USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 13
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* General French had re-occupied Harper's Ferry immediately after the battle, and a pontoon bridge was thrown across the river at that place.
We left the Ringgold Cavalry at New Creek, in hopeful expecta- tion of being pushed forward and given a chance at the enemy. Donaldson's diary reads :
+ "New Creek, West Va., June 16, 1863. We have very exciting news to-day. The Rebels have fought Milroy and driven him out of Winchester and have taken Martinsburg. It is reported that the Rebel army, 130.000 strong has entered Pennsylvania. The Union forces have evacuated Cumberland and all points along the railroad east of this. The Second Maryland Infantry and Greenfield's Company of cavalry came here to-day.
" Small patrols are sent out each road to keep sharp lookout for the enemy. Our battalion moved their quarters up the railroad a half-mile. The country about here is full of Rebs. One of Smith's men was watering his horse a half mile from camp, when they pounced upon him, took him and his horse and also beat a negro and took his horse. Lieutenant Hart, with thirty men of his com- pany and ten men of our (Work's) company, under Lieutenant Welch, went on a scout to be gone several days; went first in the direction of Cumberland and then turned toward Winchester. Lieutenant Speer took a scout out the North Western Pike.
" June 17. A scout under Lieutenant McNulty went to Rollins Station, twelve miles down the railroad. Met Hart's scout returning from Cumberland with General Kelley and staff.
" June 18. The 28th Ohio Infantry came in last night. A scout composed of the Washington Cavalry and Companies C and D of
* After the appointment of General Melde to the command of the Army of the Potornac, General Hallack consented to the evacuation of Harper's Ferry and Maryland Heights, when General French and 7, (M) of his men were added to the advancing army and took part in the Battle of Gettysburg.
t Sergeant Donaldson's Diary.
£
· INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA JUNE, JULY, 1863. 119
the Battalion, all under command of Captain Greenfield, was sent to Cumberland.
"June 19. Patrols out on all roads south and east. A scout under Lieutenant Hammond was sent to Romney. The railroad is now repaired to Cumberland. The First West Virginia and Second Maryland regiments of infantry and three guns of Rourke's Battery were sent to Cumberland this morning. The scout that went to Cumberland returned, reporting that the Rebels had gone and had not done much damage.
" June 21. We hear distant cannonading east of this. A scout under command of Lieutenant Welch, composed of his own com- pany, went to Romney.
" June 23. Still patrolling all roads east and south. Prayer meeting in McNulty's quarters last night. A number of us signed our names for a society.
"June 27. Bad news from Pennsylvania. Harrisburg is threat- ened with 40,000 Rebels, and the Governor has called out 50,000 militia to repel the invader. Our boys are anxious to get a chance to drive the enemy out of our native State. A scout of thirty men under Lieutenant Welch went to Romney.
" June 28. Company A marched to Cumberland this morning. I attended preaching service at Paris's Schoolhouse, where Rev. Cascadden preached from the text, 'Ho, Every One That Thirsteth, etc.'
" July 1. Yesterday evening, some of Mulligan's men got into a fight with some of the 14th West Virginia, when one of the latter threw a stone and killed one of Mulligan's men.
"July 2. Captain Keys came to New Creek to-day. He is at- tempting to have us taken to Harrisburg to defend our State. I hope he may succeed. We might do some good there, but there is no use for us here. The weather is clear and very hot."
" July 3. A very heavy rain, with thunder and hail, came up at noon, and another at dark. My diary, which is full, I sent home with Thomas Dunkle, a visitor at camp.
"July 4. It is reported that Richmond and Vicksburg have been taken by our troops."
A BELATED ADVANCE.
On the evening of the 4th, all the cavalry received orders to march with five days' cooked rations. Moved across the river and took the road to Cumberland. The night was very dark, the rain
120 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
just poured down on us and the streams rose rapidly ; but the march was kept up all night with any amount of trouble with teams getting off the road and unable to get back without help from the men. We reached Cumberland early next morning and remained there most of the day, the men being paid, each receiving twenty-six dollars, two months' pay.
At three o'clock, the cavalry started out the Baltimore Pike, the teams having gone two hours before.
After we had gone a few miles, Captain Keys rode up with a dispatch countermanding the order to march, so we turned about and marched back. News of Meade's victory over Lee at Gettysburg was received with great cheering. Orders issued to grind sabers, draw a good supply of ammunition and hold the command in readi- ness to march at a moment's notice.
Next day (6th) the command moved out the Baltimore Pike in the direction of Hancock and Williampsort, our cavalry taking the advance and reaching Hancock late on the evening of the 7th, where the ladies of that loyal town turned out and greeted us with cheers and waving of handkerchiefs. The infantry marched nearly all night, arriving just before daylight. General Kelley, just from Clarksburg, overtook the column enroute, and took command.
On the morning of the Sth, Captain Greenfield was ordered by the General to take his company and destroy all ferry-boats or means of crossing the Potomac River, from Hancock to Williamsport, which might be of service to Lee's Army, as they were trying to escape from General Meade's army in Virginia. The river was very high and the Rebels were collecting boats and scows to enable them to build a pontoon bridge across the Potomac, the Union cavalry hav- ing destroyed the pontoons they left behind when they advanced into Pennsylvania .*
A BRILLIANT CHASE AND CAPTURE.
Captain Greenfield says :
" After accomplishing this mission. I made a reconnaissance to Clear Spring and Fairview. While viewing the Rebel encampment at Williamsport and Falling Waters through a field-glass from Fair- view, a spur of Little North Mountain. I discovered a train of the enemy's forage wagons, with cavalry guard, coming out for supplies.
. "General French, who had re-occupied Harper's Ferry immediately after the battle, sent a cavalry force and destroyed the pontoon bridges that Lee had left under guard at Falling Waters. But for the accomplishment of this destruction, Lee's army might have passed over on the day of its arrival at Williamsport."
121
INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA, JULY, 1863.
* I immediately determined to undertake to capture them. To go un- perceived and by a nearer route than the main road or pike, I took a path or trail down the mountain side Indian file. As they came on and crossed the road I had travelled from the Potomac to Clear Spring, they became aware of our presence in the neighborhood and started back pell-mell for their camp. When I reached the point where they had beaten such a hasty retreat (they had about two miles the start of me) I pursued them rapidly, and a brilliant chase fol- lowed through mud and water, as the heavy rains had made the roads very muddy and sloppy. We were cheered on the route by some of the Union ladies of Maryland, who came out of their houses and waved their handkerchiefs. Seeing that we were bound to overtake them, the cavalry guard formed in the rear of their train on a slight bluff, and prepared for battle. Notwithstanding my company was very much scattered, only a few of us being at the front, we did not halt, but charged and routed them, killing and wounding several, cap- turing two commissioned officers and twenty men, sixty horses and mules, and burned their train. Our loss, three men wounded, three horses killed and several injured. Just before we reached the Rebel cavalry, there was a deep and wide gully washed out by the heavy rains and now standing full of water. Several of the horses did not clear this and fell, injuring their riders. Clark Newcomer was the most severely hurt, but recovered with his horse and was wounded in the charge. As we returned to camp with our captures, we met the whole force coming, a report having reached them that the enemy's cavalry had attacked and routed us and were in pursuit.
" At our reunion at Moorfield, West Virginia, with McNeill's Con- federate Partisan Rangers, long after the war, Captain Jesse Mc- Neill informed me that he was one of the guard with this train; that he had a hand-to-hand saber encounter with one of my men, a small, active, wiry man. The small man got the better of him. knocking the saber out of his hand and cutting his thumb, the mark of which he still carries. McNeill managed to escape. His father. Captain John McNeill, who was afterward killed in the Shenandoah Valley, was only a few hundred yards away at the time of our attack. having come out to their relief, as he had advised against sending out the train, fearing they woud be captured."
The following is General Kelley's report of this expedition :
' \ young officer of General Kelley's staff, who was with me when I expressed my determination to attack the train, remarked, "Go ahead and I will stay here and watch you."
IT
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
Hancock, July 8, 1863.
Col. E. D. Townsend, A. A. G.,
I sent to-day a company of cavalry (Captain Greenfield) to McCoy's Ferry and Clear Spring on a scouting expedition. He pursued and attacked a supply train of fifteen wagons within four miles of Williamsport ; captured two officers and twenty men, guard- ing the train, and sixty mules. Was forced to leave the wagons be- hind. Several of the enemy killed and wounded. Captain Greenfield had three men wounded and three horses killed.
B. F. KELLEY, Brig. Gen.
Greenfield's men were too close to the Confederate camp to waste any time unhitching, but just cut the hamestrings and led the mules right out of the harness and drove them loose in the road in front, while the men kept the prisoners between them along the line. The Rebels thought our whole army was advancing, as they did not suppose any small force would venture so near.
SKIRMISH AT CLEAR SPRING.
On July 10th, General Kelley moved his camp some five miles to Indian Spring, Maryland, on the west side of the mountain. Lieutenant James P. Hart, in command of Company A, was ordered out with his company of forty men to make a reconnaissance ..
Hart proceeded to the foot of the mountain, where directly in front was quite a long stretch of straight road skirting the base of a low ridge. This immediate neighborhood had not been overrun by the armies, and the excellent fences were still intact. Some dis- tance down the road was a squad of Confederate cavalry, who, when they saw our force, scampered away, passing out of sight around the edge of the ridge. In an orchard some distance ahead on the rising ground to the left of the road in our front, some others were seen moving about; this aroused Lieutenant Hart's suspicion, so instead of charging after the flying cavalrymen, he halted his command and sent Sergeant Wickerman with David Hart. John Myers and Chauncey Deever to throw down the fence on the left and pass on through a cornfield and over the rising ground to recon- noiter. Wickerman and his men had proceeded some distance when they saw a dismounted " Johnnie " running across a field. Sergeant Hart, who was in advance, immediately gave chase and directly came on a force of Rebel cavalry concealed in the orchard. The fore-
123
INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA, JULY, 1863.
most Confederate raised his double-barreled shotgun to shoot, when Hart snapped his revolver twice at him, but it failed to discharge; the man then fired both barrels loaded with buckshot at Hart, wound- ing him severely, but not unhorsing him. The Rebels then charged upon our squad, who made a dash to get back to Lieutenant Hart and the command on the pike. John Myers' horse was shot dead while jumping a fence, and C. R. Deever was thrown from his horse. Myers was captured. Sergeant David Hart was shot in three places, one ball passing through his left lung, and the other two entering his abdomen. Badly as he was wounded, he clung to his horse, which jumped a four-bar fence and brought his master through to the com- mand, where the comrades lifted him off, when he became uncon- scious .*
Lieutenant Hart rallied his men and charged the Rebels, driving them back and recapturing Myers.
Late on the evening of the 11th, our brigade (1st, commanded by Colonel Mulligan) and the 2nd brigade (Colonel Jacob Campbell) moved across the mountain and camped near Big Spring. This brought our pickets within one mile of those of the enemy.
Our seven companies were the only cavalry in Kelley's army, and he was daily sending out scouting parties and detachments to watch the enemy. We seldom failed to make captures and bring in prisoners.
On the 13th, the entire cavalry force was on duty. Companies C and D were all on picket, Lieutenant McNulty with Company C well out on the Williamsport Road, and Lieutenant Crago with Company D in the edge of the town of Clear Spring. The balance of the cavalry force was sent out toward the river. Tremendous cannonading was carried on in the direction of Williamsport and eastwardly and a continual roar of musketry in the afternoon. This was General Kilpatrick attacking the rear of Lee's Army as it moved forward to cross the pontoon bridge, which the enemy had just finished after ten days' hard work.
t " That night, Lee, having completed the bridge at Falling Waters, his former bridge having been destroyed by our cavalry, passed the corps of Longstreet and Hill quietly over it in the gloom, while Ewell's forded the river above Williamsport. The vigilant
" Sergeant David Hart was thought to be mortally wounded and was left at a house in the neighborhood. He survived, returned to his command and served until the close of the war.
t Lossing.
124 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
Kilpatrick had observed the movement toward the bridge, and struck Hill's rear-guard under the unfortunate Pettigrew, drove it to the river, killed 125 of the men and made 1,500 of them prisoners with three battle-flags. Pettigrew was mortally wounded, and Major Webb, who led the Sixth Michigan Cavalry in a charge on the occasion was killed. Kilpatrick's total loss was 105 men. Thus ended in utter discomfiture and repulse, Lee's formidable invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania in the summer of 1863."
If there had been a few more Kilpatricks in Meade's Army, Lee's retreat across the Potomac might have been made a greater disaster than his defeat at Gettysburg. "There is great dissatisfac- tion among the men that the Rebels are allowed to cross while we lie here impatient to advance," is the record in Sergeant Donaldson's old diary, scratched there on the 14th of July, 1863.
Gen. B. F. Kelley.
General Kelley had recently been appointed to the command of the De- partment of West Virginia, assuming command on the 28th of June, with headquarters at Clarksburg.
On July 5th, Kelley telegraphed the War Department, " Averill has driven Johnson back through Elkwater Pass, and is on his way back." On the even- ing of the same day (July 5th) Kelley telegraphed again, " It will be impossible for me to concentrate my force at Han- cock as promptly as I could wish, as it will require Averill some days to get back."
Adjutant General Townsend showed this dispatch to Mr. Stan- - ton, Secretary of War, and Stanton sent the following tart message to Kelley :
" July 5, 10:30 P. M.
" I have seen your dispatch to the Adjutant-General, and regret to hear you talk about 'some days' to concentrate when minutes are precious. The instructions and information given by the General-in- Chief this evening will show what an opportunity you have, by rapid and vigorous motion, to inflict a heavy blow upon the enemy. It will be a matter of deep regret it by tardy movement, you let the chance escape. There should be no rest, night or day. Why are you still at Clarksburg?"
+
125
INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA, JULY, 1863.
At 9:30 P. M., same night, General Halleck telegraphed Kelley, "Send forward your forces in hand, and order the others to follow as rapidly as possible."
A half hour later, Halleck again dispatched, "Do everything in your power to capture or destroy Lee's trains which will endeavor to cross at Williamsport or Falling Waters. His army is in full retreat."
As we have already seen, General Kelley's forces reached Han- cock on the 8th. He was still in time, for the Potomac was full to the top of its banks, making it unfordable, and Lee's Army was obliged to wait until the night of the 13th, while a bridge was being con- structed. All this precious time, Kelley was waiting for Averill to arrive, so that he could attack Imboden's brigade in his front. Gen- eral Averill arrived with some 4,000 cavalry and a battery of artilley at 10 A. M. on the 13th. Had Kelley then, with his present force of 10,000, attacked the enemy's left on the afternoon of the 13th with the same impetuosity as Kilpatrick attacked his right, the rear of that army with much of its artillery, might have been captured.
At 9 p. M. on the night of the 13th, Halleck again telegraphed Kelley, " Move up upon the enemy's flank and rear and attack and harass him wherever you can. If you can reach his crossing, annoy him as much as possible."
Kelley replied at 3 A. M. on the 14th, " Averill has arrived with his cavalry. I will move on Williamsport in the morning." Averill had arrived seventeen hours before that.
At 3:30 p. M. (14th) Kelley again telegraphed from Williams- port, " Just arrived. Find the enemy has crossed the river during the night and early this morning. River now rising rapidly."
It rained all day on the 13th and continued to rain some on the 14th. Our battalion, which had been out all night of the 13th, re- turned on the morning of the 14th, and was ordered to march to Williamsport immediately. " Arrived there at twelve o'clock. Lee's forces were all across some hours before our arrival. We found a few stragglers and some old wagons which the army had abandoned. We countermarched, feeling greatly disappointed and ashamed."
. See map, page 258.
KELLEY'S ARMY CROSSES INTO VIRGINIA.
General Kelley, on the 15th, proceeded to cross the Potomac at Cherry Run with his cavalry. The heavy rains had swollen the river again above the fording stage. We had three skiffs in which we fer- ried the men and saddles and led a few horses after the skiffs, while
126 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
a half dozen loose horses would swim after. The current was so swift we would land a half-mile below the point of starting. A rope ferry with one small ferry-boat had been rigged up and was used to ferry the infantry across. Colonel Greenfield made a rather narrow escape from drowning here, which we will let him tell:
" The ways for getting over the river were so limited that we were willing to run almost any risk. Orderly Brown found an old skiff and one oar, and attempted to paddle four of us across, which proved a difficult task against the swift current, and we drifted down the stream. I observed as we approached the ferry rope that it was slightly under water, and instructed Brown to keep the bow of the boat down stream and straight with the current, and we might glide safely over. Just before we reached it, the skiff whirled around, struck the rope and turned over. The orderly and I, one at the bow and the other at the stern, fortunately caught the rope, and the other two men held on to the boat and were rescued. We both went under water but General Kelley, who had witnessed the accident from the shore, ordered the rope drawn up to keep our heads out of the water. Brown said that my first remark was, 'Orderly, are you wet?' which, he thought, saved his life, as he was almost exhausted. The remark, he said was so ridiculous that it gave him increased strength to hold on. The ferry-boat happened to be on its way over, and when it arrived. we got aboard and continued our journey. We visited a house on the Virginia side to dry our clothes, and I found that my watch had stopped. as I surmised from leaking a little water. I put it in the oven of the kitchen range, and in a few minutes it dried out and was running."
The Ringgold Battalion and Washington Cavalry all succeeded in crossing into Virginia on the 15th. General Averill secured three flat-boats and three skiffs, and got his entire force across on the 16th and 17th. The infantry and artillery then followed as rapidly as the ferries could carry them.
On the 17th, General Kelley telegraphed the A. A. G., as follows :
CHERRY RUN. VA., July 15, 1803. Received 8 : 25 p. M.
Major General Halleck :
I moved back to this place this morning, and am now crossing my cavalry by swimming the horses over. River falling. Hope to cross a portion of my infantry and artillery to-morrow.
Jenkin's force is encamped near North Mountain Station. I trust I shall
be able to drive him from there soon.
As soon as I can possibly get my force across, I will follow the range of North Mountain and annoy the enemy's Hank all I can. B F. KELLEY,
Brigadier-General.
IN VIRGINIA. HARRASSING LEE'S LEFT FLANK. 127
"I sent a cavalry scout to North Mountain this morning. A short distance beyond the station on the Martinsburg Road, they surprised a Rebel cavalry company, capturing seventeen prisoners, pursuing the balance within three miles of Martinsburg."
This scout was commanded by Captain Greenfield and consisted of the. Ringgold Battalion and the Washington Cavalry. They captured one officer and seventeen men of the Hampton Legion, with horses, arms and equipments.
This was the first resistance Lee's forces had met on their left flank since falling back into Virginia. On the previous day (16th) a body of Union cavalry had crossed the Shepherdstown Ford and had a spirited engagement with Fitz Lee's Cavalry.
The next day (18th) was an active day for the cavalry. A scout of fifty men from the Ringgold Battalion under command of Lieutenant Welch, was sent to Shanghai. On the way out, they met Major Gibson's Battalion and a detachment of 3rd West Vir- ginia Cavalry. coming in with twenty prisoners, fourteen mules and four wagons, which they had captured in a skirmish.
Captain Greenfield was sent with a scout up Back Creek, where he had a brisk skirmish with the enemy's cavalry, driving them and capturing several prisoners. He also obtained some valu- able information as to the location of the enemy's camps, which he reported to General Kelley .*
Captain Chessrown, with his squadron, was sent out toward Shanghai to patrol the roads during the night.
¡ Back Creek Valley extends from near Winchester in a north- easterly direction to the Potomac above Williamsport, and is sepa- rated from the Shenandoah Valley proper by the range known as Little North Mountain. This Back Creek Valley had ever been a favorite avenue for a flanking force of the enemy to advance stealth- ily to the railroad. The village of Shanghai was located some distance up this stream. The presence of small bodies of the enemy's cavalry about Shanghai daily, looked suspicious : hence the continued scouting in that direction. Reports were being received of larger bodies of the enemy out that way.
CHERRY RUN, VA., July 19, 1863.
* Brig. Gen. Cullum, Chief of Staff :
A young man, formerly of Martinsburg, and member of Wise's Battery, deserted at eight o'clock last night and has just arrived at my camp. He says that Lee's forces are encamped at or near Bunker Hill. and that Lee is there himself. Ewell's Corps is four mile; out on the Martinsburg Road; Hampton's Brigade is in or near Martinsburg. General Averill is skirmishing sharply with him to-day, and has taken several prisoners. This information is confirmed by Captain Greenfield, who is now on a scout up Back Creek to Shanghai. B. F. KELLEY, Brig .- Gen.
Copy to Gen. Meade.
t See map, page 25S.
4
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
On the 19th, a cavalry reconnaissance consisting of the available men of the Ringgold Battalion and Washington Cavalry was sent out to scout the country about Shanghai and through the gaps of Little North Mountain. They failed to find any considerable force of the enemy out that way. The booming of cannon over toward Martinsburg was sufficient evidence that General Averill had not only found the Rebels, but was very busily engaged with them.
Next day (20th), Averill sent Major Gibson's Battalion to · open up communications with Williamsport. Kelley was keeping a vigilant watch on the upper Back Creek Valley and the gaps opening through Little North Mountain into the big valley. So when a report was brought in again that morning that the enemy had appeared in that region, " boots and saddles " was called and the Ringgold Battalion was in the saddle immediately. With Cap- tain Keys at the head of the column, they set off at a rapid gait up the Back Creek Valley.
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