USA > Pennsylvania > The Seventh Pennsylvania veteran volunteer cavalry; its record, reminiscences and roster; with an appendix > Part 5
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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
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BATTLE OF STONE RIVER
sixth of November, but made no impression anywhere except on the Murfreesboro pike, where he succeeded in capturing for a time a few of the rifle pits. The force gaining this entrance was promptly charged by- a detachment of the Seventh, led by Captain Sheaf- fer, and driven outside the works. Company C lost two men captured, and Company E had five men wounded in the charge. This affair ended the Sey- enth Pennsylvania's operations as an independent organization. From this time it became a part of the cavalry force belonging to the Army of the Cum- berland.
BATTLE OF STONE RIVER.
In the reorganization of the army, General Rose- crans concentrated all his cavalry in one corps, un- der command of Major General Stanley, who or- ganized it into two divisions, commanded, the first by Brigadier General MeCook, and the second by Brigadier General Turchin. Turchin's division com- prised two brigades, the first composed of the Fourth Michigan, the Second Indiana, the Third Kentucky, and the Seventh Pennsylvania. Colonel Wynkoop. the ranking Colonel. was entitled to the command of this Brigade, but being absent, sick, Colonel McCook, of the Second Indiana, became commander by right of seniority. This organization went into effect, about the first of December, 1862.
The reorganized cavalry had no time to rest. On the 18th the First Brigade was ordered to cover an extensive foraging expedition in the vicinity of Brent wood. The enemy's pickets were found at that village, and fell back on the main force at Franklin. That was vigorously attacked by all the regiments composig the brigade, and effectually routed. In the engagement the Seventh had four men wounded. and the loss of the brigade in killed, wounded and captured was forty-four. Soon after Colonel McCook obtained leave on account of sickness, and Colonel
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BATTLE OF STONE RIVER
Minty, of the Fourth Michigan, assumed command of the brigade.
At this time Bragg's army, at Murfreesboro, had increased to about fifty thousand infantry and artil. lery, and ten thousand cavalry. So strong was he in mounted force, that he sent Forrest with his division into Mississippi, to hold the Union forces in check in that State. Rosecrans had at Nashville about an equal strength in all arms except cavalry; of the lat. ter he had about seven thousand. Of course the au- thorities in Washington were urging Rosecrans to ad- vance. He had consumed forty-five days in necessary preparations, and in the opinion of these critics, such a waste of time was inexcusable.
The forward movement of the Union army began on the morning of the 26th of December, when the first cavalry brigade left its camp, near Nashville, and proceeded to the Murfreesboro pike, where it re- ported to General Palmer, commanding the advance division of Rosecrans' army. Knowing that the out- posts of the enemy had been advanced. Palmer placed the cavalry in position to sweep a wide scope on both sides of the road, and in this order moved forward Ten miles from Nashville the enemy's pickets were encountered and skirmishing began; the Confeder- ates retiring until Lavergne was reached, where a strong force of cavalry and four pieces of artillery were in position. The section of Battery D, First Ohio Artillery, commanded by Captain Newell, and attached to the First Brigade, was brought into ac tion and succeeded in silencing the enemy's battery. The whole cavalry line then advanced, driving the enemy from their position. Here the First Brigade bivouacked for the night.
Next morning, the 27th, the advance was contin- ued, and during the day some skirmishing occurred. The cavalry steadily pressed back the enemy's out- posts on the 28th and 29th, and the Union army steadily advanced. About three p. m. of the 29th,
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BATTLE OF STONE RIVER
the Confederate line of battle was uncovered. Gen- oral Rosecrans formed his line behind the cavalry skirmishers, and the combatants were in place for the struggle. The cavalry withdrew from the front, and bivonacked in rear of the battle line on the Nash- ville pike.
It is not intended to give here an account of the great battle of Stone River; that has been done re. peatedly by competent authorities on both sides. The Seventh Pennsylvania, commanded by Major JJohn E. Wynkoop, took an active and honorable part in the memorable conflict, and what it did, where it went, and what it suffered, should be recorded.
On the 30th, the armies being in position, one battalion of the Seventh and one of the Third Ken- tucky were detailed to form a line of couriers in rear of the Union line, for the purpose of conveying mes- sages between the wings, and to stop skulkers to the rear. The bloody conflict, in which a hundred thons. and men were joined, raged fearfully on the last two days of the year, and the Seventh, with other regi- ments of the brigade, were engaged in protecting trains and guarding the wings of the Union army The Seventh was charged, in the afternoon of the 30th, to retake a hospital which the enemy had cap- tured, and they took it. During the day Wheeler's cavalry attacked the Union wagon trains at La- vergne, and Dornblazer says "they captured a num- ber of train guards, picked up several hundred strag glers, burnt a large number of wagons and ran away with the mules." In repulsing this onslaught, and in protecting Rosecrans' right, which the cavalry did effectually, it had to encounter vastly superior num- bers, both mounted and dismounted, of the enemy. The Seventh, as a part of the First Brigade, was lit- erally worked to the verge of absolute exhaustion. Speaking of the night of the 30th, Dornblazer says: "Both armies watched each other with a wakeful eye that night. The Seventh served on vidette duty on
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BATTLE OF STONE RIVER
the right. We sat on our horses, weary and hungry. With heavy eyelids and distended pupils, we strain- ed the optic nerve to penetrate the thickening fog- to catch the outline of the victor of yesterday and the antagonist of to-morrow. We shall never forget how hard it was to keep awake. The eyelids would drop in spite of all we could do. By beating the skull with the fist and pinching the ears, we manag- ed to keep sufficiently wakeful to halt the "grand rounds."
The battle continued, with pauses caused by heavy rains and the temporary exhaustion of the combatants, until the 4th of January, during the night of which Bragg's army retired to the line of Duck river. On the morning of the 5th, the First Brigade marched through Murfreesboro, and follow- ed the retreating Confederates on the Manchester pike. About two miles out it came up with them, and a running combat ensued, the enemy retreating and the cavalry advancing. At Beach Grove the Confed- erates were reinforced, and attacked the Seventh and the First Tennessee vigorously. Here the fight con- tinued some time. Then the enemy being driven into an open country, a charge was made by the Fourth Regulars and the Seventh, which captured one gun, and completely scattered Bragg's rear guard.
The brigade went into camp near Murfreesboro, throwing out videttes six miles in its front. It had lost according to Vale, between the 26th of December and the 5th of January, twenty men killed, thirty- seven wounded, and seventy captured. Fifty of the captured were from the Seventh Pennsylvania, and were of the Third Battalion, which was deployed on duty in rear of the line of battle, and when the right wing was broken on the 31st, were taken prisoners while at the post of duty. The Seventh had two killed and nine wounded. Colonel Minty in his re port says : "Major W. H. Jennings, Seventh Pennsyl- vania, led his men with great gallantry, in the charge
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THE CHARGE AT ROVER AND UNIONVILLE
of December 31st." General Stanley in his report says: "Captain Garrett and Lieutenant R. M. Mc- Cormick, Seventh Pennsylvania, distinguished them- selves in the charge on the left of the enemy's infan- try."
In his official report of the Battle of Stone River General Stanley says: "The duty of the cavalry was very arduous. From December 26th to JJanuary 4th the saddles were only taken from the horses to groom and were immediately replaced, and that, as per re port of Major Wynkoop, the regiment lost 2 killed, 9 wounded and 50 captured.
THE CHARGE AT ROVER AND UNIONVILLE,
General Rosecrans established his army in win- ter quarters at Murfreesboro, and Bragg similarly disposed of his forces at Tullahoma. about twenty miles further south. The Confederates, although un. questionably defeated for the time, had by no means given up their hold on Middle Tennessee, and their preponderance in mounted force enabled them to give much annoyance to the Union posts. In conse- quence the Union cavalry had the hardest kind of duty to perform for a month after the battle of Stone River. Some of this work must now be recorded.
The Confederate authorities sent a strong force of mounted men and artillery, under General Wheel. er, to capture Fort Donelson, on the Columbia river, and thus close that channel of communication. In this force were included the commands of Forrest and Wharton, and the three Generals did not, it would seem, work very harmoniously together. They failed in their assault on Fort Donelson and retired after suffering heavy loss. Learning of the presence of this force in his vicinity, General Rosecrans sent a division of infantry and the first and third brigades of cavalry, under command of General Jeff. C. Dav- is, to find and punish them. In moving toward the
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THE CHARGE AT ROVER AND UNIONVILLE
locality where, it was thought, the enemy would be found, it was deemed advisable to dislodge detach- ments of Confederates from Middletown, Unionville and Rover. How this was done is condensed from Vale's account :
"On reaching Salem, Minty (who was in com- mand of the cavalry) detached the Second and Third East Tennessee, under General Cook, with orders to proceed to Middletown, and, if possible, from thence to Unionville, and there rejoin the command. Minty then moved to Rover, where about six hundred rebel cavalry was reported to be. Half a mile from Rover the rebel force was developed in line for battle. Ob- serving that the lay of the country would permit a charge on the enemy, Minty explained his plan to Captain Jennings, commanding the Seventh, and ordered it to charge in column of fours. The com- mand was promptly obeyed, the rebel line was struck, and the whole force utterly routed in less than five minutes after the advance was sounded. Six officers and forty-nine enlisted men were captur- ed, and one officer and forty-three men killed and wounded, every wound being inflicted by the sabers of the Seventh.
Proceeding to Unionville it was found evacuat. ed, the Confederates there having retreated beyond Duck river when the news of the fight at Rover reach- ed them. The entire command then concentrated at Eaglesville.
For two weeks the cavalry scouted the country, during which time it captured two of Forrest's staff officers and twenty-two men of his escort. It be. came apparent, then, that the forces of Wheeler and Forrest had been widely dispersed, and that further pursuit at this time would be useless; therefore the weary and suffering expedition returned to Mur- freesboro. "The weather," Vale says, "was a con- stant succession of rain, snow and sleet, alternated with most intense cold; the roads were knee deep
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THE CHARGE AT ROVER AND UNIONVILLE
with mud and slush, varied at times with a crust of two or three inches of ice and frozen ground on top. not hard enough to carry a horse, but enough to make marching difficult and dangerous. The cavalry moved without tents or baggage, and the suffering was very great. Many of the men had their hands and feet frostbitten, and all felt the effects for weeks and months after." From the time of their return until the beginning of March, the cavalry was permitted to rest-no duty being exacted outside of camp routine, except occasional foraging expeditions. During this period, the Fourth Regular Cavalry, which had been an independent command, was permanently attached to the First Brigade.
The condition of the Seventh Pennsylvania in the early spring of 1863 was by no means satisfactory to those who had its reputation and welfare at heart. Long and arduous service, remote from the State where it was raised, and where its depleted ranks could be recruited, had caused it to dwindle in num- bers, so that when mustered for the expedition just reported, only one hundred and seventy-five officers and men were present for duty. Many of its men had been detailed as orderlies, or in other capacities, and many more were sick, on furlough or in hospi- tals. Not three hundred men, counting non-combat- ants, were in camp. The camp itself was on low ground, which the spring rains made muddy, caus- ing disease among the horses. In brief, the gallant regiment, composed of as good material as ever gath- ered under the stars and stripes, had been worked and neglected until its condition caused the authori- ties to consider the advisability of disbanding it. About this time Lieutenant Colonel Sipes, who had been absent on detached duty* in Kentucky for six months, rejoined and took command of the Regi- ment.
*Returning from Pennsylvania, where he had been on business connected with the regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Sipes found him-
COL. C. C MCCORMICK.
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THE CHARGE AT ROVER AND UNIONVILLE
The camp was moved, all the detailed men that could be, were recalled, and, the beautiful spring weather of Middle Tennessee aiding, renewed life was soon animating the Seventh. General Stanley was asked to be present at a regular Sunday inspec- tion about the middle of April, and after carefully reviewing the more than four hundred men "present for duty," pronounced its condition "highly satis- factory."
On the 4th of March the First Battalion was or- dered to drive the rebel detachments, who had reoc- cupied Rover and Unionville, from those positions.
self stopped at Cincinnati, because communication further south was interrupted by the Confederate invasion of Ken- tucky. An order from the War Department directed that offi- cers in transit, and unable to join their commands, should re- port to the commander nearest their destination. In obedi- ence to this order, Colonel Sipes reported to Major General Wright, at Cincinnati, commanding Department of the Ohio, and was by him directed to report to General Lew Wallace, at Covington, Kentucky. This he did, and after waiting one day, was ordered to take command of the cities of Newport and Covington, superseding General Judah. The condition of those cities at the time can be comprehended by reading the following extracts from a descriptive article written by Bu- chanan Read, the poet. After telling how Cincinnati, and her sister cities across the Ohio were placed under martial law, all business suspended, and all classes of citizens called upon to work on the fortifications, he continues: "The ten days that followed the call will forever be memorable in the annals of the city of Cincinnati. The cheerful manner in which the people rose en masse to swell the ranks that crowd- ed into the trenches was a sight worth seeing. Here were the representatives of all nations and classes. The man of money, the man of law, the merchant, the artist, and the artisan, swelled the lines hastening to the scene of action, armed either with musket, pick or spade. Added to these was the dusky brigade of colored men, cheerfully wending their way to labor on the fortifications."
He continues "But the pleasantest and most picturesque sight of those remarkable days was the almost endless stream of sturdy men who rushed to the rescue from the rural dis- tricts of the state. These were known as the "Squirrel Hunt- ers." They came in files, numbering thousands upon thou- sands, in all kinds of costumes, and armed with all kinds of fire arms, but chiefly the deadly rifle which they knew so well how to use. Old men, middle aged men, young men, and
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THE CHARGE AT ROVER AND UNIONVILLE
Arriving at Rover, the enemy's pickets were encoun- tered early in the morning and, being driven in, their main force commenced a hurried retreat toward Unionville. The Seventh was immediately ordered to charge, which it did effectively, dashing into the flying, scattered Confederates. At Unionville the enemy had a considerable force, and attempted to make a stand, but being thrown into confusion by the fugitives from Rover, and by the onrush of the charge, which never pansed or faltered, broke and fled until they found refuge behind Polk's corps, within five miles of Shelbyville. So impetuous was this charge of the Seventh, that some of the officers and men actually ran into, and were fired upon by Polk's infantry, but escaped uninjured. The prison- ers captured munmbered one hundred and nine, of which fifty-eight were wounded by saber ents. The loss was one man of the Seventh wounded, Robert C.
often mere boys, like the "minute men" of the old Revolution, they left the plow in the furrow, the flail on the half-threshed sheaves, the unfinished iron upon the anvil, in short dropped all their peculiar avocations, and with their leather pouches full of bullets, and their ox-horns full of powder, poured into the city by every highway and byway in such numbers that it seemed as if the whole state of Ohio were peopled only with hunters, and that the spirit of Daniel Boone stood upon the hills opposite the town beckoning them into Kentucky." These unorganized hordes poured across the pontoon bridges, many of them with wagons loaded with provisions, and literally filled the streets of Covington. They were animated with a single determination, and that was to resist the invasion of Ohio, and the place to meet the invaders was on the hills of Kentucky. General Wallace directed Colonel Sipes to bring order out of this confusion, and to enable him to do this, gave him a company of regulars from the Newport Barracks, and a Kentucky Home Guard Regiment, as a Provost Guard. The three cities were under martial law, and vigorous measures were resorted to. In thirty-six hours the streets were cleared. the defenders were in the completed entrenchments, and the enemy, viewing the defensive preparations, wisely retired. Colonel Sipes remained in command of the cities of Coving- ton and Newport, to which were added all the territory north of Lexington, five months, during which time Generals Wal- lace, Ammon, A. J. Smith, Gordon Granger, Jeff C. Davis, and Quincy Gilmore, succeeded each other in command of the forces guarding this part of Kentucky.
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SPRING HILL, LIBERTY, SNOW HILL, ETC.
Watson, of Co. "D," a good friend and as brave a man as ever drew a saber. Not a shot was fired by the Seventh in the affray, the saber only being used.
Captain Davis commanded and led the Seventh in this brilliant affair, and was complimented in bri- gade orders "for personal gallantry and distin- guished services." He was also commended in spe- cial orders from the commanding general. Captains Garrett and McCormick had their horses shot under them, and they and Lieutenants Fisk, Greeno and Vale, were honorably mentioned in general orders. So rapidly and effectively was the work done by the Seventh that no other regiment of the brigade had a chance to participate in the fight. General Rose- crans, in recognition of this charge, and in compli- ment to the brigade to which the Seventh was at. tached, announced that it should be known as the Saber Brigade of the Army of the Cumberland.
In his official report of March 4, 1863, Col. Min. ty says :- "I must call attention of the general com- manding to the gallant manner in which Capt. C. C. Davis, 7th Pa. Cav., led the charge of his regiment. He was well supported by both officers and men."
SPRING HILL, LIBERTY, SNOW HILL, ETC.
A serious disaster to the Union cause occurred on the 5th of March. This was the partial surprise, defeat and capture of three regiments of infantry and some cavalry, moving from Franklin, under Colonel Coburn, to attack Forrest, who had taken position at Spring Hill with a large force. General Stanley with a division of cavalry was ordered to take position on the main roads leading south from. Franklin, open communication with General Gor don Granger, in command at Franklin, and check the progress of the enemy. This movement led tc some skirmishing by the cavalry, in which the Sey- enth had two men wounded. For a time the move-
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SPRING HILL, LIBERTY, SNOW HILL, ETC.
ments of Forrest, Van Dorn and Price, who were operating in concert, threatened serious results to the right flank of Rosecrans' army, and caused no litth anxiety to the Union commanders. But after a fight between detachments from both sides at Thomson's Station, the enemy suddenly and unexpectedly re- tired.
While the opposing forces were in contact, Gen- eral Stanley was unable to ascertain whether any portion of the enemy had got between him and Franklin, and was in doubt whether he was engag- ing their advance or rear. In this dilemma he di- rected Colonel Sipes to hold the Seventh in readi. ness, and if the enemy appeared in the direction of Franklin, to charge them at once. No additional force of Confederates appearing, and those engaged having apparently withdrawn, the division bivou. acked for the night.
After dark General Stanley came to the com- mander of the 7th and asked him to select two men who could be absolutely relied upon to do what they were ordered. The Colonel sent for Sergeant Shutt, of Company A, and Sergeant Starry, of Company 1 and informed the General that they were the men he wanted. Stanley told them that he desired a mes- sage taken that night to General Granger, in Frank. lin, that he did not know whether the intervening country was held by the enemy or not, but that, dan- ger or no danger, he wanted the message delivered. "Will you take it, boys?" he asked. "Yes, sir," was the unhesitating reply. The message was prepared ; sabers laid aside, curb-chains wrapped so there would be no rattling or clinking to attract attention, the messengers passed outside the pickets; and they disappeared in the darkness. They got through all right, delivered their message, and returned next morning with General Granger's reply.
An expedition of the First Brigade to Milton, on the 20th, where Morgan was said to be assailing
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SPRING HILL, LIBERTY, SNOW HILL, ETC.
an outpost commanded by Colonel Hall, arrived only to find that the Confederates had been driven off Next day several regiments were sent, each on a dif- ferent road, to ascertain the force and movements of the enemy. The desired information was ob. tained, but the Confederates could not be brought to a stand, and the brigade returned to camp.
On the 25th Colonel Sipes was sent with the Seventh to drive off some of the enemy who had taken position on the Shelbyville pike, within two miles of our pickets. In executing this duty some maneuver- ing became necessary on the road and in adjacent fields, all of which was plainly visible from General Crittenden's advance position on a high hill, and that general spoke in high praise of the accuracy and steadiness of these movements. The enemy was easily dislodged and driven back.
About this time, Vale says, it was learned that "a tremendous furor existed among the rebels in re- gard to the use, by the Seventh Pennsylvania and the Fourth United States, of ground or sharpened sabers; in fact it was the subject of official corres- pondence between the commanders of the two hostile armies. The rebels insisted that the use of sharp- ened sabers was barbarous, and contrary to the rules of modern warfare, and threatened instant death to all officers and men captured possessing them. The officers and men of the regiments were but little dis- turbed by these sanguinary threats, and the matter was finally determined by a general order authoriz- ing their use, and notifying the rebel commanders that any execution of prisoners by them would be met by retaliation in kind.
On the 2nd of April Stanley moved toward Lib- erty, encountered the enemy's pickets near Auburn, and drove them until a considerable force was de- veloped. Some active skirmishing followed, and the enemy fell back to Snow Hill. The country here is
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SPRING HILL, LIBERTY, SNOW HILL, ETC.
of curious formation, consisting of a net work of ravines and hills, one of the latter being high, cone- shaped and wooded. Most of the others are cleared but steep As the Union forces approached, the en- emy retired, and at last made a stand on this wood- ed hill, where they had posted their artillery. To dis- lodge them, Stanley had his two guns hauled to the top of a cleared hill, where they commanded the op- posing battery. As soon as this position was taken the enemy began to retire. Stanley ordered Colonel Sipes to advance in pursuit, on the right of the en- emy, through a meadow. In so doing a marsh was reached which the horses could not cross, and on the slope beyond this marsh the enemy had placed one gun. To continue the pursuit the Seventh had to file to the right and take the road. Just as this was done an aid dashed up from the main body, on the right, and called to the colonel that the enemy were in ambush in a field of grain behind the gun men- tioned. Almost simultaneous with the warning came a volley from the concealed foe. but fortunate- ly for the Seventh, they fired too high. Two men were killed, four wounded and a number of horses shot, among them that of the colonel.
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