USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 14
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Approaching Shanghai, reconnoitering parties were sent around that place and out into the adjacent country, but no strong force of the enemy could be found, so the command returned to camp. No sooner would one scout return from that direction, than another would be sent out. At the time, this seemed to the men to be un- called for, as no enemy of any consequence could be found. A little later, however, we learned the cause of this extreme vigilance.
PLOT TO CAPTURE KELLEY'S FORCE.
On the previous day, General Kelley had learned from a reliable source, the details of a coup the Confederates had planned and were about putting into execution-to surprise and destroy or capture his little army. The plan was this: General Early with a large force was to move westward to Little North Mountain on the afternoon or evening of the 20th ; camp for a few hours' rest ; then under cover of the darkness, pass through the gaps into Back Creek Valley, move stealthily down the creek, and just before daylight in the morning, attack Kelley's camp in the rear, while General Ewell with an over- whelming force, was to move against Kelley's front and attack at the same hour.
This plot was discovered by little " Dan " Pendleton, a twelve- year-old boy who lived in Martinsburg. Keeping the information to himself. and acting on his own account, this young boy made his way through the lines, eluding the Confederate pickets, then in
IN VIRGINIA. HARRASSING LEE'S LEFT FLANK. 129
almost continual skirmish with Union cavalry, and reached General Kelley with the valuable secret, in time to permit him to withdraw his forces.
It was this that kept the detachments of the Ringgold Cavalry constantly scouting the Upper Back Creek Valley all the next day.
As the afternoon of the 20th wore away, Kelley watched in- tently for Early to appear at the gaps in Little North Mountain near Shanghai, according to schedule time, as furnished by the boy .* Late in the afternoon, he dispatched a detachment of the Ringgold Battalion under Lieutenant Hart, to scout the Back Creek country as far as Baker's Gap.
Between seven and eight o'clock, this cavalry returned, with the report that Early's troops in great force had gone into camp at Tomahawk Springs at six o'clock. The warning was thus fully con- firmed, and Kelley concluded the best thing to do was to get out of there as quickly as possible. He ordered his men to gather fence rails and dry limbs and make a line of camp fires which should sat- isfy the enemy that he was lying in bivouack, unconscious of his impending fate.
As soon as it was fairly dark, Kelley proceeded to withdraw his entire force down Back Creek to the Potomac. The river had fallen six feet since the day we crossed to the south, and was now fordable. Upon arriving at the river at midnight, the infantry took off their clothes, tied them in bundles and swung them on their bayonets, while they waded to the armpits across the river.
As soon as the entire force was across, General Kelley formed a line of battle a short distance from the river, expecting an attack from the enemy, nor did he have long to wait; for in a very short time, their cavalry and artillery came rushing up to discover Kelley's force in line of battle on the opposite side of the river. They wheeled a battery and fired a few shells, and then withdrew.
Our cavalry occupied the old camp at Indian Spring. Cavalry scouts were sent across the river daily. A squadron of the 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry crossed the river and engaged the enemy on
* The boy was a son of Dr. E. Boyd Pendleton, a surgeon in the United States Army, whose family lived in Martinsburg. An older son was a graduate of the Naval Academy and an officer in the United States Navy at the time. After the War, at the instance of Generals Sheridan, Kelley and other officers of the Army, President Grant offered young Pendleton a cadetship at West Point, in appreciation of the valuable services he rendered to the Union Army near Martinsburg, West Va., in July, 1863. The young man did not avail himself of the opportunity, however, but later took up journalism as his life work. Mr. (N. S. D.) Pendleton, at this writing, is a gentleman, weil up in the fifties, and is editor of a newspaper at Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
the 21st, captured thirty prisoners, but was driven back to the river and the prisoners escaped.
On the next day, the enemy appeared on the opposite side of the river and threw a few shells. Some hours later it was reported that they were about to make an attempt to cross, and our whole force was drawn up in line to receive them. The enemy did not appear, however:
On the 23rd, the battalion, under command of Captain Green- field, crossed the river and made a reconnaissance up Back Creek, and attacked the Rebel pickets, driving them for one and a half miles, when we were ordered to fall back and return to camp.
BACK ON VIRGINIA SOIL.
On the 24th, the whole force crossed to the south of the Potomac and occupied the former position at Hedgesville. The battalion was ordered out on a scout; went as far as Pughtown and captured a few stragglers. From the best information received, the enemy was believed to be retreating.
Next day, July 25th, the battalion scouted as far as Whitehall within eight miles of Winchester. Rode sixty-five miles that day. No force of the enemy was found. Averill sent the 3rd West Vir- ginia to Martinsburg, and on the following day, sent Major Gibson's Battalion to Winchester. A scout from the Ringgold Battalion went up Back Creek Valley and scoured the country, finding only a few stragglers. Many deserters came to our camp. It had been raining heavily and Back Creek was a raging torrent that could not be forded.
On the 28th, Averill's entire command marched to Martinsburg ; thence to Bunker Hill and on to Winchester on the 30th, from whence he sent out patrols to Strasburg and other points fifteen and twenty miles distant.
In his report, General Lee says, "When the army returned to Virginia, it was intended to move into Loudon (county) but the Shenandoah was found to be impassable. While waiting for it to subside, the enemy (Federals) crossed the Potomac east of the Blue Ridge and seized the passes we designed to use. As he con-
General Ewell, in his report, says: "While in camp near Darkesville, the enemy under Kelley were reported between Martinsburg and Hedgesville, protecting the Balti- more and Ohio Railroad, and occasionally skirmishing with Johnson's division, which was destroying the track. General commanding directed on the 21st, an effort to be made to capture this force, said to be 6.000 strong, sending Early's division to get in rear through Mill's Gap and down Back Creek, while I joined Rodes to Johnson and marched against their front. Though these movements were made in the night of the 21st, the enemy heard of them through spies and retreated out of reach."
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BACK IN THE MOUNTAINS, AUGUST, 1863.
tinued to advance along the eastern slope, apparently with the pur- pose of cutting us off from the railroad to Richmond, General Long- street was ordered on July 19th to proceed to Culpepper Court House by way of Front Royal. He succeeded in passing part of his com- mand over the Shenandoah in time to prevent the occupation of Manassas and Chester Gaps by the enemy, whose cavalry had already made its appearance. General Ewell's Corps had been detained in the valley in an effort to capture a force of the enemy guarding the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad west of Martinsburg."
This was the attempt to bag General Kelley's forces at Hedges- ville. Failing in this, Ewell marched south, following the rest of Lee's Army. Arriving at Front Royal on the 23rd, he found his advance brigade skirmishing with the Federal infantry, which had already appeared in Manassas Gap .* Ewell made a strong attempt to capture the gap, but failing to do so, he turned and marched on up the valley to Thornton Gap, and ordered Early, who was in his rear, to march by Strasburg and New Market. All these troops reached Culpepper by the 29th, and the Shenandoah Valley was left to the care of General Imboden. Meade's cavalry kept abreast of the enemy's advance column on its way to Culpepper and harassed him daily. The advance corps of Meade's infantry reached the Rapidan during the last week of July, where they found the enemy on the south side of that stream, strongly intrenched.
CHAPTER X.
BACK TO THE MOUNTAINS OF HAMPSHIRE AND HARDY, MECHANICSBURG GAP, AUG. 3-NOV. 1, 1863.
General Averill occupied Winchester on the 26th of July. Gen- eral Kelley held the rest of his command at Back Creek and Mar- tinsburg. On the 30th, Kelley telegraphed Halleck, "It is reported that Imboden's force has gone west into the valley of the South Branch. If this is so, he will undoubtedly cut our railroad con- nections west of this. Will the General-in-Chief permit me to move back by way of Romney, with my command, into my own depart- ment ? "
Halleck replied, same day, "You will take such measures for the defense of your department as you may deem best."
Accordingly orders were issued on the 31st to prepare to march on the following day. Next morning. our brigade in com-
See Map, page 191.
132 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
mand of Colonel Jacob M. Campbell marched in the direction of Romney. The brigade consisted of the 54th Pennsylvania and 1st West Virginia Infantry, the Ringgold Battalion and Washington Cavalry, and Moore's Battery of the 1st West Virginia Light Artillery. All the cavalry was in command of Captain Greenfield. Marched twelve miles first day and camped. Next day, moved to within four miles of Preston. August 3rd, started early and marched to Big Capon Bridge and camped for the night. August 4th, the cavalry led the advance; when within nine miles of Romney, the brigade went into camp, except the cavalry under Greenfield, which marched on to Romney and camped for the night. The brigade under command of Colonel Campbell came on next day and went into camp at Mechanicsburg Gap, where we had camped during the spring months. The cavalry also moved on to the gap and went into camp, all seven companies camping together. Captain Greenfield being the senior cavalry officer present, had command of the cavalry camp. General Meade was holding the undivided attention of the Confederate army down on the Rapidan and it seemed unlikely that there would be any further invasion of the lower valley by a large force of the enemy during the autumn.
Our Ringgold Battalion was still in General Kelley's department and his mission being principally the protection of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, it seemed very likely that he would keep the cavalry stationed at this point. Acting on this presumption, the men pro- ceeded to build comfortable quarters for themselves and shelters for their horses. Regular military discipline was maintained here ; the camp was surrounded by guards, marching their beats, day and night, no one being allowed to leave without a pass. We had as usual a great deal of scouting, picket and train-guard duty to perform, as the country was infested with guerrillas.
THE SQUADRON AT PETERSBURG AND MOORFIELD.
On the 6th or 7th of August, Mulligan's Brigade of infantry and artillery and two companies (Barr's and Young's) of the Ring- gold Battalion were ordered to occupy Petersburg. Campbell's Brigade remained at Mechanicsburg Gap, where the five remaining companies, under command of Captain Greenfield, were retained. During the months of August and September, the duties of the five cavalry companies stationed at Mechanicsburg Gap, were constant, but became monotonous, as the outposts at Petersburg and Moor- field, checked the partisan bands of the enemy from coming this
·
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BACK IN THE MOUNTAINS, AUGUST, 1863.
way. The squadron of the battalion sent to Petersburg, and especially Captain Barr's company had excitement in abundance, as the following pages record.
On August 15th, 1863, Colonel Thoburn, commanding the post at Petersburg, West Virginia, was directed to establish an outpost at Moorfield. He thereupon ordered to that place Major Stephens with two companies of the First West Virginia Infantry, 177 men ; Captain Barr with his company of the Ringgold Cavalry, 48 men ; and two guns of Rourke's Battery, 33 men. These troops marched to Moorfield and camped about the town; the infantry camped on the hill east of town, where they dug some rifle pits; the cavalry stationed near the cemetery, and the artillery on the high points south of town. The commissary and quartermaster stores were obtained from Petersburg, but the supply of watermelons and roasting-ears were drawn from the " Oldfields Plantation " nearby.
The duty required of this small body of cavalry was heavy ; the men were in the saddle daily and had frequent skirmishes with the enemy. On August 22nd, a detchment of twenty men in command of First Sergeant H. H. Eller, was sent out the Wardens- ville Pike on a scout, when they encountered Captain Sheets' Con- federate Cavalry company of forty-three men, capturing and bring- ing to camp five prisoners. In this fight, Sergeant Jacob L. Wise, John W. Manning, Abe Moore and H. L. Prall were slightly wounded. On the Petersburg Road (August 27th) Lieutenant B. W. Denny, with twenty-two men, met and had a fight with thirty-eight of Mc- Neill's Rangers. Their first volley killed Denny's horse and wounded Jacob Ulery. Our cavalry captured two prisoners and nine horses, the rest of the enemy escaping up the mountain ravines.
On the 28th of August, Captain Barr, with twenty of his own cavalry and a detachment of forty men of the 1st West Virginia Infantry, was ordered to scout out the South Fork Road. The scout had proceeded twelve miles when, at three o'clock P. M., they met a superior force of the Seventh Virginia Cavalry. Captain Barr, with his cavalry in the advance. charged the enemy, but was repulsed with the loss of * Andy Elliott, wounded and taken prisoner, and Samuel Simons, wounded in the leg. Captain Barr then fell back upon the infantry, pursued by the Confederates. The infantry greeted them with a volley that caused them to beat a hasty retreat toward Brock's Gap with our troops close at their heels, capturing from them two prisoners and ten horses, which were brought into camp at midnight.
· Died at Belle Isle Prison at Richmond, Va., Dec. 23, 1963.
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On September 1st, Sergeant L. S. Moore, with a squad of ten cavalrymen, sent out the Wardensville Pike on a reconnaissance, was fired upon by bushwhackers, slightly wounding George H. Vankirk.
It will be remembered that Averill occupied Winchester, just as Early's Corps, the rear of Lee's Army moved south through Stras- burg. on its way to Culpepper. Within a few days, he (Averill) re- ceived an order to make an expedition through Hardy, Pendleton, Highland, Bath, Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties, West Virginia. Leaving Winchester on the 5th of August, he proceeded to Moor- field, occupying that place for a week, and thence to Petersburg to complete his outfit for the expedition and get his horses shod. On the 19th and 20th, he set his columns in motion up the North Fork and South Fork, through Franklin and Monterey and into Bath. Pocohontas, etc., driving the enemy, destroying saltpetre works and Government property as he went. As soon as the Confederates in the valley became aware of Averill's movement, Imboden and Mc- Neill were sent to intercept him, but on reaching Monterey, they found further pursuit useless. They then turned their forces north- ward and marched on Moorfield.
IMBODEN AND M'NEILL ATTACK OUTPOST AT MOORFIELD.
Two hours before daylight on the morning of September 4th, Sergeant B. F. Hassan in command of a squad of five men, consisting of William Jenkins, John W. Manning, Abel Moore, John Penney and Corporal Samuel Hallam, was ordered to make a reconnaissance out the Brock Gap Road in search of information as to the location of the enemy. After proceeding five or six miles and just as day- light was breaking, the Confederate pickets were discovered at a ford on the South Fork of the Potomac. Corporal Hallam was dispatched back to camp to report, while Hassan, with the others, crossed the river and drove the pickets into their main force, and then started for the camp at Moorfield, when a company of Confederate Cavalry in command of Lieutenant Jesse McNeill was met with. Being caught between this force in front, and another in pursuit, an attempt at re- sistance proved fruitless, and the five men were forced to surrender. The horses ridden by Hassan and Jenkins were shot and Moore was wounded. Hallam got through with his message, and Captain Barr, with twelve men, started out in haste to reinforce Hassan, but was too late and was obliged to get back to avoid capture.
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BACK IN THE MOUNTAINS, SEPT., 1863.
* The timely warning conveyed to Stevens by Corporal Hallam was of great value and prompted the Major to make immediate preparations to meet the attack, which later in the day was made by Imboden with a force of 2,500 men.
Major Stevens, with a force of 600 men, made a heroic defense and held his position until the following day, when he was forced back across the river to The Junction where he met reinforcements.
Imboden and McNeill then withdrew and returned to the Shenandoah Valley, leaving a small force of about 70 men, which went into camp in a dense woods four miles above Moorfield. Major Stevens re-occupied Moorfield.
The Rebel camp in the woods was unknown to the Union forces for several days, until a negro reported it. When this in- formation reached. Colonel Mulligan at Petersburg, he planned to attack this camp, and on the 10th, sent the following order to Major Stevens at Moorfield :
" It has been reported to these headquarters that a party of the enemy (number unknown) is encamped four or five miles from Moorfield. A party of infantry under Captain Fitzgerald (23rd Illinois) will start from this Point at 9 P. M., intending to arrive at the camp of the enemy at daylight, and, if possible, effect a surprise and capture. The Colonel commanding directs that you send to-night Captain Barr's company of cavalry and a company of infantry from your command with instructions to move on the reported camp of the enemy to arrive at daylight, and to act in concert with the force moving from this point."
Accordingly, at three P. M., on the morning of the 11th. Cap- tain Barr, with the available men of his own company, twenty-one in number, and thirty-five of the First West Virgina Infantry, under Captain James E. Morrow, marched up the South Fork for the camp of the enemy.
CAPTURE OF FEDERAL CAMP AT MOORFIELD.
It had happened, however, that on the previous evening, Cap- tain McNeill, with eighty of his Rangers, had returned from the Valley and joined the camp in the woods, for the purpose of carry- ing into effect a similar coup-a surprise of Major Steven's camp
* Corporal Hallam was captured later in the day and all six prisoners were carried off to Richmond prisons, where Jenkins and Moore died during the following winter. Manning was eventually exchanged and the others shipped south during March. Hassan escaped from the train in North Carolina and found his way back to "God's Country." Hallam was taken to Andersonville, survived the horrors of that infamous prison and was exchanged shortly before the close of the war.
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
at Moorfield. McNeill had planned to attack an hour earlier than Mulligan's program. He had left his camp earlier in the night, ad- vanced by an unfrequented mountain trail until within a mile of Stephen's camp, when his men were dismounted, leaving the horses with a guard, and crept stealthily through the forest until within a short distance of the sleeping camp, when they dashed in among the tents, yelling and shooting, capturing 147 prisoners, almost with- out resistance, together with six wagons and forty horses.
McNeill started up the South Fork Road with his prisoners and property, unaware that there were any other Yankees about; when about two miles from Moorfield, he was attacked by the small force under Captains Barr and Morrow, who were posted on the hillside south of the road and poured a hot fire into the column, killing a number of horses. McNeill dismounted a body of his men, scaled the hill and drove them off. In the confusion of this attack, Captain Dougherty and some of the other prisoners escaped, and Henry Slusher, of Barr's company was captured.
After the column had proceeded some distance farther, it was met by Captain Fitzgerald's detachment of infantry, when another skirmish took place, resulting in the escape of more prisoners, the capture of some of McNeill's men and the killing of more of his horses. Among the prisoners captured in camp at Moorfield were two of Captain Barr's company, James Bradley and William P. Hayner. On the previous evening, a small detail of cavalry from the Ringgold Battalion, then stationed at Petersburg twelve miles up the river, was sent to Moorfield with dispatches for Major Stephens; after delivering the papers, the squad went into camp, as the hour was late and a return trip at night would be hazardous. The detail consisted of twelve men, it is said, but the only names we have been able to obtain are Edward Perrin Lynn, Joseph Fuller, George Hardy and Walker McConnell, all of Captain Work's Com- pany. In the surprise of the camp, Hardy and McConnell escaped, the latter by dodging his captor and jumping into the river ; Lynn and Fuller were carried off with the prisoners.
A detail of seventy men under command of Lieutenants Crago and Vangilder was sent to capture a force of the enemy who was threatening the "Swamp Dragons," a local company of Union soldiers, or " Home Guards." raised for home defense in the County
These prisoners were confined in Belle Isle Prison at Richmond throughout the following winter, where Bradley and Hayner died. Perrin, Lynn and Henry Slusher were exchanged, March 18, 1864. Fuller was sent to Andersonville Prison in February, 1864, where he was confined until near the close of the war, when he was exchanged.
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BACK IN THE MOUNTAINS, OCT., 1863.
of Pendleton. The force of the enemy was not found, but Captain Bond with his company of "Dragons " was found lying in ambush, expecting an attack from the enemy. The command or scout re- mained with the "Swamp Dragon " until morning, when, as they were returning to camp leisurely, were met by a messenger tell- ing them to hurry to camp, as Major Stephens had been attacked at Moorfield and his camp destroyed. The entire force of cavalry was out all day, and Lieutenant Denny, with a detachment of his com- pany, met and had a skirmish with the enemy.
At the time of the surprise at Moorfield on the morning of September 11, 1863, Major Stephens, Captain McElroy and many others escaped capture. Major Stephens was much chagrined over the surprise and charges of carelessness, that had been current topics in camp, and longed for an opportunity to retrieve his lost prestige.
In a few weeks after that affair, he was sent on an expedition to Moorfield with 200 infantry, seventy dismounted cavalry and ten mounted cavalry, with orders to surprise and capture a force of the enemy reported to be there. The command started soon after mid- night, Lieutenant Crago in command of the dismounted cavalry. The intention was to arrive at Moorfield before daylight, but day- light found them two miles distant from that place. The Rebels waited for a slight skirmish and then made their escape, when the disappointed Major returned with his command.
A great many of the horses at this time were unfit for service, some worn down from hard service and many others, run down for want of proper care. A very considerable number of men were thus escaping duty. It was thought that some service as "foot cavalry " would result in improving the condition of the unservice- able horses.
Not long after this, Lieutenant Crago was sent with a detach- ment of forty picked men from the different companies, to recon- noiter Moorfield and ascertain if there was a force of the enemy there. Approaching the place, we saw at a distance a force of the enemy's cavalry greater than ours, but we charged right through the town, the enemy firing a few shots and retiring. We were about to search the town for Rebel soldiers. * "Halting with a dozen of my men in front of the large hotel in the center of the town, I was.met by Hospital Steward Hart of the 1st West Vir- ginia Infantry, who was there in charge of some of our wounded.
* Lieutenant Crago.
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He remarked that unless we had a force of over one hundred men, we had no business there, as there were at least one hundred and fifty Rebels within call of the town. I was about to search the hotel, but being assured by Mr. Hart that there were none of the enemy there, I desisted. We then returned to camp. Mr. Hart told me afterward that there was a Rebel soldier in the house at the time, with whom he had been engaged in a social game of euchre when we charged up street. He knew that if we made this Confederate a prisoner, then the enemy would take him a prisoner, so he made this false report to save himself and also for the sake of the wounded men of which he had charge."
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