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 52
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On Sunday, March 2d, a dozen or so of the troop attended the Episcopal Church. In the service the clergyman omitted the prayer for the President of the United States. Neither did he pray for Jefferson Davis. He gave out a hymn, but no one started the tune, so he proceeded with the sermon. It amused the boys to see how some of the feminine rebels of Nashville put on airs, as they called it. In passing the company quarters ( Planters' Hotel), where the guard was stationed, they would step aside and walk around the place as if they feared contamination from the Yankee soldiers, and so as to avoid passing under the United States flag.
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Some of the troop were obliged to search houses where it was reported there were rebel soldiers concealed. In one house, while they were performing this disagreeable duty, a young lady re- moved a small rebel flag from the wall and placed it in her bosom. Sergeant Ward, of the company, after being out all night in citizen's clothes, trying to get on the track of some Texas Rangers who were concealed in the city, declared that the people were all such rebels that it was hopeless to find out anything, and, as for the negroes, there was no dependence to be placed upon their statements.
General Buell, having received information of the location of the rebel intrenchments, prepared to push ahead as fast as possible.
The troop had done excellent service in carrying dispatches to the different divisions of the army-twenty, thirty, forty and fifty miles away-sometimes being gone two or three days at a time.
On March 25th the troop left their quarters in the Planters' Hotel and started southward, going into camp two miles north of Columbia, on the 26th. Here the army headquarters added to their force two companies of Colonel Oakes' Fourth Regular Cavalry, with a brass band, which gave the camp a more martial air, espe- cially at guard mount and retreat.
General McCook's Division was ahead of General Buell's main army about two miles. The bridge over Duck Creek at Columbia had been destroyed by the rebels, and there was more delay until it could be repaired, although part of the division succeeded in fording the river at this difficult point. From the camp here Captain Wright, of General Buell's staff, with a squad of the reg- ular cavalry, went one morning a few miles into the country and captured a member of the Tennessee Legislature. Osborne was his name, and he was said to be a Major on Governor Harris' staff. He was held prisoner for a while.
On April 2d marching was resumed at a more rapid pace, which left the wagons behind. April 4th we bivouacked about nineteen miles from Savannah, Tenn., and on the next night we came to a stream that could not be crossed with the wagon train, and we were obliged to lie over until morning. Part of this night was spent in unloading and making up light loads of camp equipage for the use of the troop ahead, which had bivouacked several nights in the rain and needed shelter badly. The roads at this
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time were very bad. There was a perfect jam of Government wagons, and many of them stuck fast in the mud.
At daylight, on the morning of April 6th, heavy firing was heard in the direction of Pittsburg Landing, on the Tennessee River, and the order was at once given for the army to push forward with all possible speed. The wagon trains were moved aside and troops, artillery and ammunition were rushed ahead. Our Troop marched sixteen miles to Savannah that day, where it bivouacked in a heavy rain, awaiting transportation across the river. At midnight pri- vates Hummel, Hewitt, Stevenson and Norman M. Smith were ordered to report to General Buell on the battlefield. They reached Pittsburg Landing at daylight the next morning, and were with the General for two days, acting as orderlies. Their conduct during the battle was commended by him in a letter to Captain Palmer.
The balance of the troop, being unable to procure transportation across the river on April 7th, could not take in the battle that day, to the great disappointment of the men, but on the 8th reached Pittsburg Landing and camped on the battlefield, three and a half miles south of Shiloh Church. The dead in hundreds lay all about them. In many places shells had set fire to the underbrush, and many of the bodies appeared to have been burned while yet alive. In the town of Savannah the churches, schools and private dwell- ings were filled with the wounded, and even the steamboats at the landing. In Savannah six of our troop lay sick. One of them, private Caleb Zimmerman, of Westmoreland County, died of fever on Wednesday, April 9th. H. M. Francis, who had been detailed to nurse the sick there, was with him when he died. Ro- land Seeger, of Philadelphia, who had accidentally shot himself in the arm the day before, and Samuel Wigfall, who had accom- panied Seeger, were also in Savannah ; and as there was no oppor- tunity of embalming Zimmerman's body, he was buried there and the grave well marked.
A number of Pittsburgers visited the field of Shiloh soon after the fight; among others were Rev. Wm. D. Howard and Wm. Fuller, M.D. On the IIth a rebel deserter came into camp. He was from Vicksburg, Miss., and said he was tired of soldiering; had been ten months in service and had received neither clothing nor pay and had been obliged to send home for something to wear.
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After the battle of Shiloh, General Buell issued a general order congratulating his army on its success in gaining imperishable honor by rescuing a sister army (Grant's) from a defeat by over- whelming forces.
By the 14th the dead were about all buried, the wounded re- moved to hospitals, and the army was ready for an advance as soon as the roads, almost impassable from continued rains, would per- mit.
It seems well to quote here from a letter of one of General Buell's orderlies. It was written from the field of Shiloh, by Frank Ward, of Pittsburg. To the kindness of his family I owe several items of interest in this sketch. Ward writes: "I wish you could see the way Buell has his pickets posted. A surprise is impossible and the rebels know it. General Buell rides out to the pickets nearly every morning before the sun gets too hot. He rides very fast, and some of the boys get tired of it, but lie cannot ride too fast for me. General Buell shakes his head when talking earnestly, and is the strictest disciplinarian I ever heard of. He has an eagle eye and nothing escapes him. The other day while riding the lines of pickets we came up to a squad of men in charge of a Lieutenant. The officer had taken off his sword and belt and stood them against a tree. He fell in on the left of his squad as the General rode up and gave the command 'Present arms.' The General sized him up sharply for a few minutes, asked him what regiment he belonged to, then inquired: 'Where is your sword and belt?' The officer pointed to it. 'Why have you not got it on?' 'Well, I got tired wearing it,' replied the Lieutenant. The General eyed him for a few seconds, then shak- ing his head once or twice, said angrily: 'Now, sir, put on your belt, and keep it on, and if I ever catch you standing on the left of your guard again you will be sorry for it. Take your post on the right of your guard instantly.' In this manner the General keeps correcting one after another, until the discipline of his army is splendid. Grant's army look on Buell's men as veterans, and well they may, for nothing but their unflinching determination to win, on the 7th inst., saved Grant's whole army from the worst kind of a defeat."
On April 28th the advance movement on Corinth was begun, and the next day we moved with General Buell's headquarters and
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camped at a point about eight miles southeast of Pittsburg Land- ing, and the day after three miles further.
On May 2d we moved to the vicinity of Monterey, Tenn., where the troops were held in readiness for action with four days' rations.
May IIth we advanced two miles to a point about five miles from Corinth.
May 15th General Buell issued a special order directing Cap- tain Palmer to make a requisition upon him for authority to re- cruit the Company to its full quota, there being at this time but seventy-nine in active service in the company.
May 18th the camp was again moved to a point one mile from Farmington, about three miles from Corinth. General Nelson's di- vision was immediately in front, General Crittenden and General Pope on the left and Generals McCook's and Thomas' divisions on the right.
May 19th five of the troop were sent to Louisville, sick with typhoid fever : Christian Musselman, of Lancaster ; A. M. Parker, of Carlisle ; Giles A. Watrous, of Susquehanna County; Chas. S. Derland, of Hollidaysburg, and Geo. W. Wallace, of Chambers- burg.
Henry M. Francis, who had accompanied these sick men from Savannah to Louisville, reported, on his return, that the Louis- ville people had treated the men very kindly, and would not allow any of the Anderson Troop to be taken to the hospitals, but cared for them in their homes. About this time the Troop received for their use and that of headquarters a portable revolving oven on wheels. The bread it turned out was excellent. This oven fol- lowed us all around through the campaign, with its own horse and driver.
While in camp here many deserters came over from the rebel army. One fellow had fifty dollars in Confederate money which he offered to sell for five dollars in United States money. They all had about the same story to tell, of being "pressed" into the rebel service, and that there were many others waiting for a chance to get away.
These deserters from Corinth brought the news that the rebels had made up their minds to fight under the "black flag." but our men had no fears as to the result of the conflict, as the whole army,
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realizing that nothing but the hardest kind of fighting would win, had determined to do or die ; everyone expected a terrible slaughter when the fight came on.
' On May 26th the troop was visited by Senator Irish and Dr. Simpson, of Pittsburg ; also General McCook's father. The latter was mounted on a white horse. He was in citizen's clothes, wore a broad-brimmed hat and carried a fine rifle over his shoulder. The old gentleman looked as if he was on the warpath on his own hook, and intended to have a hand in it when the fight should come off, then hourly expected.
On May 29th our earthworks and rifle pits had been brought very close to the rebel works and a battle seemed imminent, but on the next day, Friday, May 29, 1862, the rebels, under General Beauregard, evacuated Corinth, blowing up and burning some of the buildings, and leaving some of their ammunition and camp equipage behind. In one lot were 139 spherical case shells of large size, a great number of solid shot, tents, camp equipage and bowie . knives-evidences of a hasty departure. A small force of our cavalry under Colonel McCook pursued them through the dense forest, came up with their rear guard five miles south of Corinth, had a sharp skirmish and retired with an insignificant loss. Dur- ing the siege of Corinth about 2000 prisoners and deserters had been sent North.
Captain Palmer, with a detachment of thirty men, went on a reconnoitering expedition. They rode as far as Iuka, Miss., and returned June 9th.
General Pope's division having met with serious opposition in the pursuit of the retreating enemy, the Army of the Ohio was ordered forward to his support. They marched south as far as Booneville, but the enemy had made good his escape, and Buell's army then marched eastward.
On Friday morning, June 13th, the troop broke camp near Corinth and moved eastward. At Iuka Mineral Springs we halted, at Bear Creek camped for the night, and the next morning started on, following the line of the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. On Sunday we passed through Tuscumbia, Ala., encamping in the evening near Florence, fifty-two miles east of Corinth, Miss. On arriving here General Buell sent us over some ice, which was gratefully received, as the weather was hot and it had long been an unknown luxury.
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June 19th, while carrying headquarters' mail to Eastport, Tenn., private Israel V. Hoag was captured by the enemy near Chicka- saw, Miss., sent south and held prisoner until September 25th, when he was exchanged. As soon as the news of the capture reached him, Captain Palmer took a detachment of the company and started in pursuit. Two days passed before they struck the trail, but they followed on as far as Pikeville before giving up the chase, after learning from citizens the particulars of Hoag's cap- ture.
On the 23d eleven new recruits for the Anderson Troop arrived from Pennsylvania. They had been mustered in at Philadelphia on the 12th inst., and were forwarded in charge of Lance Sergeant Samuel Comfort, Jr. Their names were: Norman C. Broadway, Anthony Campbell, Jr., Benj. E. Davis, Geo. L. Garrett, Geo. W. Henderson, Robert Kelly, Wm. Pettit, Jno. C. Scott, Geo. H. Troutman, Alanson P. Tyler, all of Philadelphia, and John W. Kent, of Montgomery County.
On the 26th the troop crossed the Tennessee River, and reach- ing Huntsville, Ala., on the 29th, pitched their tents in the suburbs on the banks of a fine stream of crystal water, emerging as a spring from under the hill on which a part of the town was situated. On Sunday morning, at church service, one of the local ministers prayed for "our enemies among us."
Corporal Alex. J. Blackstone, of Fayette County, was acci- dentally shot on July 25th while in camp here, and died on July 26, 1862.
In furtherance of the desire of General Buell that the troop should be enlarged to a battalion to serve at the headquarters of the Army of the Ohio, he issued a special order on July 15, 1862, de- tailing First Lieutenant Wm. Spencer for the recruiting service, and directed him to report to the Superintendent of Recruiting in Pennsylvania. On the 24th the following were also ordered to Pennsylvania on the same errand, viz : Captain Palmer, Sergeants Frank Ward, Jas. B. Lashell, Alfred Vezin ; Corporals Wm. T. Nicolls, Allison McDowell ; and privates Jas. Blackstone, Wm. W. DeWitt, J. R. Hewitt, Braden Hurst, Jas. B. Curtin, A. J. Long- necker and Norman M. Smith.
Upon the arrival of Captain Palmer and his recruiting party in Pennsylvania, the applications for enlistment from the proper sort
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of young men were so numerous that it was decided to recruit a regiment instead of a battalion, the original company of the Anderson Troop to remain with General Buell, under command of Lieut. Thos. S. Maple, until the regiment should be recruited and then become Company A of the new Regiment. This plan of having the Independent Company of the Anderson Troop become Company A of the new Regiment was never carried out, but it remained at headquarters of the army, serving, first, Major- General Buell, then Major-General Rosecrans, until finally mus- tered out.
The enemy, under General Bragg, having made a demonstration in our rear, in the direction of Louisville, Ky., and destroyed our railroad communications, General Buell advanced northward to intercept them. General Buell and a part of the troop went by rail to Decherd, Tenn., the remainder marching by road. August 31st we went to Hillsboro, then to Manchester and Murfreesboro, and on September 7th encamped in the suburbs of Nashville. We started again on the IIth, and in the next fourteen days had gone through Tyree Springs, Mitchellville, Bowling Green, Dripping Springs, Pruit's Knob, Munfordsville (were on scouting duty east of this town), Elizabethtown, West Point, and on September 25th encamped in Louisville, on the corner of Eighteenth Street and Broadway.
The object of the army (that of reaching Louisville before the rebel General Bragg) having been accomplished, General Buell added to his command the troops under General Nelson, and ad- vanced his entire army against the position held by General Bragg at Perryville, Ky.
At this time news was received from the recruiting party, in the form of a letter from Frank Ward to Lieutenant Maple. It was written at Carlisle, Pa., where the Regiment was recruited, and shortly after the rebel raid into Pennsylvania and the battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862:
"CAMP ALABAMA, CARLISLE, September 28, 1862.
"Dear Maple,-I embrace the present opportunity to drop you a few lines. I find myself occupying a very responsible position at present, viz, commanding officer of a Regiment. Palmer (the Colonel) has been captured, and Spencer (Lieutenant-Colonel) is sick. I have been commissioned Captain by the Governor.
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and have been requested to send in ten names for commissions. which I did.
"Hurst, Blackstone, Tintsman, Derland and Smith acted most nobly while under fire. I was ordered by General Reynolds to drive in the rebel pickets at Williamsport, Md. I had 300 men, while the rebels had two battalions of Stewart's famous cavalry. I started Hurst and Smith ahead with one company as skirmishers and followed on with a reserve of 200.
"Hurst and Smith went at the rebs in such a business-like man- ner that they skedaddled back and took shelter behind a battery, which opened on us with shell. I asked General Reynolds to support us with infantry, but he said he had nothing but the 'd-d milish,' and he could not rely on them, so we retired. 1 wish either you or Rosengarten could come on and assist me. 1 am afraid Palmer is gone up, although I hope not, as he had made a good many arrangements that no one knew anything about. "Yours, etc.,
"FRANK."
Norman M. Smith also wrote, from Carlisle, that Serg. W. F. Prosser, of the troop, who had been captured by the rebels in Tennessee, was there in camp, having been exchanged.
October 6th the army left Louisville, Ky., and marched to Bardstown, then to Springfield, where the enemy was met and driven from the town, and on October 7th to Perryville, where a general engagement took place the next day between the right wing of our army and the enemy. The troop lost privates Allen. Wills and Oakford, who were captured while carrying messages between Generals Buell and McCook. They were taken to Har- rodsburg and Danville, and in three days paroled and sent back to camp. General Buell sent them to Louisville, to report to General Boyle, to be forwarded to Camp Chase. These men were very favorably mentioned in General Buell's report of the battle.
At the time of the battle of Perryville, the weather was so exceedingly dry that water was very scarce and stagnant pools had to be resorted to, and even these were soon drained, but the day after the battle the rebels retreated, leaving the Union boys in full possession of a fine spring and a stream. Following the re- treat a dash was made into Perryville, and a train of ammunition captured, with about 150 rebels. In this battle the Union army lost 3200, killed, wounded and missing; the Confederates 1300 killed, 3000 wounded and 200 prisoners.
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In pursuit of the enemy, the army passed through Harrodsburg and Stanford, going as far as Crab Orchard, where it encamped. At this time its only communication with Louisville, seventy-five miles distant, was by wagon road, the railroad having been cut off by the rebels. By October 16th Bragg's army had been driven into the mountains of southeastern Kentucky, having evaded the efforts of our army to draw them into battle. There were several skirmishes and some prisoners were taken.
The Union army having chased Bragg's army through Cum- berland Gap into Tennessee, broke camp at Crab Orchard on the 22d of October and returned through Danville to Lebanon, Ky., where headquarters were established. The 30th of the same month found us in Louisville, where General Buell, in obedience to orders from the headquarters of the army, turned over his command to General Rosecrans.
The army, under Major-General Rosecrans, left Louisville and moved on, passing through Bowling Green and Mitchellville, and reached Nashville, November IIth. Here the troop was com- fortably quartered in barracks within the city. On December 24th Lieutenant Maple received notice of the forward march for the winter campaign, under our new Commander, General Rosecrans. In compliance with orders, the company was ready to start at the appointed time, but the order was countermanded, and the men turned in for a jollification meeting with the former members, who were serving as officers in the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, which had just arrived from Nashville. It was not yet fully organized.
December 26th marching orders were received again, and at II o'clock A.M., General Rosecrans and staff, escorted by the Anderson Troop and some of the Fourth U. S. Cavalry, started off through the mud at a rapid pace. The whole army was now in motion, principally on the three roads-the Murfreesboro, Nolans- ville and Franklin turnpikes. After advancing about twelve miles heavy cannonading was heard on the right, on the Nolansville turn- pike, about eight or ten miles away. The General and escort started over in the direction of the firing ; through fields and woods, over hilltops, on down through the valleys, they dashed; night coming on before they reached the place, and found that the Union men had captured one cannon and driven the enemy out of Nolans-
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ville, southward. They started back and, after a rough ride, reached camp at 2 o'clock in the morning. General Rosecrans, learning that a part of the Fifteenth Regiment had remained be- hind, from lack of officers, directed Lieutenant Maple to send back those of his company who had been recommended for commission as officers in the Regiment. This was done.
On December 27th heavy rains impeded somewhat the advance of the army. Severe skirmishing was kept up on the front, con- tinuing until the morning of the 31st, when the engagement be- came general, at Stone River.
In this battle the troop was actively engaged in orderly, escort and courier duty, and received a flattering commendation from General Rosecrans. We lost one man, private Evan W. Grubb, of Philadelphia, who was struck by a cannon ball. Two of our former members were also killed, namely, Majors Ward and Rosengarten, of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry; and General Rosecrans lost his Chief of Staff, Colonel Garesche.
Before the battle the wagons were sent back to Nashville and had not returned with tents and camp equipage, but there were many vacant houses in Murfreesboro, and General Rosecrans took possession of one, and the troop, following his example, occupied a cottage with five rooms.
Lieutenant Maple rode over the Stone River battlefield to the house where Major Ward was taken after he was wounded, and found that he had died that morning.
On January 31, 1863, the troop learned that their former Cap- tain, Colonel Palmer, of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, had escaped from Castle Thunder, Richmond, and was expected in a short time to take command of his Regiment.
At this time there were altogether fifty-three left of the original number, forty-four on duty here at Murfreesboro, seven absent on account of sickness, one serving as Hospital Steward at Louisville and Lieutenant Maple commanding.
On February 17th, after consultation with Lieutenant Maple, Colonel Palmer wrote a letter to General Rosecrans, setting forth that in view of the objection of the old Anderson Troop to uniting with the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, he wished now to begin the organization of the Regiment without them and not to delay longer. The General and Colonel had both felt that it would be
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impracticable for both commands to remain at the headquarters of the army. As the Regiment was raised with the understanding that it was to become so attached, it was felt that in order to pre- serve its organization it might be necessary for the independent company of the Anderson Troop to withdraw and be mustered out of service. In pursuance of this plan General Rosecrans had a consultation with Lieutenant Maple. These officers agreed that as the original company had become so reduced in numbers, by the usual casualties incident to army life and by numerous promotions, it would be better, in order to save the Regiment, for the company to withdraw. The General, therefore, pro- posed that those of the old troop who did not desire to join the Regiment apply in writing for an honorable muster out of service, and in view of the circumstances of the case, he would forward it on to the Secretary of War, recommending the measure.
On March 12th, for the first time since the battle of Stone River, the company was out as escort with the General. It was a beau- tiful day. First rode General Rosecrans, with his staff, next Major-General Thomas and Brigadier-General Spear, then one of our boys carrying a large silk flag-the Stars and Stripes-followed by the Anderson Troop, the Fourth Regular Cavalry bringing up the rear. They visited the fortifications in the vicinity of Mur- freesboro, which were very extensive, formidable and strong enough to resist any attack.
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