USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 17
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Colonel Snider formed his line again on an elevated position and checked the enemy for a short time, but soon continued the re- treat. The enemy followed the retreating train into the mountain west of Burlington, but not in force, as he had important business just then in taking off the captured train. They burned about forty wagons and carried off the remainder. A few of these were lost in crossing the mountain, and General Rosser complained that many of the stores with which the wagons were loaded, disappeared before they reached the Shenandoah Valley. Colonel Snider did not make a report of the number of mules lost. General Early reported that they had captured 300. Colonel Snider reported a loss in men of five killed, thirty-four wounded, and thirty-five missing; a number of the latter came in later. Major Nathan Goff, of the 4th West Virginia Cavalry was captured. His horse having been shot, fell on the officer's leg, and, unable to extricate himself, he was made a prisoner and carried off to a southern prison.
Some of the drivers stuck to their teams and brought their wagons off and through to New Creek intact; among these was Frank Fitzsimmons of Company A, the only name we have been able to obtain.
THOBURN ESCAPES FROM PETERSBURG .- RINGGOLD BATTALION MEN HOLD THE APPROACHES FOR TWO DAYS ALONE.
As soon as a report of the engagement and loss of train reached New Creek on the evening of the 30th, all the available men of the Ringgold Battalion were ordered on a scout to Ridge- ville in command of Captain Work. This scout went on to Burling- ton and Patterson Creek Valley, then returned to Ridgeville and placed pickets. Again at three o'clock in the night, Work scouted to Burlington and vicinity, but finding no evidence of the enemy, re- turned to Ridgeville at 6 A. M. (31st).
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
Colonel Thoburn's position at Petersburg was now perilous. With but one day's provisions left, his line of communication in possession of the enemy, his force weakened by the absence of the 23rd Illinois, he was in no condition to stand a siege.
" A little after dark (on the evening of the 30th) a scouting party brought in a prisoner taken from Early as he was going into camp on the Moorfield Road, six or seven miles from Petersburg, from whom we learned that we would be attacked the following morning at daylight. At midnight, every preparation being com- pleted, the command moved off quietly, taking with us, with some trifling exceptions, all our stores and Government property. The Patterson Creek Road being occupied by the enemy, I was com- pelled to take an unfrequented and difficult mountain road through Bell's Gap to the base of the Allegheny Mountains, and from thence to Greenland Gap, where the head of the column arrived at 10:15 A. M., January 31st. At 5 P. M., went into camp eighteen miles from New Creek. Arrived at the latter place at 11:30 A. M., February 1st."-(From Colonel Thoburn's Report.)
Promptly at daylight on the morning of January 31st, the enemy appeared before Petersburg and opened fire on the works, but to his surprise, he found the place unoccupied. He then hastened by the direct Patterson's Creek route to Greenland Gap, to cut off Tho- burn's retreat, but was too late. McNeill's and Gilmor's forces were sent into the Allegheny Mountains for cattle, while Rosser proceeded down Patterson Creek.
General Kelley, thoroughly alarmed at the strength of the enemy and not being able to determine his purpose, now, as usual, "began to apprehend that his ultimate designs were to effect the destruction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and that at the same time, he might attack the post at New Creek, or even hazard a coup-de-main on Cumberland, with a view to plunder ยท therefore, held Mulligan's Division (at New Creek) strengthened by Thoburn, for defensive or offensive operations, as the circum- stances might dictate."
The Ringgold Cavalry, under command of Captain Work, picketing at Ridgeville and Claysville and constantly patrolling to Burlington and vicinity, seems to be the only force Kelley had drawn from the garrison at New Creek.
Claysville was a hamlet up New Creek, seven miles above
* Captain Greenfield's Company of Cavalry had remained at Petersburg with Colonel Thoburn's command.
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EARLY AND ROSSER RAID.
Ridgeville, at the junction of New Creek Road and Northwestern Pike. The picket there was but a handful of eighteen men, under command of Lieutenant McNulty, keeping watch on that narrow valley, lest the enemy might come through one of the gaps above and advance that way.
On the morning of February 1st, Lieutenant McNulty sent Corporal George Daugherty, with three others, to reconnoiter about Dull's Gap, two and a half miles farther up New Creek. As Daugherty, riding several rods ahead of the others, came directly opposite the mouth of the Gap, there on their horses sat six Rebel cavalrymen, revolvers in hand, ready for action. They gave him the " Halt, thar, you Yank." Daugherty and his men wheeled and made a dash for the picket post with the Johnnies in hot pursuit. Daugherty's horse began to fail and fall behind, enabling the pursuers to come up 'within range, when they began to shoot. In attempting to jump a wide ditch, the jaded horse fell, throwing the Corporal, who continued his retreat afoot, and, dodging behind some buildings, gained the timber and escaped. Our picket caught sight of the other fleeing comrades and fired his carbine to give the alarm, which brought Lieutenant McNulty and three of the reserve charging up across the creek and into the Johnnies. McNulty shot the upper lip off one of his antagonists and killed his horse, while the Rebels fired a volley and retreated, one of their balls wounding McNulty in the arm.
When Colonel Mulligan heard that the enemy had appeared in New Creek Valley and attacked the pickets, he issued the following order, the original of which Captain McNulty has at this writing :
HEAD-QUARTERS, SECOND DIVISION, DEP'T OF WEST VIRGINIA, New Creek, W. Va., Feb'y 1, 1864, 4 P. M.
Lieutenant :
Fall back to the mouth of Short Cut from the New Creek Road to the Northwestern Pike. Keep your patrols from there to the junction of the New Creek and N. W. Pike. Keep Head- Quarters advised.
By order of COL. MULLIGAN.
M. J. RUSSELL, A. A. A. G.
LIEUTENANT MCNULTY.
Although painfully wounded, Lieutenant McNulty stuck to his picket-post and said nothing about it to Headquarters. Colonel
162 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
Mulligan did not learn of this until late on the 3rd, when he issued the following order: '
Lieutenant :
You are hereby directed to report to these Head-Quarters with your picket detachment. Would have relieved you days ago, had I known of your being wounded.
By order of
COL. MULLIGAN.
LIEUTENANT MCNULTY.
M. J. RUSSELL, A. A. A. G.
On the morning of February 1st, Captain Work again took a detachment of thirty men of the Ringgold Battalion across the mountain and reconnoitered about Burlington. He received informa- tion that a large body of Confederate cavalry were coming down Patterson Creek Valley. He then stationed pickets up the road by the creek and formed his reserve a half mile back. A little later he was reinforced by another detachment of cavalry under Captain Chessrown. Captain Pease, of Colonel Mulligan's staff, then came up, and, as he outranked Captain Work, took command. He changed the position of the reserve contrary to Captain Work's judgment, and then, taking Captain Chessrown with him, went for- ward to the outer pickets. By this time, he understood the "lay of the land " better, and directed Chessrown to go back and tell Work to change the reserve back to the first position. As Chess- rown started with the order, he was obliged to cross the creek, when his horse stumbled and fell in the water, catching the Captain's leg under him. The horse sprang up and jumped away, but was caught by Lieutenant Speer and returned to the owner just as the enemy charged down the road, and our pickets fell back at full speed. By the time Chessrown, soaking wet from his bath, got mounted, the Rebs were almost up and calling on him to surrender. He dashed away, however, and with lead whistling about his ears, led them a race of a half mile to the reserve column, which saved him from capture and checked the enemy for the time. The Rebs charged again furiously, and our men were driven back and so hard pressed that five men with bad horses were overtaken and made prisoners .* Robert W. Nesbit, of Company C, had his horse shot.
* The men captured were John T. Gass, W. H. II. Wickerham, Isaac J. Mitchell, W. H. H. Degarmo and Daniel Amos. Degarmo was an old man and his captors let him go. The others were taken to Richmond and imprisoned on Belle-Isle during the remainder of the winter, without sufficient shelter, blankets or food. Gass and Mitchell became ill; in the spring they were sent south and imprisoned in Andersonville. The sick men were eventually removed to another prison near Florence, South Carolina, where Gass died, Nov. 5, 1864. Mitchell was finally exchanged and placed on board a trans- port, but was so far gone that he died on ship-board. Wickerham survived, was finally exchanged, returned to his company and served his country until the close of the war.
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EARLY AND ROSSER RAID, FEB., 1864.
THE PURSUIT.
At 12 P. M., Captain Greenfield, with one hundred of the Ring- gold Cavalry and four companies of infantry, was ordered to Ridgeville. When Greenfield arrived at Ridgeville in the latter part of the night, he learned that the enemy, which had driven Work through the Ridge, had retired at seven o'clock on the previous even- ing. Taking Stack's Cavalry with him, and also Captain Work with part of his force,. Captain Greenfield moved forward to Burlington and found that Rosser's command had left and gone down Patter- son's Creek. Greenfield immediately reported this fact to Thoburn, who then reinforced him with the Third Pennsylvania Reserves and Lieutenant Kelley's two howitzers, all under command of Major Briner of the Reserves.
Captains Work and Chessrown, with forty cavalry, were sent to the Junction on a reconnaissance. Found the enemy and charged him, but he was too strong to be driven.
Next day (February 3rd) at about 3 A. M., Colonel Thoburn joined our forces at Burlington with the First and Fourteenth West Virginia Infantry, Fourth Pennsylvania Reserves and Carlin's Bat- tery. Lieutenant Welch, with a small detachment of cavalry, who had been sent to Sheet's Mills the evening before, returned before daylight, reporting that the enemy had left Sheet's Mills the evening before and gone in the direction of Romney. Colonel Thoburn at once moved out with the cavalry under Greenfield and one regiment of infantry, to Moorfield Junction, where it was discovered that the enemy had passed in the early part of the night.
General Kelley had ordered two regiments of cavalry from the Shenandoah Valley to try and cut off Rosser's escape. These had now reached the vicinity and were hunting Rosser. Colonel Tho- burn sent Lieutenant Welch with a small detachment of cavalry to find Averill's men, who returned, reporting that Colonel Thompson's regiment was at Romney, and Colonel Fitzsimmons with his regi- ment of New York Cavalry from Sullivan's command, was at Springfield, having marched down there by the South Branch Valley, while Rosser slipped up Patterson's Creek Valley on the opposite side of the mountain. Rosser had captured the guard at Patter- son's Creek railroad bridge, set fire to the bridge (which did not burn) and hurried back up the creek to avoid a collision with these cavalry regiments from the Valley, which he knew were on the way.
Colonel Thoburn now informed Colonels Thompson and Fitz-
164 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
simmons that Rosser had escaped, and that he had ordered pursuit in which he requested them to join. Thoburn ordered Captain Greenfield with his command of one hundred men to pursue and find Rosser's command. Greenfield pursued, overtook them four miles from the junction, and had a skirmish with their rear-guard.
About 1 p. M., Colonel Thompson, with six hundred cavalry, reported to Colonel Thoburn at Moorfield Junction, and Colonel Fitzsimmons was reported on the way with about the same num- ber of cavalry. Colonel Thoburn then moved forward. At Purgits- ville, Colonel Mulligan, our division commander, came up and took command, while Thoburn returned to the infantry.
Colonel Mulligan, in his report, says :
" On the 3rd, I took command of the column then in pursuit of General Rosser on the Moorfield and Hardy Pike. Colonel Thoburn commanding, reported the Third and Fourth Pennsylvania Reserves as exhausted, footsore, and unable to proceed. I ordered them into camp near Purgitsville, and with Lieutenant Colonel Thompson commanding five hundred of Averill's Cavalry, Captain Greenfield's Cavalry, Carlin's Battery and a section of Ewing's un- der Lieutenant Morton, moved to Reynolds' Gap, where we halted to await the arrival of General Sullivan's Cavalry under Lieutenant Colonel Fitzsimmons. The Colonel, not arriving and unable to as- certain his location, at four o'clock in the morning, I ordered Car- lin's Battery with a guard of two hundred cavalry back to the in- fantry at Purgitsville, it being hazardous to risk so much artillery with so light a force."
*. With the remaining force of cavalry and Ewing's Battery, Colonel Mulligan then moved forward to feel the enemy, whom we discovered at Parson's Ford on the South Branch at 8 A. M. At the same time, Fitzsimmons advanced on the Romney road with six hundred of Sullivan's Cavalry and Captain Henry A. Myers' Company of the Ringgold Battalion that had come from Patterson's Creek and joined him at Romney.
Lieutenant Morton immediately brought up his battery and opened on the enemy from Parson's Ford. Our cavalry, under Colonel Thompson. was preparing to charge, when the Colonel ordered him to take one piece of artillery, move to Going's Ford, hold it and harass the enemy's flank. At the same time, Colonel Fitzsimmons was advancing with his command to charge, when he
* Captain Greenfield.
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EARLY AND ROSSER RAID, FEB., 1864.
was halted by the Colonel ( Mulligan) as he learned the enemy was drawing us into a trap, some of their cavalry deploying on our left.
When Colonel Mulligan realized, about 11 A. M., that Early was only maneuvering to gain time to escape with his cattle and train, we were permitted to charge, but it was too late, as there was only . a rear-guard to drive out of Moorfield. We pursued them up the South Fork and had a skirmish with them at Randolphs. They con- tinued their retreat, continuing slowly up the Fork.
When Early's Infantry was reported deploying into position, Captain Myers, being familiar with the South Fork Pass, was or- dered to the front with his company (A of the Ringgold) and Colonel Fitzsimmons ordered to press closely after him, using his artillery to rout the enemy. Captain Myers, after an effort to break through their lines, returned and reported the enemy strongly lodged in the rocks.
Colonel Fitzsimmons reported the most of his cavalry too much exhausted for further efficient pursuit. The enemy's train was dis- covered at 3 P. M. on the South Branch Mountains. Our artillery opened on it without effect, the distance being too great. Colonel Fitzsimmons and the artillery were stationed at the mouth of the South Fork Defile, and Colonel Thompson, with all the available force of both commands, moved up the Fork in pursuit, following the enemy until late in the night.
Colonel Thoburn was ordered to come forward with the infan- tr'y, but was unable to arrive in time to be of any assistance. The enemy's force being greater than our pursuing force, after leaving Moorfield, had the advantage of mountain passes and narrow defiles that made attack hazardous. They could retire from position to position and inflict serious loss upon an assailant, with comparative safety to himself.
In our rear, as far back as Burlington, the woods were full of small bands of the enemy watching for stragglers, couriers, etc.
" After Mulligan took command on the 3rd, the forces moved from the Junction at 3 o'clock and halted at Fink's. four miles above. Here, nine men from our battalion were detailed as couriers, of whom Johnston, Willison and myself were ordered to wait here for dispatches. We stayed over night, sleeping and guarding our horses by turns. I received two dispatches at daybreak to deliver to the relay couriers at the Junction, who were to carry them on to the next relay at Burlington, who were to carry them through to New Creek. When I came to the Junction, I could find no couriers, they being somewhere in a house fast asleep, so I took the dispatches on to Burlington, going the eight miles in one hour. While I was at Burlington, Willison carried a dispatch down to the relay at the Junction, and on his return to Fink's, was captured by a few bushwhackers. Later in the day, Johnston was returning up with a dispatch for Colonel Mulligan, when he was attacked front and rear by a half dozen rebs; he left his horse and escaped with the dispatch. Sergeant Oliver, myself and four others got the dispatch, carried it to Colonel Mulligan, and returned to the Junction with Lieutenant Gibson and a good squad."-Donaldson's Journal.
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
We find the following in Lieutenant Crago's Letters, published in 1884:
" We moved very rapidly through the 'Oldfield's ' Plantation. and reaching the bank of the river, saw the enemy in full view just beyond. Our artillery opened fire at once, and in a few minutes, Colonel Thompson's force would have forded the river had it not been for peremptory orders to cease firing. The Colonel was then ordered with a piece or artillery to an eminence on the right, from which we could see the entire force of the enemy. Why we were not permitted to fight them, I could never understand. The men were all anxious for the combat. Colonel Thompson was so en- raged that he shed tears. He asked of Colonel Mulligan permission to take his own regiment and attack the enemy, agreeing to be re- sponsible for the result.
" Captain Greenfield, being ordered to the right above town, was about to order a charge with his command when Mulligan's aide. galloping up, asked him if he did not see the Rebels just beyond. ' Yes!' exclaimed Greenfield, 'and have seen them for the past hour.'
" Had either Greenfield or Thompson been in command, some- body would have been whipped in less than an hour. As it was, we watched their train (a good part of it our train) escape across the mountain, while we were held in leash."
* "On the morning of the 5th, Early was reported retreating rapidly towards Harrisonburg. Our cavalry was worn down by forced marches and loss of sleep since we ran into Early's army above Moorfield on the South Fork before daylight on the morn- ing of the 30th ult. At Petersburg, our horses had but little grain, subsisting principally on hay, which was not too abundant. Colonel Mulligan ordered the co-operating forces back to their stations.
" Encamped the night of the 4th on the McNeill farm. On the morning of the 5th, marched to Moorfield and Petersburg, and brought away the sick and wounded. February 6th, marched from Petersburg to New Creek."
GREENLAND GAP.
During the month of February, our cavalry were kept scouting actively throughout Hampshire and Hardy counties, especially the latter, the winter rendezvous of McNeill's Rangers. Petersburg was
* Colonel Greenfield.
OUTPOST AT GREENLAND GAP, FEB., MAR., 1864. 167
not reoccupied as a military post, but it was determined to estab- lish an outpost at Greenland Gap, some twenty miles back from the railroad. On the 21st of February, Work's and Barr's com- panies of the Ringgold Cavalry, the 23rd Illinois Infantry and two guns of Carlin's Battery were ordered to Greenland Gap, where they arrived on the following day (February 22nd). Colonel Quirk, of the 23rd Illinois, commanded the post. The men fixed up quarters again, this being the third time they had built themselves winter quarters during this winter. Active scouting was required, for the country was suffering from marauding bands, who robbed, and occasionally murdered loyal citizens and kept them in a state of terror. A sad accident occurred here on the 26th. The men were cutting and skidding down the mountain side, logs for the building of a house, when one struck Frank Boles, of Company C, killing him instantly.
Many recruits now began to arrive to fill up the gaps in our ranks. Almost every one of these was from the old neighborhood in Washington County, Pennsylvania, where the company of his choice was recruited. Many of the men of the old companies, whose three-year enlistment would expire in a few months, were re-enlist- ing for three years; those who thus re-enlisted were allowed a 30-day furlough. The 23rd Illinois Infantry re-enlisted on the 28th.
On the next day (29th) General Kelley was relieved of his command, and General Franz Sigel assigned to the Department of West Virginia. On this day, Lieutenant Denny with a detach- ment from C and F companies was sent on a scout to Moorfield. Later in the day, it was reported that a force of the enemy was at Moorfield, when Captain Work took a scout there, but the enemy had gone. He heard nothing of Denny, so returned to camp.
March 1, 1864. Six inches of snow and very stormy. Captain Work was ordered to take all the available men of the two cavalry companies, with five days' rations and forage, to Petersburg. Lieu- tenant Colonel Root, of the 15th New York Cavalry, with his com- mand and a small detachment of the Ringgold Battalion from New Creek-in all 400 men-had been ordered to proceed to Petersburg, leave his wagons there in charge of a force under Captain Work, and then advance to Franklin and destroy a saltpetre works some miles south of that place, the product of which was used by the Confederates for the manufacture of gunpowder.
Captain Work marched for Petersburg with thirty-three men, all in camp who were available. On the way, he met Lieutenant
168 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
Denny's scout, returning, very much fatigued, who were allowed to go on to Greenland and rest over night, then join Work's small force at Petersburg.
Captain Work arrived at Petersburg, at dark, and quartered his men in the hospital, where they enjoyed a good night's rest. Colonel Root encamped that night in a deep ravine one mile out, and next day proceeded to fulfill his mission. It was reported to Cap- tain Work that a body of Rebel cavalry was in Moorfield. Anxious to ascertain the truth of this statement, he made a reconnaissance with twenty-five men to and about Moorfield, and learned that a body of the enemy's cavalry had been there, but had left at 9 A. M. From all the information he could gather, he was convinced that there was a considerable force of Confederate cavalry in the vicinity.
That evening, March 2nd, Lieutenant Denny with thirty-seven men arrived at Petersburg. Next day, Captain Work sent Lieuten- ant Denny with twenty-six men, sixteen of Company F and ten of Company C, to scout in the direction of Moorfield. When within three miles of Moorfield, he came in contact with a small body of Rebel cavalry, which resisted his advance sharply, when he charged and drove them a short distance, wounding several and shooting some of their horses. Immediately thereafter, another body of cavalry, three times as great as his own, appeared in his rear and attacked him, while those in front returned to the attack. Denny's men dispersed, all escaping but seven, who were taken prisoner. The captured were Corporal Abraham H. Wilkin, Edward Linton and Milton S. Davis of Captain Work's company, and Michael G. Moore, John W. Penney, Corporal William Vankirk and Corporal Milton Sherwood. of Captain Barr's company. All the prisoners died in Southern prisons, except Sherwood. Denny also reported a loss of thirteen horses and equipments captured.
Captain Work immediately sent a messenger to Colonel Quirk, asking for reinforcements, when Captain Elliott with seventy-five of the 15th New York Cavalry was started from Burlington to re- inforce him.
The evident strength of the enemy in the vicinity, his own small force being considerably reduced by the day's fighting, rein- forcements not having arrived, at 10 P. M., Captain Work fell back on the Thoburn Road five miles and bivouacked for the night. re- turning to Petersburg in the morning, where he learned that the enemy had charged into the place during the night, but not finding him, had retired a short distance. Constantly expecting an attack
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OUTPOST AT GREENLAND GAP, MARCH, 1864.
and hearing nothing from Colonel Root, Work again fell back to the camp of the previous night.
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