USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 4
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September 1st we received our bright new uniforms, navy blue jackets, light blue pants and a forage cap with oil cloth cover, having a long tail like a sun-bonnet. One trial convinced us that these were not to be worn in hot weather. The soldiers soon threw them away, and the department quit issuing them.
The most of the drill the men received was on the march. There was little opportunity in camp, as General Rosencrans kept the Com- pany on scout and picket duty most of the time. A number of re- cruits from home followed and joined us at Grafton, yet with all we had only about seventy men, as a good many who signed the enlist-
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
ment roll, failed to respond when the company marched from Bealls- ville.
WITH GENERAL REYNOLDS AT ELKWATER.
On September 12th, General Rosencrans telegraphed General Kelley to send all available troops to General J. J. Reynolds at Elk- water, Va., as the latter was about to be attacked by a large force of the enemy under command of General R. E. Lee. We at once left Grafton for Elkwater, at the base of Cheat Mountain. The march of some eighty miles was slow and disagreeable; the weather was wet ; much rain had fallen previous to this, and the roads over which the heavy wagon-trains had been dragging supplies for 10,000 troops were simply indescribable .. We were over four days on this march. When we reached our destination, we found here at the base of Cheat Mountain and on the summit, a number of Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania regiments encamped, fortifying and building winter quarters. This was our base for about two weeks, during which our company was continually on duty, much of the time as escort, about one week being consumed guarding the paymaster from post to post, a day's march apart, until he had paid off all the troops in that de- partment. Another day, we escorted General Reynolds to the top of Cheat Mountain and back, a distance of thirty miles, mostly over steep mountain paths.
October 3, 1861, our forces, about five thousand strong, under command of General Reynolds, made a reconnaissance and attacked the enemy at Greenbrier under command of General H. R. Jackson, about five thousand strong.
* "On the night of the 1st, an order was issued for the men to prepare four days rations and be ready to march at daylight on the next morning. Every available man in the army was out and on the move on the morning of the 2nd. It was evident there was some- thing unusual to be done. The infantry and artillery had several miles the start of us, but we soon overtook them, and were up with their column long before Cheat Mountain summit was reached.
" As we got to the top of the mountain, night began to close down on us, so we filed into an open space and went into camp. Our horses attended to, we began to prepare supper. Just at this time, a young beef was discovered grazing there alone, at least ten miles from any habitation, and like the ram that was caught in the thorns when Abraham was about to offer his son, Isaac, it must have been
* Rogers.
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THE WASHINGTON CAVALRY COMPANY, 1861.
there for a purpose; at least, we thought it was there for us, and after some difficulty, we brought it down with our revolvers, and soon had it dressed and portions of it roasting on sticks, and thus secured a supper that was very much enjoyed by all. It seemed that we had hardly fallen into a good sleep when we were routed up and ordered to feed our horses and be ready to move on. We were joined on the summit by the greater part of Milroy's force, and continued our march toward Greenbrier. We arrived in front of the enemy's works early in the day."
General Reynolds, after driving their outposts into their fortifi- cations and keeping up an artillery duel for over four hours, found them so strongly entrenched that he withdrew his forces, with a loss of eight killed and thirty-five wounded. The enemy officially re- ported fifty-two killed and wounded. We captured thirteen pris- oners. This was our first baptism of artillery fire, and our boys stood it bravely. We were stationed on the edge of the woods about seven hundred yards from their batteries, and in full view, where we could see the smoke and flash of the guns; thence the report and shell or shot would reach us almost simultaneously, crashing through the tree-tops over our heads.
General Reynolds, in his report, says:
" We disabled three of the enemy's guns, made a thorough reconnaissance, and after fully and successfully accomplishing the object of the expedition, retired leisurely and in good order, to Cheat Mountain, arriving at sundown, having marched twenty-four miles and been under the enemy's fire four hours. The enemy's force was about 9,000, and we distinctly saw heavy reinforcements of infantry and artillery arrive while we were in front of their works."
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The next day we returned to our camp at Elkwater and were allowed to rest a day, after which we were required to put in four hours a day drilling. A few days after this, a detachment of eleven men from our company was sent to the summit of Cheat Mountain with ten days' rations for escort duty, guard for mail, couriers, etc., as the road was infested with bushwhackers.
Colonel Greenfield, in his memoirs, says: " After returning to camp, I received an order from Governor F. H. Pierpont of Virginia, directing me to send my muster roll to him. I very politely notified the Governor that my company was mustered into the United States service as Pennsylvania Volunteers, and the muster rolls had been forwarded to the Governor of Pennsylvania and the War De-
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
partment at Washington, D. C. In reply, I received a letter de- manding the rolls, with the information that he wanted to place my company in the First Virginia Regiment of cavalry. I replied that we were Pennsylvania volunteers and would not go into a Vir- ginia regiment. The Governor then telegraphed me that if I did not send the rolls at once, he would send an officer to take command of the company. I also, at the same time, received a telegram from General Rosencrans, commanding the department, ordering me to send the rolls to Governor Pierpont. In the meantime, I had writ- ten to Governor Curtin and the Secretary of War, explaining how my company was mustered, and the rolls had been forwarded to their proper destination, the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania and to the War Department at Washington, and that we would not go into a Virginia regiment. I also notified General Rosencrans to the same effect. I called on General J. J. Reynolds, thinking he might help me out of the difficulty, but he declined to interfere. This per- plexing situation continued for about two weeks, and, while anxious, I did not believe we could be forced into a Virginia regiment. I then received word from Governor Curtin and the Secretary of War that the company was recognized as Pennsylvania volunteers. General Kelley applied to the War Department for my company to be sent to his department, and on October 31st, I received an order to report to him at Romney, Va."
On October 31st, we marched north, reaching Phillippi at night and quartering in the Court House. Next night, we reached Grafton. Next morning, we shipped our horses, wagons, and our- selves eastward over the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for New Creek Station, where we arrived that evening, taking quarters for the night in a church.
The next morning, it was raining; but we were ordered to march for Romney, twenty-three miles distant, which we reached the same evening, November 3, 1861, where we met our friends, the Ringgold boys, from whom we parted in August, when they were sent to Romney.
In the meantime, our Ringgold comrades had several tilts with the enemy, in the last of which. on October 26th, they routed him, capturing his cannon and a number of his men, including officers, the details of which are told in another chapter.
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THE PENNSYLVANIA SQUADRON, 1861.
CHAPTER IV. RINGGOLD-WASHINGTON OR PENNSYLVANIA SQUAD- RON. NOV. 3, 1861-MAY 10, 1862. THE TWO COM- PANIES OPERATE TOGETHER.
Romney, otherwise Camp Keys, was now an established United States outpost with a force of about 2,000 men of all arms, under command of Colonel Samuel H. Dunning of the Fifth Ohio Infantry.
About November 1st, the Confederate General, " Stonewall " Jackson was assigned to the command of the department covering the lower Shenandoah Valley and adjacent mountain counties, in- cluding Hampshire and Hardy, with headquarters at Winchester. Even at that early stage of the war, Jackson was known to be an able and aggressive commander with unlimited energy, and intensely devoted to the Confederate cause. The War Department at Wash- ington, in anticipation of an advance by Jackson, proceeded to re- inforce Romney with about two thousand additional troops, including the Washington Cavalry, then operating down on the Elkwater in the Cheat Mountain district, where, on October 31st, their com- mander, Captain Greenfield, received an order to proceed directly to Romney, Va., with his command, and operate with the forces there. The Washington Cavalry reached Romney, November 3rd, and camped with the Ringgolds. The two companies operated together and were known as the Ringgold-Washington or Pennsylvania Squadron, the latter name having been given them by General Banks.
Whilst there were between four and five thousand troops at Romney at this time, there were but few cavalry. The latter were not required to do picket duty, but were otherwise kept very busy; owing to the proximity .of " Stonewall " Jackson's army, very heavy details were made for picket. The picket-posts were established several miles out, and then there would be intermediate posts be- tween that and the camp to prevent their being cut off and captured. One or two cavalrymen were detailed for each outer picket to serve as couriers in case the pickets were attacked. The outer pickets on the Winchester Road were stationed a mile or so from a small hamlet beyond the lines, called Frenchburg. The soldiers, when off duty, would occasionally venture down to this place for provisions.
On the morning of November 2nd, Thomas C. Buckingham and Samuel D. Bane, of the Ringgold Cavalry, were detailed for duty
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
at this picket-post. The picket consisted of a detachment of in- fantry under command of two lieutenants.
Next day, these officers borrowed the cavalry horses to ride down to French's. The Confederates had been informed of this practice, and this day, a number of them were in hiding, watching for any such adventurers. As the lieutenants proceeded along the way, they were suddenly surrounded and captured. As the hour for relief from duty approached, Buckingham and Bane became anx- ious for the return of their horses and walked down the road, look- ing for the lieutenants, when they were charged on by the same squad that had taken the officers. Bane jumped over a fence into a field, gained the brush and escaped, but * Buckingham was captured.
A cavalry scout of twenty-five men from the Ringgold Com- pany, in command of Lieutenant James P. Hart, was sent out the Winchester Road on November 4th, with orders to proceed as far : as Frenchtown. When they had advanced about five miles, a band of the enemy in ambush, fired upon the advance guard, wounding Sergeant Hopkins Moffit seriously, and also wounding Corporal Ad. Richardson's horse. Hart, with the rest of the squad, galloped up, but the " Johnnies " had fled farther up the mountain side and were out of reach.
OUR FIRST MEN KILLED.
On November 13th, a detachment composed of a detail from each of the two companies, under command of. Lieutenant Myers, was ordered on a reconnaissance out the Winchester Road. They were ambushed while passing through French's Gap, receiving a volley from the timber on both sides of the Gap, instantly killing Samuel Drum of Greenfield's company, and killing and wounding a number of horses. Sergeant H. B. Hedge lifted the dead man and placed the body across the pommel of the saddle in front of a com- rade who started back with the rest amid a shower of bullets. Pres- ently the horse of the latter was struck by a shot and became unman-
* Corporal Buckingham was first taken to Richmond, where he was imprisoned in a tobacco house for several weeks, and then sent on South to Salisbury prison, North Carolina, where, amid wretched conditions, he was herded with some 4,000 famishing Union prisoners of war. until the 28th of May, 1862. when he was exchanged and put aboard a ship for "God's Country." When he landed at New York, he was taken to the " Prisoners' Rest," where he was given a thorough cleansing, a complete change of clothing, and plenty of good, wholesome food. After a short rest, he was given a thirty-day furlough to his home in Washington County, Pennsylvania. At the expiration of his furlough, he returned to his company and served until the close of the war. He was honorably discharged, a veteran, on the 25th of May, 1865.
( In Bates' History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Vol. V, pages 282-7, will be found a very full and complete description of Salisbury prison and the prison life there. as given by Frank King. sergeant-major of the 191st P. V. I., who was a prisoner through his entire term. This fully corroborates Buckingham's story of the same.)
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THE PENNSYLVANIA SQUADRON, 1861.
ageable, when the dead body fell off. William Hartranft, of Com- pany A, dismounted, picked up the body, and was in the act of placing it on a horse in front of another man, when he was shot through the heart and fell with his comrade's dead body in his arms. The Rebels were concealed in the bushes near by, and their fire was so deadly that our men were obliged to leave the bodies and get out of range. A courier was sent back to Romney for an ambulance, which in due time arrived, and with it reinforcements. The bodies were now secured without further molestation, the enemy having taken the arms of the dead men and departed.
The men were from Brownsville, Pa., where their bodies were sent for burial. A great concourse of citizens attended the funeral to honor these soldiers who had given their lives for their country. The services were most impressive and patriotic. A company of infantry formed the military escort to the cemetery, followed by a great funeral procession, the like of which had never been seen in that community. The bodies were buried side by side in one grave.
GENERAL "STONEWALL " JACKSON'S PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
General " Stonewall " Jackson was naturally highly pleased with his appointment to the command of the Valley District of Northern Virginia. He cherished a most ambitious dream of victory and con- quest, which comprised the capture or expulsion from Virginia soil of General Kelley and all the troops of his department, and the driving out of every Union citizen in his district. He expected also to capture the city of Cumberland, from which to replenish his stock of supplies.
He arrived at Winchester on the 4th of November, making that place his headquarters. Next morning, he wrote the War Depart- ment asking that all the troops of the Cheat Mountain, Valley Mountain and Huntersville districts be sent him, and also that dis- ciplined troops of infantry, artillery and cavalry be sent to his de- partment, and that his artillery should be increased to at least twenty guns, with a complete equipment of horses, harness, etc., etc. Within a few days his own old brigade or division from the army at Manassas was sent him. Impatient at the delay in filling his order, he again, on November 20th, wrote the C. S. Secretary of War as follows:
" SIR: I hope that you will pardon me for requesting that at once, all the troops under General Loring be ordered to this point. I venture to respectfully urge that, after concentrating all
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
his troops here, an attempt should be made to capture the Federal forces at Romney.
"I deem it of very great importance that Northwestern Vir- ginia be occupied by Confederate troops this winter. At present, it 'is to be presumed that the enemy are not expecting an attack there, and the resources of that region necessary for the subsistence of our troops are in greater abundance than in almost any other season of the year. Postpone the occupation of that section until spring, and we may expect to find the enemy prepared for us, and the resources to which I have referred greatly exhausted."
General Joseph E. Johnston, in forwarding the above letter to the Department, makes the following indorsement: " It seems to me that he proposes more than can well be accomplished in that high mountainous country at this season. The wants of other portions of the frontier . . . make it inexpedient, in my opinion, to transfer to the Valley District so large a force as that asked for by Major General Jackson."
In the spring and early summer of 1861, shortly after the breaking out of hostilities, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, from near Harper's Ferry westward to near the mouth of Patterson Creek, had been broken up, since which that division had not been in use. During November and December, while General " Stone- wall" Jackson was waiting rather impatiently for reinforcements to enable him to advance on Romney, he proceeded to haul off the rails from this idle part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, sending them up the Valley to Strasburg by wagons, where they were sent south by railroad.
On December 2nd, he wrote: "The enemy are using the Bal- timore and Ohio Railroad as far east as Little Cacapon. They are energetically pressing the railroad repairs eastward. Our Govern- ment (Confederate) has taken up both tracks from near Harper's Ferry to Martinsburg, and west of Martinsburg one track has been taken up for seven miles." He also removed several locomotives and some cars up the Winchester Pike to the Manassas Gap Rail- road at Strasburg.
On December 6th, the Confederate Secretary of War wrote Jackson: " In accordance with your views, indorsed by this Depart- ment, General Loring has commenced a movement for co-operation with you, which will place at your disposal quite an effective force for your proposed campaign."
On the 9th, Jackson replied : " Loring seems to delay in an effort
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THE PENNSYLVANIA SQUADRON, 1862.
to save a lot of his stores: It does seem to me that the capture of General Kelley's army, including his munitions of war, would be of far more value to our Republic than General Loring's subsistence stores. If General Loring's entire command were here, I would, with God's blessing, expect to see General Kelley's army, or a large portion of it, in our possession. But if Loring is not here speedily, my command may be a retreating, instead of a victorious, one."
On December 24th, Jackson reported his force as 7,500 volun- teers; 2,234 militia, and 664 cavalry. General Loring had arrived with part of his troops.
TO THE RESCUE OF THE SWAMP DRAGONS.
The Christmas season brought us boxes of good things from the dear ones at home, which not only " satisfied our mouths with good things," but " filled us with joy and gladness " at the thought of being thus remembered.
On the morning of December 31st, every man of both com- panies was ordered to saddle up bright and early. We marched out the New Creek Road and over the mountain, striking New Creek six miles above the station ; then turned up the Creek and marched all night, reaching Greenland Gap, where there were two companies of loyal Virginians, who had organized to defend their homes. The Rebels hated these companies, whom they called " Swamp Dragons," and had attacked them at this Gap, where they had fortified themselves in some log buildings, and we had been sent to their relief. On our approach, the Rebels withdrew. The " Dragons " were still holding the fort, and we had some difficulty in convincing them that we were Union soldiers, as they feared it a trick of the enemy. They were greatly rejoiced when they found that we were their friends.
While here, a few of us started up the side of the mountain, where the Rebel besiegers had been, and while wandering around, found one of them lying in the brush, dead. He lay just as he fell; his comrades probably did not know he had been killed. We carried the body down and left it lying on a bench near the creek, where it soon froze stiff. After dark some of the boys picked up the bench and all and set it in a shed.
The wind blew very cold through the Gap, and as we had to sleep out on the ground, we were all on the hunt of something to set up to break the wind. Pat Grace, a jolly Irishman of Green- field's company, not aware that the body was there, wandered
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
into the shed in the dark, and was feeling around for boards, when he happened to put his hand right on the dead man's face. No one but an Irishman could describe the caper he cut as he rushed out of the shed.
This was New Year's day. We remained another day, scout- ing the country thoroughly, until satisfied the enemy had gone off, when we returned to camp.
ATTACK ON BLUE'S GAP, JANUARY 7, 1862.
On the night of January 6th, we had hardly fallen asleep until we were routed up and ordered to saddle immediately. The ground was covered with snow and we fell into line shivering from cold. Shortly before midnight we marched out, passing by quite a long line of infantry and some artillery, and took our place at the head of the column. The snow made it hard marching for the infantry, but a steady pace was kept up through the night.
Shortly after daylight, we came on a hill in full view of Blue's Gap, about a mile distant, where some two thousand of the enemy were encamped. The Rebels were seen preparing to set fire to the bridge, when Colonel Dunning ordered a detachment of the 5th Ohio to drive them off, which they proceeded to do with much spirit, and saved the bridge. Our artillery then came up and threw a few shells into the Gap. The Rebels were found to be strongly posted on the mountain, both to the right and left of the Gap, sheltered by rocks and intrenchments. Our infantry was then ordered to advance and attack in two columns, one to the right of the Gap and the other to the left. The cavalry stood aside to allow the infantry the right of way, when the latter, throwing their knapsacks, haver- sacks and blankets into the fence corners, rushed forward and up the side of the mountain with a yell, while the cavalry charged through the Gap. The enemy from behind rocks, trees and rifle pits on the mountain, kept up a brisk fire until the infantry charged, when they broke and fled, scattering in the mountains. The cavalry, at a rapid gait, pushed on out the road for some seven miles, and picked up a few prisoners.
Colonel Dunning, in his report, enumerates his force at about 2,000, and makes mention of the Ringgold and Washington Cavalry companies. He says further : " We captured two pieces of artillery, their caissons, ammunition-wagons and ten horses; also their tents, camp-equipage, provisions and correspondence. Seven prisoners were taken and seven dead bodies were found on the field. Find-
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THE PENNSYLVANIA SQUADRON, 1862.
ing the mill and hotel in the Gap were used for soldiers' quarters, I ordered them to be burned." 1764901
General (Stonewall) Jackson, in reporting this engagement, says that it was a disaster to the Confederate army.
UNDER GENERAL LANDER. FALL BACK FROM ROMNEY ..
* " General Frederick W. Lander assumed command of our army at Romney, January Sth, and I was ordered to make a recon- naissance on the road from Springfield east to Little Cacapon and get what information I could of Jackson's and Loring's forces that had attacked and Shelled Hancock, Md., and was supposed to be moving on Romney. I left at six o'clock in the evening, marched all night and intersected the Winchester Pike east of Cacapon, and learned that Jackson's and Loring's forces, eight to ten thousand strong, were at Unger's Store east of Blue's Gap.
" When we reached the river on our return, I fortunately in- structed the Lieutenant to stop and water the horses of the company, and I would ride ahead with an orderly, as I thought our picket- post must be near ; it was just breaking day and very foggy. I had gone but a short distance when I was suddenly halted by a company of infantry. I advanced and was received by a Lieutenant and forty men with guns cocked, ready to fire on our company had we ad- vanced in a body. The Lieutenant was very much agitated, as he was sure we were Confederates, and claimed that his instructions were to fire on any force of cavalry coming from the direction of Winchester without halting them."
No force of the enemy was found, but the information that Jackson was advancing with a large force caused General Lander to evacuate Romney the next day and retire to Patterson's Creek, about seven miles east of Cumberland on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
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