USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 30
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Halleck telegraphed Grant, July 23rd, at 1 p. M. : " General Wright in person arrived this morning and most of his troops will encamp at an outer line ( Washington) to-night."
Grant replied: "Your dispatch of 1 p. M. just received. You can detain General Wright until I learn positively what has become of Early."
292
TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
GENERAL CROOK'S ARMY-JULY, 24, 1864.
First Division, GENERAL JOSEPH THOBURN.
1st Brigade, Colonel Geo. D. Wells-34th Massachusetts In- fantry, 5th New York Heavy Artillery A, B, C, D; 116th Ohio, 123d Ohio, 170th Ohio.
2d Brigade, Colonel Wm. G. Ely-18th Connecticut, 2d Mary- land, Eastern Shore; 1st West Virginia, 4th West Virginia, 12th West Virginia.
Second Division, COLONEL ISAAC H. DUVAL.
1st Brigade, Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes-23d Ohio Infantry, 36th Ohio Infantry, 5th West Virginia, 13th West Virginia.
2nd Brigade, Colonel Daniel D. Johnson-34th Ohio Infantry, 91st Ohio Infantry, 9th West Virginia, 14th West Virginia.
Third Division, COLONEL JAMES A. MULLIGAN.
1st Brigade, Colonel Thos. S. Harris-23rd Illinois Infantry, 16th West Virginia Infantry.
2nd Brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel John P. Linton-54th Pennsyl- vania Infantry, 11th West Virginia, 15th West Virginia.
Artillery-New York Light, 30th Battery; Ohio Light, 1st Bat- tery; 1st West Virginia Light, Battery F.
CAVALRY.
First Division, BRIGADIER-GENERAL ALFRED N. DUFFEE.
1st Brigade, Colonel Wm. B. Tibbits-1st Maryland, Potomac Home Brigade ; 15th New York, 12th Pennsylvania, 21st New York.
2nd Brigade, Colonel Jacob Higgins-1st New York, Lincoln ; 1st New York, Veteran ; 1st West Virginia, Light, Battery E; 22nd Pennsylvania ; 20th Pennsylvania.
Second Division, BRIGADIER-GENERAL WILLIAM W. AVERILL.
1st Brigade, Colonel James M. Schoonmaker-14th Pennsyl- vania, 8th Ohio.
2nd Brigade, Colonel William H. Powell-1st West Virginia, 2nd West Virginia, 3rd West Virginia, 5th United States Artillery, Battery L.
General Duffee says : * " Having camped this night (22nd) at Milltown, two miles south of Winchester, I sent one brigade. under Colonel Higgins, to picket and hold in check the enemy at Kernstown, who had driven in one brigade of General Averill's
* Official Records, Vol. 37, I. P. 323.
293
CAPT. HART'S CHARGE AT KERNSTOWN.
Division. This brigade (Higgins) held the position during the night.
"On the 23rd of July, at 7 A. M., I received notice from Colonel Higgins that the enemy were advancing and driving back the skirmish line. I immediately communicated this information to General Crook, under whose orders I proceeded with my com- mand to Kernstown. At this point, I engaged the enemy with my cavalry and Keeper's Battery of Artillery until 3 P. M. One brigade under Colonel Tibbits was deployed in line of battle on the right, while the second brigade occupied the left with a line of mounted skirmishers along the whole front. One regiment was sent on a side road to the right to prevent a flank movement. At 1 P. M., having discovered the position of a regiment of the enemy's cavalry, I determined to charge them. For this purpose, I ordered one squad- ron of Colonel Tibbit's Brigade to charge in front for the purpose of drawing out a charging party from the enemy, which being effected another squadron from Colonel Tibbit's was to charge in the rear of the Rebel charging party, while a squadron * from Colonel Higgins's from the left was to charge in support of Colonel Tibbit's squadron. By this disposition of my forces, I hoped to cap- ture a party of the Rebels. The party charging in front were suc- cessful in drawing out about two squadrons of the Rebel cavalry. Colonel Tibbit's (second) squadron charged from the right in the Rebel rear, and Colonel Higgins's squadron from the left. But the whole plan was unfortunately frustrated by Lieutenant-Colonel Adams of the 1st New York (Lincoln) Cavalry, who had rallied a portion of his skirmish line which had given way before the Rebel charging party. Mistaking the squadron of Colonel Tibbits for the Rebels, he charged upon them without orders and coming upon them unexpectedly, diverted them from the pursuit of the Rebels, thus allowing the latter to escape. My cavalry remained on the field until night, when the enemy having retired, all the forces were withdrawn, leaving Colonel Tibbits' Brigade to picket the · front."
CAPTAIN HART'S CHARGE AT KERNSTOWN, VA., JULY 23, 1864.
We reached Milltown, two miles above Winchester on the after- noon of the 22nd; after dark, the greater part of the regiment (old battalion) was ordered on duty and remained out at the front on the
* Captain Hart.
294 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
skirmish line all night. Next morning, the remainder of the bat- talion available for duty, moved out to the left of the pike and halted near Kernstown, awaiting orders. General Duffee in com- mand of the cavalry division, got an impression that the enemy's battery on the ridge a mile in front of us, was unsupported. He directed Major Work to make an investigation to determine the fact. Work made a reconnaissance and reported that the battery was well supported. General Duffee refused to be convinced and ordered Captain James P. Hart, of the 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry, to make a detail of fifty or sixty carbineers from his command and " charge * the battery," but to await a signal, after passing through Kernstown, as two other columns would move simultaneously and some dis- tance from him. The order for the charge, given by General Duffee was denounced at the time by several officers, all declaring that if made, not a man would come out. Colonel Allen, of the 1st New York Veteran Cavalry, protested to the General, pointing out to him the position and number of the enemy, and saying to him: "You can't take the battery with your whole division." Colonel Allen told Captain Hart that he would be justified in refusing to obey the order. Soon the report of a cannon set the columns in motion. Our column moved briskly with the precision of a parade, marching in column of fours until we reached the brow of the hill, when we swung front into double line and charged down the pike. At the foot of the hill or long slope, was a ravine along which flowed a stream in a big wash-out, wide and deep; this wash-out was spanned by an ordinary wagon-bridge only wide enough to cross in column of fours. The enemy knowing that our formation would have to be broken here in order to cross the bridge, withheld his fire until we reached this point. Then their battery opened on us with grape and canister, but fortunately for us their guns were on a bluff so high above us, that they could not depress them sufficiently to hit us. Just then a body of their infantry behind a stone fence, opened a musketry fire on us. Captain Hart says that the thing that saved our little band from annihilation, was our charging into the wide wash-out, deep enough to almost cover horse and rider, and we had to move to the left some distance before we could get out. The air over our heads was certainly full of grape, canister and Minie- balls. Our situation was extremely perilous. The only thing to do was to get out of that as soon as possible, so we fell back rapidly.
* Gen. Duffee's report above differs from this as to the purpose of this charge.
295
CAPT. HART'S CHARGE AT KERNSTOWN.
keeping to the left of the pike and up the hill, still under their ar- tillery fire and for a time within range of their musketry. A body of the enemy's cavalry now charged after us fiercely ; several of our men had been unhorsed and were now in imminent danger of cap- ture. Captain Hart, seeing their peril, rallied his horsemen and held the enemy in check while the men on foot ran on several hundred yards up the hill and gained a strip of timber. These rallies were repeated several times until the men were out of danger and the enemy fell back. John Regester, of Company D, was mortally wounded and his horse killed by a shell while passing through the strip of timber on our retreat. The shell first passed through the horse and then tore off Regester's leg, from the effects of which he died that night. He was attended by a Confederate surgeon who, it is said hailed from Westmoreland County, Pa. Regester's body was afterward recovered and sent home. It seems almost miracu- lous that amid all this storm of shot and shell, but one man was killed.
Some horses were killed and several wounded.
John Boyle, one of our men, was the subject of an interesting incident of the retreat. At the first fire of the Confederate infantry, a ball went through his horse and the animal fell, apparently dead ; this put John among the number that had to retreat on foot and at the double quick up a long hill. When he came within our lines and found himself safe, he realized that he was utterly exhausted. and threw himself across a stump to rest. After a few minutes, he rose up to look about for his comrades, and to his astonishment, there stood his horse, whom he had left for dead. The horse walked up beside his master, trembling, lay down at his feet and in two minutes was dead. About a half-hour afterward, a riderless horse came by and Boyle, taking the equipments from the dead horse, mounted the stray, which he rode until he obtained a better horse.
Sergeant David H. Williams, of Company E, was one of the charging party and has furnished much of the information contained in the foregoing account.
That evening, the enemy fell back leaving us in possession of the field. At dark. our brigade was withdrawn toward Winchester, and Colonel Tibbits's 1st Brigade was left at Kernstown to picket the front.
296 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CROOK'S ARMY DEFEATED AT KERNSTOWN. DRIVEN BACK ACROSS THE POTOMAC. THE CHAMBERS- . BURG RAID. PURSUIT AND ROUT OF M'CAUSLAND. NEW BATTALION FINALLY MOUNTED.,
On Sunday morning, July 24th, a dense smoke hung over the Valley about Kernstown and Winchester. Skirmishing was re- sumed along the same lines as on the previous day, the first brigade of our cavalry division being on the skirmish line. Early's whole army came march- ing down the valley this morning, Gor- don in front, Vaughn's Cavalry on the Valley Pike, Johnson's on their right, Jackson on the middle and Imboden on the Back Road. They met our pickets at Bartonsville in such force that our men had to fall back. Here at Bartons- ville the enemy formed his line of battle with Gordon in the center, Wharton on their right, Ramseur on their left and a Maj .- Gen. George Crook. heavy column of cavalry on each flank. His plan of battle was to have his cavalry make a detour of Win- chester and get in Crook's rear to cut off his retreat and destroy his train. Ramseur's part was to turn Crook's right and Wharton to turn his left, while Gordon was to push his center.
Colonel Tibbits's Brigade of Cavalry, which had picketed the front during the night, was now deployed as skirmishers and became engaged with the enemy, who appeared in strong force. On re- ceiving this information, General Crook ordered up our brigade, with instructions to form on the left. We immediately threw out skirm- ishers and skirmished hotly with the enemy, holding our position until General Crook came up with the infantry about ten o'clock and formed line of battle with the three infantry divisions of Sullivan, Duval and Mulligan in the center, the 1st Brigade of Cavalry (Tib- bits's) on the right of the infantry, and our second brigade on the left. Averill's Division of Cavalry had been sent out the Front Royal Road, with orders to gain the enemy's rear and attack his
297
BATTLE OF KERNSTOWN, JULY 24, 1864.
train ; he proceeded two miles and made a vigorous attack, but found the enemy's line still farther extended and in great force, when he fell back and joined our left near. Winchester.
Our regiment under Colonel Greenfield was ordered to the center on the pike, immediately behind the little village of Kerns- town .. While we stood there in line, our skirmishers were driven back into the town and some of them killed. The Rebel sharp- shooters wounded some of our horses and their bullets whistled about our ears. Mulligan's Division held the town and were having a hot fight when they were reinforced and drove the enemy a short dis- tance. Over to the left we could see the columns of the enemy mov- ing into position to flank us, while we still held our position in the center. On our left the firing became fierce, and this with the " Rebel yell," attracted our attention; an overwhelming force of the enemy's infantry charged directly against our flanks, pouring a mur- derous enfilading fire into our lines, doubling up our left and throw- ing it into confusion.
General Duffee says: "At that time, Colonel (Rutherford B.) Hayes' Brigade of Infantry was far in advance on the left. In order to give him time to extricate himself, I caused a charge to be made on the enemy's right by two squadrons of the 20th Penn- sylvania Cavalry, which succeeded in throwing the enemy into tempo- rary confusion. The enemy having again rallied, and displaying a heavy force with the evident intention of turning our left farther, I again charged them with the whole of my second brigade, which, however, now numbered but 200 men. This charge checked the Rebel column for a time."
General Crook, seeing that the enemy's forces greatly outnum- bered ours, ordered our entire line to fall back .* Just as we cleared the town, three Rebel lines of battle came sweeping on our left flank with yells and showers of bullets, while their artillery was shelling our lines. At the same time, the enemy's infantry (Rodes, Gordan and Ramseur) pressing our center in great force, our whole line fell back in retreat. Our cavalry rallied and formed and then retreated in good order. Our forces made several attempts to stand, but being heavily pressed, were obliged to continue the retreat.
General Duffee says: "Having reached Winchester. I received orders to send one brigade with the wagon train, and accordingly
* Just after we were ordered to retreat, Sergeant Frank B. Lacock of Company B and Corporal George R. Bower of Company D were mortally wounded. Lacock died that evening and Bower died in the hospital at Baltimore a few days later.
"
298 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
sent Colonel Higgins with the 2nd Brigade. I regret to report that Colonel Higgins, in command of the 2nd Brigade, which went with the wagon train, by his shameful mismanagement, and by his orders given to the teamsters to take the trot, together with circulating a rumor from the rear to the effect that our artillery had been charged in the rear and a part of it captured, caused a disgraceful stampede among the teamsters, resulting in the abandoning and burning of some twenty wagons."
Colonel A. J. Greenfield gives the following very interesting in- cident : " Just before receiving orders to fall back, I met on the field near Kernstown, Colonel James A. Mulligan, commanding the third division of infantry, with whom I was intimately acquainted, our ' Old Battalion ' having served much with him during the preceding two years; it was under his command we fought at Moorfield; he was with us again in the Gettysburg campaign ; it was under him our dismounted men fought so bravely at Leetown on July 3rd, holding the enemy in check for a half day while Sigel saved his train and stores from Martinsburg. Colonel Mulli- gan was passing from left to the right when he stopped and greeted me cor- dially. At this time, Early's Infantry had emerged from the woods in our front with bands playing, flags flying and their skirmishers in front firing. They cov- ered a space of at least a mile from right to left. It certainly was a grand sight to witness. He remarked as he saluted and rode off, 'They are too many for us ; we will have to retreat.' This was our last good-bye. He joined his division, Col. James A. Mulligan. was mortally wounded and left in the hands of the enemy. His brother-in-law, Lieutenant Nugent, an aid on his staff, was killed at the same time. The officers and men of his regiment, the 23rd Illinois, known as the 'Irish Brigade.' worshipped him and tried to carry him off the field, a number of them losing their lives in the attempt, but he said, 'Lay me down and save the flag.' After the close of the war, I was mar- ried to a Chicago girl. Louise Castle, a daughter of Colonel Ed. H. Castle, who served under General John C. Fremont in Missouri in 1861, and the Mountain Department of West Virginia in 1862 and 1863. While visiting her, one evening she was playing and singing
299
BATTLE OF KERNSTOWN.
some of her favorite pieces, when, to my surprise and gratification, she played and sang a piece, 'The Last Words of Colonel Mulligan, "Lay me down and save the Flag,"' the words written by Mrs. Sophia Griswold, a friend of the family (a guest at our wedding), and the music by Root, a noted composer of Chicago. Colonel Mul- ligan is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Chicago. A beautiful monu- ment of Italian marble, with his bust, a perfect likeness, located in a niche near the top, stands over his grave, erected to his memory by the State of Illinois and the citizens of Chicago."
LAST WORDS OF COLONEL MULLIGAN.
Then they looked at one another, in the speechlessness of woe. As each eye would ask a brother, shall we stay or shall we go? But his heart is in the battle, shall the hallowed ensign drag? And again the words fell sternly, " Lay me down and save the flag." Slumber calmly, brave commander, where thou art, no pinions lag, Fame will bear thy words forever, " Lay me down and save the flag."
Colonel Greenfield says, "I was in command of the regiment when Colonel Higgins rode up and distributed by squadrons and companies along the train, leaving but a corporal's guard with me in the rear of the train. Soon, Captain George Jenkins came back and reported to me that Colonel Higgins had given orders to the teamsters to trot, and it was creating a regular stampede. He had hardly finished telling me until the teamsters in the rear had taken up the trot. I immediately rode forward with the Captain and we ordered the teamsters to walk their horses, telling them there was no danger and no trouble in the rear; but it was difficult to satisfy them. Several times I drew my revolver and threatened to shoot if they did not obey my orders. A stampede of teamsters or soldiers is difficult to check. Men lose all control of themselves. I could not blame the teamsters much after their getting orders to trot ; demoralized men from other regiments were rushing by ; some infantry, some cavalry and part of a battery. These artillerymen cut the horses loose from three guns and abandoned them when there was not a Rebel within two miles of them, and our forces were falling back in good order. Some of the teamsters did the same thing, and thus twenty wagons were abandoned, some of them upset from reckless driving. I saw one man mounted who was going through the woods a short distance from the road, when he came to a deep ditch; the horse refused to go over, and the man jumped off, abandoned the horse and clambered over the ditch. A dismounted cavalryman nearby ran and jumped on the horse, rode out to the main road around the ditch and no doubt passed the man that had abandoned the horse before he had gone a quarter of a mile.
300
TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
The guns abandoned by the artillerymen were brought off by Averill's cavalry as they came along."
Our army fell back down the pike to Bunker Hill, twelve miles north of Winchester, where they bivouacked for the night. The Confederate infantry pursued but a short distance, being exhausted · with a long march in the early part of the day, followed by a battle. Rodes pushed on to Stephenson's Depot, four miles north of Win- chester, where he halted, having marched twenty-seven miles and · fought a battle in one day. The enemy's cavalry followed our rear for some time, picking up stragglers and threatening to attack. They attempted to charge Averill's Division once while he was changing front, but were gallantly repulsed by a counter charge by Powell's Brigade. " The broad pike and open fields were favorable for rapid retreat, and this, together with the inefficiency of the enemy's cav- alry, enabled Crook to bring off all his guns and train, except twenty wagons, lost in a stampede by a 'scare rumor' circulated by the officer in command of the train."
General Crook, in his report, says: "On the 24th inst., I was attacked by a large force of the enemy near Winchester. I re- pulsed their force twice and was driving them when they partially turned my left and threw it into some confusion. At the same time a heavy column was moving around my right, and I gave the order to fall back. My left soon reformed and the whole line moved back in good order; the enemy pressing hard both my flanks and center all the time. I got off all my artillery and wagons. Some of my teamsters got stampeded and cut loose from their wagons along the road, but the wagons were burned so that nothing fell into the hands of the enemy. I fell back to Bunker Hill, arriving there between 9 and 10 p. M."
It rained heavily during the night. Next morning, 25th, our forces continued to fall back toward Martinsburg, Averill's cavalry and artillery forming the rear-guard.
When we arrived at Martinsburg, we found great activity in re- moving the stores. Passenger trains were there being filled with citizens fleeing the town. We encamped here as though intending to hold the place and all expected another hard battle. In the mean- time, our large wagon-train was being moved as swiftly as possi- ble in the direction of Williamsport, a small guard going with it.
About noon. the advance of the Rebel force came on, but for several hours they were held in check by our infantry south of the town. Towards evening, our skirmishers fell slowly back through
301
FIGHTING AT MARTINSBURG, JULY 25, 1864.
the town, followed by the skirmishers of the enemy. Our brigade was stationed just behind a knoll about the center, and the enemy's skirmishers were within 200 yards of us, having driven our skirmish line back upon the main body.
Just then the cavalry were ordered to charge. Averill's Division was to attack on the right and Duffee's (our) Division
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July 25 th, 1864.
to attack on the left. With a yell, all went in splendidly ; our brigade, in command of Lieutenant Colonel Greenfield, charged right through the streets, driving everything until we came upon the main body of the enemy south of town, when we in turn were forced to retreat, taking position on rising ground just back of the
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302 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
· place from which we started. In this charge, several of our men were wounded, two or three captured, but none killed .*
We held our position throughout the afternoon. Our clothing had been thoroughly soaked with the rain and the air became chilly, so camp fires were built immediately after nightfall as though our entire forces intended to remain all night where we were. The infantry had been falling back toward the Potomac all afternoon, while the cavalry had been strongly posted near the enemy, showing a bold front. About midnight, the pickets were quietly withdrawn, and the cavalry marched out the Williamsport Pike, reaching the Potomac, sixteen miles distant, at daylight. We were scarcely across the river at Williamsport until the enemy were firing at us from the opposite shore.
General Crook's entire army was now on the north side of the Potomac. General Hunter, thinking that Early might attempt to repeat his raid through Maryland, ordered Crook's Infantry to march through Boonsboro and take position at Sharpsburg, where we could command the South Mountain gaps. Averill took posi- tion at Hagerstown, from which he picketed the fords of the Po- tomac above, while Duffee's Cavalry picketed the fords below. Captain Chessrown, with his squadron, was sent to picket the ford at Falling Waters; when our division came to Shepherdstown ford, a battery went into position and shelled the enemy on the opposite side, while a company of sharpshooters were posted to picket the ford.
Our division (Duffee's) lay in line back of the ridge during the night, while the wagon-train passed on to Harper's Ferry.
Next morning, July 27th, the Rebels were still seen on the other side of the river; the infantry marched early, going to Harper's Ferry, while the cavalry remained until noon, and then marched to Pleasant Valley, arriving at six o'clock. We lay in camp near Sandy Hook all next day. The dismounted men of
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