the main column and continued our search for Jefferson Davis, but were unusually delayed in our progress, otherwise Jefferson Davis would have fallen into the hands of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, but we had driven him into General Wilson's lines, and Colonel Pritch- ard's command, Fourth Michigan Cavalry, captured him on May 15, 1865.
AN ATTEMPT TO CAPTURE JEFF DAVIS.
FIRST LIEUT. JOHN F. CONAWAY, A.A.D.C., PHILADELPHIA.
T HE headquarters of the First Cavalry Division, Department of East Tennessee, reached Athens, Ga., May 4, 1865. Gen. Wm. J. Palmer with his staff occupied the house of Howell Cobb.
Shortly after our arrival I was sent for by General Palmer, and informed that Davis, in the disguise of a miller, would be at Madi- son, Ga., about thirty-five miles distant, on a train of cars which would arrive there at daylight the next morning.
A battalion of the Tenth Michigan Cavalry, numbering about 200 men, was ordered under my direction to make this hurried night march, with orders to be at Madison before daylight.
We moved out about dusk, and I remember as I took my place at the head of the column there rode alongside of me our telegraph operator, John J. Wickham, a young man who had been on duty at our headquarters and proved himself to be not only an expert telegraph operator, but a brave and dashing fighter. After the war he became a distinguished lawyer, and before his death, a few years ago, one of the Judges of the Superior Court of Pennsyl- vania.
The first and only obstacle we encountered on the expedition was the Oconee River. We reached its banks in the night and in the woods. A flatboat took twenty horses over at a time, and when forty were across we moved forward, leaving the balance of the command to follow. It was a strange country to us, and there were many forks and crossroads, but by hastily awakening the people in their houses we were able to keep on the right road.
We arrived at Madison in ample time. Wickham tapped the wires, and reading by sound ascertained that the train was on its way west from Augusta. A detail was immediately ordered to tear up a portion of the tracks, and with pickets posted we waited.
The train soon arrived, composed of six cars, loaded down with unarmed rebels, on their way to their homes from Lee's surrender.
569
570
History of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
As is well known, Jefferson Davis was not among them. This was ascertained, to our satisfaction at least, by a close inspection by Wickham and myself of every man on the train. We were filled with great anxiety at the time, lest he might escape us, and which he very likely could have done had he been disguised in the garb of a private soldier, as neither of us had ever seen him, and our only knowledge of his appearance was what we remem- bered from the pictures of him which had been published at differ- ent times in the newspapers.
The inspection being over, there appeared on the scene a small party of elderly gentlemen, in citizen's clothes, with a large wagon drawn by a good team of mules. They stated to us that they were the officers of the State Bank of Alabama, at Montgomery ; that the Confederate Government at Richmond had passed a law con- fiscating all the specie of the Southern banks, and ordered it turned into the Confederate treasury ; and that to evade the execution of this law they had loaded all the books and specie of the bank in the wagon and taken to the woods, and, learning of the occupation of Madison by Northern troops, had come in to surrender them to the care of Union forces. My recollection is that the president of the bank had a written permit or order, signed by General Wilson, or one of his officers, directing him to report to General Upton at Augusta. There were books and papers and fifteen boxes of silver, and a keg of gold said to contain $80,000. These were loaded on the train, and with the officers of the bank were started on their way to Augusta. All of this valuable property might have been taken and divided among us, but not a dollar of it was disturbed. Such an idea never entered my mind, and I am sure it never did Wickham's. ยท We were after Jeff Davis and notin- ing else.
The battalion of the Tenth Michigan behaved splendidly, and the strictest discipline was maintained. We encamped near the town until the next day, when we were joined by the balance of the Regiment under Colonel Trowbridge. The, entire command then moved westward, and joined the main force south of Hunts- ville. Wickham and myself, bidding Colonel Trowbridge and the officers of the battalion good-bye, made our way to General Pal- mer's headquarters, then just established at the elegant home of Mrs. Patton, at that place.
571
An Attempt to Capture Jeff Davis.
There is no doubt Davis intended originally to make his way to the "trans-Mississippi Department" by some of the roads between Athens and Madison. Had he done so, his capture, very likely by the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, would have been certain. I recall that the night we spent at Madison, Wickham and myself put up our dog tent opposite the house of a lawyer by the name of Billips-then a member of the Confederate Congress. We slept very little, and after an inspection of the outposts I had just laid down when a "contraband" crawled under the tent and informed me that Jeff Davis and his party were then encamped in the woods, about three miles off, in a direction which he pointed out. He told me that he got this information at his master's house, that a man from Davis had been there for milk, and that if a company of our men were sent they could capture him. A scouting party was immediately ordered in the direction named, but nothing came of it. Several other scouts were made in different directions, but without result, either in capturing Davis or obtaining any informa- tion of special importance. I never doubted the truthfulness of what the "contraband" said, for he undoubtedly told me just what he had seen and heard, but there can be little question that this was part of an arranged plan to mislead and deceive us in our efforts to effect the capture of the chief of the Southern Confederacy.
CAPTURE AND RELEASE OF MAJOR GARNER AT JACKSONVILLE, ALA.
CORP. WM. ANDERSON, COMPANY F, WILKINSBURG, PA.
W HEN the Regiment started from Jacksonville, Ala., on the morning of May 16, 1865, Major Garner was left there to parole Confederate soldiers and to receive a dis- patch which was expected. I was ordered to stay with him. I had three of my company with me, and we made ourselves pretty comfortable in an old drug store.
The Major went to the house of one of the most influential citizens, and was courteously received, and took the parlor for his office. He was busy filling out paroles, and the parlor was crowded with ex-Confederates. Suddenly he heard a woman call out, in a frightened voice, "Oh, they are going to kill him!" and turning, saw two belligerent looking fellows, dressed in Confederate uni- form, with pistols in their hands. They came at the Major in a threatening manner, but just then the owner of the house spoke up, "For God's sake, gentlemen ! don't kill him here, because you will spoil my carpet." At that his assailants grabbed the Major by the coat collar, pulled him out of the house and into the street.
Quite a crowd of citizens had gathered by this time, and among them the Mayor of the town, whose son was one of the Major's assailants. He told his son that "it was an outrage to attack him in that manner; that if they injured him it would certainly result in harm to the town; that the war was over, and that the Major had a right to be there," and a whole lot of other stuff like that. But the young fellow replied, in a loud and savage voice, that the Con- federacy had not been vanquished-it had been overpowered-and that he proposed to "keep up the fighting by killing every d-d Yankee who came into their country."
But where was the Major's guard all this time? I had not looked for any disturbance here, and my men were in a back room of a drug store, playing cards. I knew nothing of the outrage
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.