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 60
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Early the next morning (29th) I sent Lieutenant-Colonel Prosser with his command on the main Courtland road, while I advanced with the Fifteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry by the Brown's Ferry and Courtland road, both for the purpose of meeting the flank movement of any force that might come up from Bainbridge, where Hood's army had just crossed the Tennessee River, and also to enable me to get in the rear of Roddy's force, if practicable, while he was being attacked by Colonel Prosser in front. Colonel Prosser first encountered the enemy at Hills- boro, five miles from our camp, and after a running skirmish of five miles more, met General Roddy's main force, drawn up in two lines at Pond Spring; without hesitation he charged it in the most gallant manner and broke both lines of the enemy, routing him so completely that he hardly attempted to make another stand, but fled ingloriously through Court- land and for eight miles beyond to Town Creek, on the banks of which General Roddy succeeded in re-forming such portion of his command as had not taken advantage of their two successive defeats to go home and spend Christmas with their families. Colonel Prosser's attack was so vigorous that my force on the Brown's Ferry road, having several miles the longer distance to march, and in an unknown country, did not have time to reach the flank of rear of the enemy. Forty-five prisoners were captured in this affair, including three commissioned officers; the enemy also lost one man killed and two wounded. Colonel Prosser's loss
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. was one man wounded. It appeared that Patterson's (so-called) brigade of Roddy's command having crossed at Bainbridge, had come up the preceding evening to Pond Spring to reinforce Roddy and constituted, with the balance of Winde's regiment, the force in our front on this day.
Being now within half a day's march of Bainbridge, where I knew the whole of Forrest's cavalry had just crossed the river, it was necessary to advance with more caution. We reached Leighton, however, thirteen miles west of Courtland, by I P.M. of the next day, Friday, December 30th, having skirmished nearly all the way with flying parties of Roddy's cavalry, who attempted to delay us by burning a bridge over Town Creek, on the Bainbridge road, and by some show of holding the ford of the same stream on the main Tuscumbia road. Most of the latter force drifted in squads southward toward the mountains, the remainder, with General Roddy, taking the roads to Tuscumbia and Florence. Toward dark a new force appeared in our front on the Tuscumbia road, believed to be Armstrong's brigade, which I afterward learned definitely had been sent back by Forrest from Barton Station to reinforce Roddy and protect General Hood's trains. At Leighton I learned that Hood had commenced crossing the river at Bainbridge on Sunday morning and finished on Tuesday evening, marching at once toward Corinth; his railroad had never been in operation east of Cane Creek, three miles west of Tuscumbia. I also learned that the pontoon bridge had been taken up on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and that the entire pontoon train of 200 wagons had passed through Leighton on Thursday and camped at La Grange the same night, and that it was bound for Columbus, Miss., with a comparatively small guard. Roddy's so-called division of cavalry had apparently been relied upon to prevent any advance of our forces until the train could get to a safe distance, but his men had become so demoralized by their successive defeats that we could afford to disregard him.
Having communicated with Major-General Steadman, who left' me free to make the expedition or not, as I might deem best, I started from Leighton before daylight on Saturday morning, December 31st, taking a trail which enabled us to avoid Armstrong's force and to get in the rear of a portion of Roddy's command at La Grange, where we captured Col. Jim Warren, of the Tenth (Fifth) Alabama Cavalry, and some other prisoners. About I P.M. we passed through Russellville, where we en- countered another portion of Roddy's force, which had just arrived from Tuscumbia, and drove it out on the Tuscaloosa road, while we kept on the Cotton Gin or Bull Mountain road, after the train. Some attempt was made to delay us by burning a bridge over Cedar Creek, but we found a ford and caught up with the rear of the pontoon train at dark, ten miles beyond Russellville. We met no resistance, and our advance guard rode through to the front of the train, which extended for five miles, and consisted of seventy-eight pontoon boats and about 200 wagons, with all the necessary accouter- ments and material, engineering instruments, etc., and all the mules and
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oxen, except what the pontooniers and teamsters were able to cut loose and ride off, were standing hitched to the wagons. Three boats had been set afire, but so carelessly that no damage had been done. We captured a few prisoners, and went into camp at about the center of the train, fed our horses, and I then started the entire command out in either direction to burn the train, which was done in the most thorough manner, and occupied till 3 A.M. I should have been glad to bring the pontoon train-which was built at Atlanta last winter, and was an ex- ceedingly well-appointed one-back to our lines, but the condition of the mules, the mountainous character of the country, and the presence in our rear of a force of the enemy's cavalry estimated at three times our own strength, prevented. I had also learned from a negro servant of Cap- tain Cobb, of the engineers, who commanded the train, that a large supply train of General Hood, bound from Barton Station to Tuscaloosa, was ahead.
Early next morning (Sunday) I pushed on through Nauvoo, taking the Aberdeen road, which I knew would flank the train. I led a detach- ment from near Bexar across by a trail to head the train on the Cotton Gin road, and sent another, under Lieutenant-Colonel Lamborn, to follow it, and by 10 P.M. had surprised it in a camp a few miles over the State line in Itawamba County, Miss. It consisted of 110 wagons and over 500 mules. We burned the wagons, shot or sabered all the mules we could not lead off or use to mount prisoners, and started back. In one of the wagons was Colonel McCrosky, of Hood's in- fantry, who had been badly wounded at Franklin. I left a tent witlı him, some stores, and one of the prisoners to take care of him. About twenty of the teamsters were colored United States soldiers of the garrison captured by Hood at Dalton; these came back with us. We re- turned via the Tollgate and the old military and Hackleburg roads, captur- ing an ambulance with its guard on the way, to within twenty-five miles south of Russellville, when I found that Roddey's force, and the so-called brigades of Biffle and Russell were already stationed in our front at Bear Creek, and on the Biler road, toward Moulton, to retard us, while Armstrong was reported as being in pursuit. The country was very difficult and rugged, with few roads or trails and scarcely any forage, but we evaded, by a night march of twenty-three miles, all the forces of the enemy except Colonel Russell, whom we attacked unexpectedly on the Moulton and Tuscaloosa road, twelve miles east of Thorn Hill, on Wednesday noon (Lieutenant-Colonel Prosser having the advance), routing him so speedily and completely that he did not delay our march twenty minutes, and this only to pick up prisoners and burn his five wagons, including his headquarters' wagons, out of which we got all the brigade and other official papers. We had but a few hours pre- viously captured, with its guard of three men, a small mail bound for Tuscaloosa. About fifty or seventy-five conscripts from both sides of the Tennessee River, that Russell was hustling off to Tuscaloosa, were re- leased by our attack; also eight Indian soldiers captured by Russell, near
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Decatur. We then continued our march unmolested by way of Mount Hope toward Leighton, but learning, when within ten miles of that place, that all our troops had returned to Decatur, we came on by easy marches to the same post, reaching it on Friday evening, 6th instant.
The whole distance marched from the time of leaving Decatur, nine days previously, was 265 miles, and about 400 miles from the time of leaving Chattanooga, two weeks and three days previous.
My entire command numbered less than 600 men, consisting of the Fifteenth Pennsylvania (Anderson) Cavalry, commanded by Lieut .- Col. Charles B. Lamborn, and detachments of the Second Tennessee and Tenth, Twelfth and Thirteenth Indiana Cavalry, commanded by Lieut- Col. William F. Prosser. To these officers and all those under them much credit is due for their gallantry and energy, as well as to all their men, for the dash and courage with which they attacked any enemy that appeared, and for the patient manner with which they bore, on the most scanty rations, the severe fatigue of this expedition. I desire particularly to recommend for honorable mention in general orders Serg. Arthur P. Lyon, of Company A, of the Anderson Cavalry, for repeated acts of marked bravery during this short campaign, including the capture of two pieces of artillery, which fell into his hands on the night of December 28th, six miles from Decatur, on the Courtland road, by a daring charge of our advance guard of fifteen men, which he led on this occasion.
We took about 150 prisoners after leaving Leighton, including two Colonels (one of whom was left in consequence of his wounds), two Captains and six Lieutenants, and destroyed in all between 750 and 1000 stand of arms, and captured a considerable number of pistols.
Our entire loss was one man killed and two wounded, all of Lieuten- ant-Colonel Prosser's command, in charge on Russell's force.
The whole of Forrest's cavalry, except Armstrong's brigade, was at Okolona, Miss., within one day's march of us, when the supply train was captured. He had been sent there as soon as he crossed at Bainbridge. on Tuesday evening, to repel our cavalry from Memphis, who had destroyed the railroad for twenty miles near and above Okolona. I do not think General Hood. brought across the Tennessee River at Bainbridge more than 12,000 infantry and thirty-five pieces of artillery.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
WM. J. PALMER, Colonel Commanding
HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH PENNA. (ANDERSON) CAVALRY, HUNTSVILLE, January 17, 1865.
MAJOR SINCLAIR,
Assistant Adjutant General Fourth Army Corps.
Major,-I have the honor to report that while resting the horses of my Regiment in camp near Huntsville, under orders from Major-General Thomas, I was directed, on the evening of January 13th, by General Wood, commanding Fourth Army Corps, to march immediately in
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pursuit of the rebel General Lyon, who was thought to have crossed the Paint Rock River when pressed by our infantry, under General Cruft, and to be endeavoring to cross to the south side of the Tennessee River, between the mouth of Paint Rock and the mouth of Flint River. On reaching the mouth of Paint Rock River, I ascertained that but eighty rebels had crossed to the west side of that stream, and that all of this party had already succeeded in getting across the Tennes- see at Clarksville. I also learned from the gunboats, that the enemy had crossed his artillery and planted it at Beard's Bluff, between Guntersville and Fort Deposit, to protect the crossing of those of his men still remaining on the north bank. They had put one shell through the gunboat "General Grant." I also learned that our infantry, under General Cruft, had returned to the railroad, giving up the pursuit. I then concluded to cross the Tennessee River with my command, which I did at Clarksville, near the mouth of Flint River, Captain Morton, of the gunboat "General Thomas," and Captain Watson, of the "General Grant," setting the Regiment across in two hours. From Clarksville I marched across Sand Mountain on the Warrenton road, as far as Shoal Creek, within five miles of Warrenton, when, learning from a reliable source that General Lyon had passed through Warrington at II o'clock that morning with between 200 and 300 men and one piece of artillery, taking the road to Tuscaloosa, and that it was probable he would camp the same night at Red Hill, I turned to the right and marched toward Summit, for the purpose of getting in his rear and surprising him, if possible, by daylight. At 4 A.M. I descended Sand Mountain at Cold Spring Gap, three miles from Summit, and struck the Warrington and Tuscaloosa road, two miles in the rear of Red Hill, having first detached Lieutenant-Colonel Lamborn with one battalion of fifty men to take the back valley road leading from Cold Spring to Feenister's Mill, where I knew one of Lyon's regiments was encamped with the artillery. With the other two battalions I moved along the main road toward War- renton, passing, when within one mile of Red Hill, a camp of about 150 of the enemy, who did not discover our presence until I had passed by them with one battalion. With this I pushed on to capture General Lyon, who was quartered with his staff and escort at the house of Tom Noble, half a mile beyond, leaving an orderly to direct the rear battalion, under Captain Colton, to capture the enemy's camp. This was done, nearly all the horses and arms and most of the men being captured, the remainder of the men making their escape on foot in the dark. In the meantime my advance guard had reached General Lyon's headquarters and cap- tured him at the door of Noble's house, in his night clothes. The gen- eral surrendered to Serg. Arthur P. Lyon, while the advance guard was charging the escort, who were camped in a barn lot 100 yards back of the house, and protected by fences and outbuildings. The General begged permission to put on his pantaloons, coat and boots, which Sergeant Lyon unfortunately granted, and went into the bedroom with him for that purpose. At that moment the escort fired a volley at the advance
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guard. One of our non-commissioned officers opened the room door and called to Sergeant Lyon, "Hurry up, Sergeant, the escort is rallying !" The Sergeant then said, "Come, General! I can't allow you much more time." The General then suddenly seized a pistol from his bed and shot the Sergeant, killing him instantly, and made his escape through the back door in the dark, it being a half hour before daybreak. The escort fled at the same time through the woods, leaving all the headquarters' horses, saddles, valises, etc. I left a detachment to gather these up, and pushed on toward Warrenton, in the direction of other camp fires which could be seen ahead on our left. These proved to be at the artillery camp, where one regiment of the en- emy had already become alarmed by the firing on the main road, and had saddled up and moved out, taking the back valley road on which Lieuten- ant-Colonel Lamborn was marching in the opposite direction. Colonel Lamborn's advance had got astray in the dark, and he soon found his main column mixed up along the narrow road with the column of the ad- vancing rebels, who anxiously inquired what that firing meant? The Col- onel then attacked them, taking a few prisoners, but the greater portion got off through the woods. He then proceeded to their camp and took possession of the piece of artillery, which proved to be a twelve-pounder howitzer drawn by a yoke of oxen. Our detachments all concentrated at the Widow Noble's, seven miles south of Warrenton, where we stopped to rest and feed our horses, with the exception of thirty men whom I sent ahead, under Captain Wagner, to Warrenton, on the road to which they captured a few more prisoners.
I learned from the prisoners that General Lyon's force from the start had been exaggerated; that he entered Kentucky with between 800 and 1000 men and two pieces of artillery, and that on crossing the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, Scottsboro, in his retreat, he had but 350 men and the howitzer; that 250 succeeded in getting across the Tennessee River, leaving 100 on the other side. The prisoners were loaded with the plunder of Kentucky stores. We took ninety-five pris- oners and about 120 horses; the latter were good, but much jaded.
I then returned to the river at Beard's Bluff in the hope of capturing a small detail of rebels that General Lyon had left to aid the crossing of his remaining force, but they had already learned of our proximity and fled. At Fort Deposit I met Captain Forrest with all of the gunboat fleet, except the "General Burnside." The Captain, with Captain Naylor, of the "Stone River," at once crossed us to Fearn's Ferry, which we reached at 9 P.M. on Monday, January 16th. From this place I marched early the next morning to surrround the remainder of the rebels, whom I expected, from the statements of prisoners, to find at the mouth of Honey Comb Creek; but on reaching this point I ascertained that they had left at 10 P. M. the previous night-some sixty in all-taking the road to Woodville. I presume they will endeavor to make their way to east Tennessee. In this party were several of Lyon's staff officers. Most of the crossing had been done at Honey Comb Creek, although Lyon him-
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self, with the artillery and a considerable number of the men, crossed at Guntersville; eighty crossed at Clarksville, and the remainder at the mouth of Paint Rock, on the east side of that stream, and at Fearn's Ferry. The crossing was done on rafts and small canoes, swimming the horses; a considerable number were drowned in the passage.
I do not think Lyon's command will give much more trouble as an organization.
My force on this expedition consisted of 180 men, the remainder of my horses being too much fagged by our recent expedition, after the enemy's pontoon and supply trains, to be taken along. I lost one man, Serg. Arthur P. Lyon, as brave and excellent a soldier as the army con- tains.
Captain Forrest, with Captain Naylor, of the gunboat "Stone River," very obligingly brought my command down the river to Whitesburg, from there it marched to Huntsville, reaching here to-day, and turning over the prisoners and howitzer to the post commander.
I am, Major, yours respectfully,
WM. J. PALMER, Colonel Fifteenth Pennsylvania (Anderson) Cavalry.
HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH PENNA. CAVALRY, March 15th, 1865.
CIRCULAR ORDER.
Two pack mules for each company will be the only transportation allowed for the coming campaign. One of these will be used for carry- ing ammunition, the other for use of officers' mess and carrying such cooking utensils as are absolutely required for the company. Officers will only take such baggage as they can carry on their horses. The men will be required to carry sixty-three rounds of ammunition in all, two horseshoes and the necessary nails. No baggage will be carried by the men other than that allowed on a summer campaign, except overcoats, which may be taken if desired. Every man must be taken along, fully armed and equipped. Where companies are short of horses, they must get from companies having a surplus. Arms and equipments for men ab- sent on furlough will be left by company commanders with Corporal Isaac C. Davis, at regimental storehouse, who will issue to them as they return.
First Lieut. Chas. E. Beck will be left at Chattanooga to superintend the proper storing of regimental property and to bring on to the regi- ment such men as may return from furlough within a period designated by the Colonel commanding.
CHAS. M. BETTS, Major Fifteenth Penna. Cavalry.
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HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH PENNA. CAVALRY, ATHENS, GA., May 6th, 1865.
LIEUT .- COL. CHAS. M. BETTS,
Commanding Fifteenth Penna. Cavalry.
Colonel,-I have the honor to report the operations of the detachment under my command, consisting of companies A, B, C, D, E and M, num- bering in all 230 officers and men, from the time of leaving your command, the evening of April 4th, until rejoining you, on the morning of the 13th.
I moved with my command from your camp near Jacksonville, Va., at 6 o'clock P.M., to operate on the Virginia & East Tennessee Railroad. east of Salem; marched across Bent Mountain over a most wretched road and reached Salem at 2 o'clock P.M., of the 5th. The place had been evacuated by the enemy six hours and all public stores removed ; moving on toward Big Lick, I found and destroyed six of the enemy's wagons, loaded with forage, which they had abandoned on the road; passed Big Lick Station, from which a train hurriedly took its departure but five minutes previous, carrying away all the public stores; reached the railroad bridge across Tinkers Creek at 7 o'clock P.M., fired the structure and immediately moved on down the road to Buford's Station, at which place I went into camp at 3 o'clock A.M. of the 6th. All the government stores at Bonsack's Station, which I passed, had been moved the previous evening. After a rest of six hours moved from Buford's and reached Liberty at 2 o'clock, P.M., found the place evacuated and all public stores removed; about 150 patients were in the hospitals and were paroled by Captain Colton. Moved on with the command to the Big Otter and Little Otter Rivers and made preparations for destroying the railroad bridges over those streams, which work occupied until 10 o'clock P.M. They were trestlework structures of splended construction, the former about 600 feet long and 100 feet high, the latter coo feet long and 150 feet high. I went into camp on Big Otter and awaited further orders, being under the impression that orders were on the way for me to desist from the destruction of the Otter Bridges or doing further damage to the railroad, by reason of the change in the status of affairs at Richmond, intelligence of which I had learned on the day previous. Remained in camp the next day, 7th, and no orders being received up to a late hour, I sent out companies B and C to fire the bridges, which task was ac- complished between the hours of 8 and II o'clock P.M. At the latter hour I moved with my command toward Lynchburg, coming in contact with the enemy's pickets at a point ten miles from that place before day- light of the 8th. They were quickly dispersed by my advance guard with a loss of two prisoners, and a loss of one man of my command killed, he being mistaken for one of the enemy and shot by a man of the same company. Halted and fed after daylight at a point six miles west from Lynchburg, remaining there two hours, sent a squad of eight (8) men under Corporal Gilmore, toward town and they proceeded to within three (3) miles of the place and soon after rejoined me, and from information
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gained, I deemed it inadvisable to attempt the capture of the place. There being no necessity for further demonstration on the enemy's communications, in that quarter, I changed my course and started to re- join your command, not knowing, however, where I should find it. Moved westward by way of New London on the way to which place my advance guard encountered a body of about fifty (50) of the enemy's cavalry, these were quickly dispersed with a loss of one man killed on their part. Corporal Currin, of B Company, was dangerously wounded and left at a house in the vicinity ; moved on with command through New London, and went into camp on Goose Creek, on road to Salem; several prisoners were captured on the route. While at Goose Creek I learned that a portion of General Palmer's brigade had passed through Rocky Mountain two days previously. On the following morning, 9th, I moved in direction of the above-named place and passed through it on the 10th, moving in direction of Henry Court House, Martinsville. When within six miles of that place, I halted and fed and there learned that the brigade had moved south, crossing the Virginia line into North Carolina, in direction of Sandy Ridge; moved on and reached the last-named place at 7 o'clock A.M. of the IIth; after feeding and a rest of a few hours, moved on, passing through Germantown, and reaching Winston-Salem, N. C., at 3 o'clock A.M. of the 12th, learned further of the movements of the brigade, and immediately followed on in your course, crossing the Yadkin River at Shallow Ford, passing through Huntsville and Mocks- ville and reached your headquarters, four miles west of Salisbury, at 5 o'clock A.M. of the 13th. Men and horses were much worn out and jaded by hard marching and want of rest. Distance marched from the time of leaving your command until rejoining it-from the 4th to the 13th- 288 miles, the last eighty-four miles was made in forty-two hours and during that period but one (1) hour's sleep was had by the command. All prisoners taken were paroled and released. The casualties in my com- mand are one (1) man killed, King of D; two (2) wounded. Currin of B and McKee of E, both of whom were left on the route, as were also three (3) sick men, Sergts. Wireman and Boice of C. and Clark of B .; three men, Marshall, Morris and Yost of A., who were sent out after horses, are missing and supposed to have been captured. Total loss, nine (9) men.
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