USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 23
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Sigel concluded to move on, however, and reached Woodstock with his army on the 11th, when he telegraphed the Adjutant Gen- eral: " I arrived here to-day after a slight skirmish with the enemy's cavalry, who retired toward Edenburg."
Among telegraph papers captured at Woodstock when our
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SIGEL'S ADVANCE UP THE VALLEY.
forces entered was one showing that Breckenridge was at Staunton with 4,000 men. On the 13th Sigel telegraphed the Adjutant Gen- eral of the Army: " My principal object in advancing up the Shen- andoah Valley is to threaten Staunton, to divide the forces of Breck- enridge and to assist by this means General Crook, whose object is to destroy New River Bridge. I have no later news from him than the 6th inst., when he entered Princeton. My forces are insufficient for offensive operations in this country where the enemy is continually on my flank and rear. My intention, therefore, is not to advance farther than this place (Woodstock) with my main force, but have sent out strong parties in every direction. Skirmishing is going on every day. If Breckenridge should advance against us I will resist him at some convenient position. My cavalry is at Mount Jackson."
Moseby was in the rear, attacking outposts and wagon-trains almost daily. On the 12th he attacked the wagon-train near Stras- burg, killed two of the guards and captured four prisoners of the 13th Pennsylvania Cavalry. On the 13th, our cavalry scouts had brushes with the enemy's cavalry in the neighborhood of Mount Jackson. On the 14th, orders to march early had been issued, but were countermanded, waiting for the arrival of the supply train. It had rained hard the previous night and was threatening to con- tinue. Shortly before noon, Moor's and Thoburn's brigades of infantry and Wyncoop's brigade of cavalry with eight pieces of artillery, marched on toward Mount Jackson. We heard can- nonading in that direction. General Sigel issued the following :
Near Woodstock, May 14, 1864.
Major-General Stahel:
The troops wil be ready to march to-morrow morning at five o'clock. They will be prepared for action and will march in the direction of Mount Jackson. The troops now in front will remain in their present positions until information from them is received and further orders sent them.
F. SIGEL, Major-General.
Sigel this day received word that General Crook had arrived at Lewisburg.
THE BATTLE OF NEW MARKET.
The next day, May 15th, it rained all day, except at short in- tervals, the rain accompanied with thunder and lightning. We marched forward through the rain this Sabbath morning, thinking
222 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
little of the disagreeable weather, as the booming of cannon a few miles ahead gave us something else to think of. Between Mount Jackson and New Market we came up with part of the force that had marched the day before, and now marched on with them to join the fight.
On the morning of the 14th a force of about five hundred cavalry, under Major Quinn, of the 1st New York Cavalry, had advanced from Edenburg, through Mount Jackson; arriving at the bridge over the Shenandoah, they found the planks removed and the enemy's cavalry on Rude's Hill to the south. Major Quinn had the planks relaid and crossed his force over; leaving a guard. at the bridge, he pushed on, fighting all afternoon, driving the enemy's advance back through New Market, where he found them in considerable force with artillery. Here he received an order to fall back on Colonel Moor's Brigade, which had then advanced to a point close behind.
The enemy then opened on Moor with a brisk artillery fire, which was met by a speedy response from our guns, which were quickly placed in position. Some lively skirmishing was kept up until dark and then Moor took a position on an elevation northwest of New Market, holding it through the night, supported by our cavalry. Skirmishing and artillery firing opened early next morn- ing. General Stahel came up and took command.
The balance of Sigel's forces were scattered back down the pike for several miles. It was getting on toward noon before they were up and in position. Encumbered with a large train, he was obliged to leave two regiments back to protect it. Sigel, himself, formed the line of battle across the pike on the slope rising to the north of the village of New Market, with Moor's division of infantry on the right, supported by our very small brigade of cavalry under Colonel Wyncoop; to the left of Moor, Thoburn's division of in- fantry was placed, supported by the First Brigade of Cavalry under Colonel Tibbits.
Breckenridge's veteran corps under Echols and Wharton, made a fierce attack on our lines, but were received with such a withering fire that they wavered and then came on again. A Confederate staff officer wrote, " When Breckenridge's line reached within 200 yards of the enemy, the position was very critical. and for a time it seemed doubtful as to which should give way." Our artillery was particu- larly damaging to the advancing enemy. Carlin's and Von Kleiser's guns making great gaps in their lines, and Breckenridge ordered Col-
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THE BATTLE NEW MARKET.
onel Smith with the 62nd Virginia and Colonel Skip with the batta- lion of cadets from the Virginia Military Institute to charge and take the guns. The enemy's artillery fire was turned on our batteries and their supports in the meantime; the enemy charged part way, but the fire from Carlin's and Von Kleiser's guns was so destructive, they were obliged to take shelter under cover of a bank, where they rallied and charged again, when our infantry regiment supporting the battery, broke and took shelter behind some buildings, but the gunners stood by their guns and worked them until overpowered by the enemy, who captured five guns. In this charge the 62nd Virginia lost 241 killed and wounded and the cadets 69 killed and wounded out of 250. Imboden with his cavalry and two guns, was sent around our left flank down a creek, and unobserved, until he gained the rear of our cavlary when he opened on them with his guns, throwing them into great confusion; at the same time Breck- enridge charging in front caused the entire force to retreat.
A stand was made at Rude's Hill where the new line was formed under the personal supervision of Generals Sigel, Sullivan and Stahel, when the retreating troops, reinforced by the two regiments that had been back with the train, held the enemy in check until the wagons were well out of the way, when they de- liberately fell back across the river, burning the bridge behind them.
Breckenridge followed only to Rude's Hill, but Sigel marched on and encamped his forces behind Cedar Creek.
* Our detachment of the ?2nd Cavalry was divided up into squads and sent to guard bridges and important points. The squad that I was with, together with one company of the 15th New York Cavalry, was sent out several miles to near Columbia Furnace to prevent a flank movement by the enemy. "Happy Jack " and Wheeler, of Company B, were captured by venturing out too far at dark. I had just put on a relief picket and was then ordered to draw them in and move for the retreating column. When we had gone a mile, an order came to place a squad back at the fording of the Creek and hold it at all hazards; the squad returned to their post and were met by the Rebel cavalry in a charge; the night was very dark and the first intimation we had of their presence was their yell and the firing of their pistols, but we made them get back. We remained at the ford until ten o'clock and then came
* Donaldson.
ยท
224 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
on through Mount Jackson to find that our column and train were far down the pike and only a picket of fifty cavalry left behind.
Next day, the 16th, we destroyed the bridge at Edenburg and marched slowly on down to Cedar Creek.
The reason assigned by Sigel for his defeat was that the Confederate forces outnumbered his and that in consequence of having such long trains to guard he could not bring more than six regiments into the fight. A careful study of the records estab- lishes the fact that Breckenridge had about 5,000 troops and that Sigel had about the same number; but Sigel had two regiments back with the wagon trains that were not in the fight. Sigel's army was scattered along the road for two miles when the battle proper began. He had not taken the precaution to guard against the flank movement executed by Imboden, which had much to do in causing confusion in our lines. He showed great courage in riding along the lines in the thick of the fight, and did everything possible after the battle was on. The excellent work of the artillery is attested by the enemy, and had these batteries been defended by stronger supports, the enemy would have been repulsed.
Sigel's soldiers, although defeated and compelled to fall back, were not discouraged nor ashamed of their conduct on the battle- field. They had met the furious onslaught of the veteran corps of Echols and Wharton, commanded by one of the ablest generals in the Confederate Army, and although our lines were not strong enough to repel their repeated assaults, our men fell back slowly, in good order, and brought off all our train, leaving the enemy so damaged that he did not pursue us. After a rest of two days, our troops were again in good spirits and ready to advance.
Sigel's Army, for the next ten days, encamped on the north side of Cedar Creek on the very ground made famous by Sheridan on the 19th of the following October. Sergeant Donaldson's journal, as follows, tells the story of those ten days at Cedar Creek.
" Cedar Creek, May 18.
" The pioneers worked all night repairing the bridge over Cedar Creek; shoeing horses was carried on all night. Heavy details for picket, scouting and train-guard. Have no feed for the horses.
" May 20. Yesterday, a few of us got permission to go to the country to get forage for our horses; we found about a dozen of the cavalry foraging at Mr. -, a sympathizer with the South. We got some corn and oats and then went to the house to
SIGEL DEFEATED, FALLS BACK TO CEDAR CREEK. 225
try to buy some bread. The old lady and two very pretty girls told us, with tears in their eyes, that the soldiers had just searched the house and taken everything they had to eat and for three times they had taken their bread, butter, meat and flour, and now their last bite was gone, and, without help from God, they might starve. Their distress touched my heart. God have mercy on innocent women and children in the path of war.
" Returned to camp and drew rations. Was detailed for picket with six from our company, and eleven from each of the other com- panies, together with one hundred from the 15th New York and 20th Pennsylvania. We were sent out five miles to the right of Strasburg and relieved the 1st New York. We are posted at Lebanon (Lutheran) Church. I had ten dollars in Confederate money, which I gave to the boys and they went out and bought some eggs, butter and meat with it."
"May 21st. After noon, two lieutenants came from camp and each took twenty-four men from our pickets ; one scout went by the mountain road and the other, to which I, with sixteen men from our 'battalion ' was assigned, took the Back Road, and both scouts were to meet at Woodstock. The balance of the men in our scout were of the -th -, green troops, who had not 'learned war.' The scout was in command of one of their lieutenants, as 'green' as his men. When we had gone ten miles, myself and three men of Company B, who was in the advance guard, came on a Rebel picket and chased him through the fields, passing not far from some of his own men, whom we gave a few shots; we waited for the rest of our squad to come up, and then tried them again with a few more shots, which drove them into the woods. We then drew off to a safe distance to investigate. We learned from the citizens that there were at least three companies of Gilmore's Cavalry against our twenty-four men. It became evi- dent to those of us who had experience that the Rebs were maneuvering to flank us. The lieutenant stood undecided, with the squad around him in the road, without regard to order; when he became sure that the Rebs meant a flank movement, he 'lit out ' at the head of the column on a retreat as fast as his horse could run and the rest straggling behind for a mile on the road; some of the horses could not begin to keep up. so I and two or three others slowed up to help those behind, if necessary. When we were safe within a few miles of our post, the brave officer came back and savagely ordered us to close up and would allow no man to stop
226 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
for a drink. He made no effort to keep the men together when that was all important.
" May 22. The other scout that went out yesterday when we did, had a skirmish with the enemy and had two men captured. At four o'clock our pickets were fired on, creating great consternation among the green soldiers. A report came in that the enemy was advancing in force with artillery. The (green) captain in com- mand drew in the pickets and fell back double quick until within a mile of camp, where he halted and threw out videttes. Then rein- forcements came up, and we went out to Lebanon Church, where we had been posted, and remained there all night, but every hour or so were called into line, which is very provoking. I am dis- gusted at being dragged around after such incompetent officers. General Hunter took command to-day. His aide-de-camp ques- tioned the captain who commanded our picket post last night about, leaving his post without skirmishing some with the enemy, if there was one; he seemed to think the officer behaved in a cow- ardly manner.
" Major Myers and Lieutenant Welch came yesterday to take our detachment of the 22nd back to join the regiment, but Colonel Wyncoop would not allow it. Four more companies, just mounted, of the 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry, have arrived here.
" We have seven brass bands in this camp and splendid music to cheer the soldiers.
"May 23d. An order to be ready to march forward with eight days' rations, is issued. The train went to Martinsburg, and with it went the sick and fainty.
" Lieutenant Welch is commanding the detachment of our regiment here; Lieutenant Jenkins is sick. The mail to-day brought commissions for Captain McNulty and Lieutenants Welch and Lane, all of whom are at Green Spring Run with the main body of the regiment."
Cumberland, May 16, 1864.
Maj. Gen. Sigel : This cavalry command is made up of detachments from the Twenty-Second Pennsylvania, Fifteenth New York and Twenty- First New York Would it not be weil to order the Fifteenth and Twenty-first to join their commands with you and send me the balance of the Twenty-second Pennsylvania? Most of this regiment is well acquainted with the South Branch and Lost River valleys, and would perhaps render your command more efficient service by protecting your flank in the above named valleys than any other position, besides rendering the railroad safe from guerrilla bands under McNeill, Harness and others.
B. F. KELLEY, Brigadier General.
227
THE HUNTER RAID.
CHAPTER XIX.
THE LYNCHBURG CAMPAIGN, OR HUNTER RAID.
Sigel's failure and defeat at New Market was a great disap- pointment to General Grant, who immediately asked for his re- moval. General Halleck telegraphed Grant that the President would appoint General Hunter to the command of the department if it would meet with Grant's approval. This was on the 19th of May. Grant answered immediately, "By all means, I would say appoint General
Hunter . . to the command." On the same day an order was issued from the War Department assigning Major- General D. Hunter, U. S. Volunteers, to the command of the Department of West Virginia.
* General Hunter arrived at Cedar Maj .- Gen. David Hunter. Creek on May 21st and took command. He was a man of dark, stern appearance, and prompt manner. Prominent families of the name, relatives, were living here and there in the Valley, but he spared no Rebels for " relation's sake."
His chief of staff was Colonel David Hunter Strother. of Bath, the " Porte Crayon " of so many illustrated sketches of Vir- ginia, a very genial man. His A. A. A. G. was Charles G. Halpine, " Private Miles O'Reilly," who in the busiest campaigns found time to write his entertaining poems."
HDQRS. DEPT. W. VA. Cedar Creek, Va., May 21, 1864.
By an order of the President of the United States I am re- lieved from the command of this department. Major-General Hunter, U. S. Volunteers, is my successor. In leaving the troops under my immediate command, I feel it my duty to give my most sincere thanks to the officers and men who have assisted me so faith- inlly during the last campaign. Having no other wishes and aspira-
* History 1st. N. Y. Lincoln Cavalry.
228
TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
tions but to serve the great cause, which we are bound to defend, I hope that final success may crown the indefatigable zeal and good will of this army.
SIGEL, Major-General.
Camp Near Cedar Creek, May 23, 1864.
Hon. E. M. Stanton,
Secretary of War.
Major-General Sigel, actuated by an earnest patriotism, was anxious to take a division in this army or attend to any other duty. Upon consultation with him I have deemed best to place him in com- mand of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and reserve troops in that region. I have ordered General Kelley and General Weber to report to General Sigel and to be subject to his commands.
D. HUNTER, Major-General.
There never was any question about General Sigel's loyalty and zeal in the great cause of the war for the Union. His willingness to take a command under General Hunter fully attests his patriotism.
General Hunter acted very promptly, assuming command within two days of his assignment. He asked General Halleck to send him some energetic brigadiers .*
The situation in the Valley had become somewhat simplified. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was now well guarded by a num- ber of regiments of Ohio hundred-days' men. Generals Crook and Averill had carried out their part of the program in destroying the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and General Crook was now at Lewisburg just over the Allegheny Mountain from the Upper Valley at Lexington, and about equi-distant from Staunton and Lynchburg. Grant believed that Lee's Army was receiving large quantities of supplies from the Upper Valley and persisted in his plan to have these supplies cut off. He sent word to Hunter, " De- pend entirely on the country for food and hope to form a junc- tion with Crook at Staunton, and immediately push on, if possible, to Charlottesville and Lynchburg and destroy the railroad and canal
Washington, May 23, '64.
* Major General Hunter.
There are no vacancies of brigadier general of volunteers. You have three generals of cavalry in your department, Stahel, Duffie and Averill, certainly enough for your cavalry force. If any are worthless, recommend them to be mustered out and I will endorse it. No one can be appointed till some one else is mustered out.
H. W. HALLECK.
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THE HUNTER RAID.
beyond possibility of repair for weeks; then either return to your original base, or join the Army of the Potomac via Gordonsville."
General Crook received instructions to move on to Staunton where he would join Hunter's forces.
On May 11th, Sigel had broken camp at Cedar Creek and started up the Valley to be defeated at New Market and compelled to fall back to this camp; now, just fifteen days later, on May 26th, General Hunter breaks camp at Cedar Creek, and again, with the same army now strengthened to 8,500 men of all arms, with twenty-one guns, proceeds up the Valley by the same road. Gen- eral Sullivan is in command of the infantry and General Stahel again in command of the cavalry. General Hunter was not sat- isfied with General Stahel and had asked for an experienced briga- dier general to command the cavalry division. He says: "The cavalry needs a commander of zeal, grit, activity and courage."
HDQRS. DEPT. OF WEST VIRGINIA.
In the Field, Cedar Creek, May 22, 1864.
General Orders.
No. 29.
It is of the utmost importance that this army be placed in a situ- ation for immediate efficiency. We are contending against an enemy who is in earnest, and if we expect success, we, too, must be in earnest. We must be willing to make sacrifices, willing to suffer for a short time, that a glorious result may crown our efforts. The country is expecting every man to do his duty, and this done, an ever kind Providence will certainly grant us complete success.
I. Every tent will be immediately turned in for transporta- tion to Martinsburg, and all baggage not expressly allowed by this order, will be at once sent to the rear. There will be but one wagon allowed to each regiment and this will be used only to transport spare ammunition, camp-kettles, tools and mess-pans.
Every wagon will have eight picked horses or mules, two drivers and two saddles. One wagon and one ambulance will be allowed to department headquarters, and the same to division and brigade headquarters. The other ambulances will be under the immediate orders of the medical director.
II. For the expedition in hand, the clothes each soldier has on his back with one extra pair of shoes and socks, are amply suffi- cient. Everything else in the shape of clothing will be packed to-day and sent to the rear. Each knapsack will contain 100 rounds of
230 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
ammunition, carefully packed, four pounds of hard bread, to last eight days ; ten rations of coffee, sugar and salt; one pair of shoes and one pair of socks, and nothing else.
III. Brigade and all other commanders will be held strictly responsible that their commands are amply supplied from the country. Cattle, sheep and hogs, and if necessary, horses and mules, must be taken and slaughtered. These supplies will be seized under direction of officers duly authorized, and upon a system which will be hereafter regulated. No straggling or pillaging will be allowed. Brigade and other commanders will be held responsible that there is no waste, and that there is a proper and orderly division amongst their men of the supplies taken for use.
IV. Commanders will attend personally to the execution of this order, so that we may move to-morrow morning. They will see that in passing through a country in this way, depending upon it for forage and supplies, great additional vigilance is required on the part of every officer in command of men for the strict enforce- ment of discipline.
V. The commanding general expects from every officer and soldier of the army in the field an earnest and unhesitating support, and relies with confidence upon an ever kind Providence for a glorious result. The Lieutenant-General commanding the armies of the United States, who is now victoriously pressing back the enemy upon their last stronghold, expects much from the Army of the Shenandoah ; and he must not be disappointed.
By command of Major-General Hunter, CHARLES C. HALPINE, Assistant Adjutant-General.
* May 26, 1864. The whole force marched from Cedar Creek at 8:30 this morning. It rained until midnight last night and the roads are muddy. Our brigade (2nd) turned to the right at Stras- burg and took the Back Road. When near Woodstock, our battalion turned to the right. going three miles, camped in a fine grove and put out pickets. The main force camped at the old camp-ground near Woodstock and they have their pickets on the edge of town; the enemy have pickets on the opposite side of town. Major Myers is in command of our battalion, of the ?2nd Pennsylvania.
May 27. Lieutenant Welch took a squad out to forage. Some of Chessrown's boys were on a little foraging expedition of their
* Donaldson's Journal.
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THE HUNTER RAID.
own last night and came in with a box of honey, which they shared with us. We were sitting about to-day, some with the saddles off their sore-back horses, when Buckingham came in from picket post, his horse on the dead run; and when in hearing distance, yelled, " To horse!" Every fellow jumped to his horse and prepared for the Johnnies; never were a set of fellows so quick and ready for a fight, but instead of an attack, word came in that it was not the Rebs, but instead, a foraging party of the 15th New York, that had acted strangely.
A detachment of the 1st New York Cavalry relieved us (22nd Pennsylvania) at dark, when we came in and camped in a fine grove near the pike, more than a mile from Woodstock.
May 28. We wonder at this two-day halt here. It may be to wait the arrival of belated troops for the command. Detachments that have been serving elsewhere have been ordered to join their regiments here, and are coming forward daily. The 5th New York Heavy Artillery, now transferred to infantry, came in to-day from Fort McHenry. A wagon-train came up and we drew boots and clothing.
29th. Whole command called out at 3:30 o'clock this morning ; packed up and marched up the Valley. It is a deplorable fact that our generals defer a march or a fight until Sabbath, and do more on that sacred day than any other. Wyncoop's brigade took the right flank, three miles off the pike; our battalion was in advance all day. Arriving at Stony Creek, at a mill, we chased a few of the enemy's pickets from there. We, the advance, were deployed as skirmishers and exchanged a few shots with the Rebels and drove them off. When we reached Mill Creek, two miles from Mount Jackson, we got corn in a mill and fed and then marched on down to Mount Jackson and found the army passing. Here we had to ford the river, as we had burned the bridge on our retreat from New Market. We camped on the closing scenes of our Sabbath Day's battle two weeks ago. We appropriated some unbolted flour and baked cakes for our supper. What a paradise this part of the Shenandoah Valley has been before the war blighted it.
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