USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 44
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October 29. A number of our men detailed and sent to Kear- neyville to remain there for special duty. Lieutenant Gass took out a scout of 100 men. Lieutenant Welch returned from hospital. Moved camp a few hundred yards farther up on the ridge. Captain McNulty was mustered in as captain to-day, and Lieutenant Welch as first lieutenant.
October 30. Sabbath. Dull and smoky. Chaplain Patterson delivered a lecture at 10 o'clock. Colonel Greenfield, with 100 men including Captain McNulty and ten men from Company C, went on a' scout to Bunker Hill and Smithfield. Major Troxell, with 100 men. including Lieutenant Lane and ten men from Company C, went on a scout to Sleepy Creek. General Kelley had telegraphed. that a party of guerrillas was in that neighborhood threatening the rail- road. We marched until near daylight and halted at a Mr. Coughers. and waked him up to find out if any Rebs had gone down the valley. He mistook us for a band of robbers that infest that mountain; he was desperate and threatened to kill the first man that forced in the door, and it was difficult to get him to understand who we were. We learned that nine Rebs had gone down the valley and fired into a passenger train, and had gone back up again. We then lay down and slept until morning.
October 31. From the top of North Mountain, where the Romney Road crosses, we had a fine view of the Shenandoah Valley for twenty or thirty miles up and down. Arrived back in camp at 4 o'clock; Colonel Greenfield's scout came in soon after. Colonel Greenfield received the following, and had it read to the regiment :
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433
AFTER THE BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK.
Headquarters Middle Military Division,
October 24, 1864.
Circular :
The following received from His Excellency, the President, will be read at the head of every regiment in this command at 4 P. M., this day :
Executive Mansion, Washington,
October 24, 1864.
Major-General Sheridan :
With great pleasure I tender to you and your brave army, the thanks of the nation and my own personal admiration and gratitude for the month's operations in the Shenandoah Valley, and especially for the splendid work of October 19, 1864.
Your obedient servant,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By command of, MAJOR-GENERAL SHERIDAN. C. KINGSBURY, A. A. G.
November 1. About 2 A. M. our infantry pickets were attacked and one man wounded. An exaggerated alarm was sent in to head- quarters, and our regiment was ordered out. Colonel Greenfield promptly reported to General Seward with the regiment mounted. Upon investigation it was found that the attack was made by a small party of the enemy; at the direction of General Seward, Colonel Greenfield sent Major Troxell with 100 men, who followed in the direction taken by the enemy for some ten or twelve miles, returning with one prisoner. The alarm was probably caused by a few horse thieves, who accidently ran into our pickets.
November 2, 3, 4. Most of the regiment on duty as train- guard, outpost and picket, which is very unsatisfactory work for our command ; the men would much prefer being up the Valley with Sheridan. We do not even have a chance to go after Moseby these days, as he is now operating mostly east of the Blue Ridge along the line of the Manassas Gap Railroad, annoying General Auger's command. On the 4th, General Kelley reported a force of the enemy collecting at Moorfield, against which he was sending some troops : he requested General Seward to send the 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry across through Wardensville to co-operate with his force, " as they (the 22nd) are thoroughly acquainted with that country, and would be able to do good service there." Seward declined to
434 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
comply, as we were the only cavalry at Martinsburg and could not be spared.
About 200 men of our regiment, with saddles and bridles, went on the train to the corral at Pleasant Valley, Md., to get horses for the dismounted men.
The men off duty are busy cutting pine poles with which to build quarters, and the regimental wagons are kept busy hauling them to camp. "Kelley, Campsey, Craig and I (Donaldson) built a house with pine poles, dimensions 7x10 feet and five feet high. With old shelter tents, we made a roof and Craig and I carried boards more than a mile to complete the job." Each mess of four men had a similar house. The walls were " chunked and daubed," two bunks, " double deck " across the end, a fireplace and the house was complete.
November 5. The boys returned from Harper's Ferry with 364 good horses. Company C got fifteen of them. Our mounted force, which had run down to but little over 300, is now increased to more than 650.
November 6. Major Work, who was severely wounded at Weyer's Cave September 27, returned to-day and reported for duty. J. J. Lane returned from Cumberland, where he was mustered in as second lieutenant.
November 7. The Washington County boys, knowing that Colonel Greenfield voted for Stephen A. Douglass in 1860, in the belief that his election would prevent secession and war, wanted to know how he is going to vote at the Presidential election to-morrow; he replied, quoting Lincoln's saying, "'It's a bad time to swap horses crossing a stream ;' I'll vote for Lincoln and Johnson."
November 8. Election passed off quietly. A train of 1,200 wagons came down this evening.
November 9, 10, 11. Heavy details for train-guard and picket. The men in camp busy fixing up their quarters. Camp ditched thor- oughly.
November 12. The army, which has been camped at Cedar Creek since the 19th of October, moved back to Kernstown on the . 9th, where they are building quarters. This shortens the distance considerably over which supplies must be hauled. Work on the Manassas Gap Railroad has been discontinued and the railroad from Harper's Ferry to Winchester is being rebuilt. Moseby is again operating in the Valley. He dashed in on a wagon-train a few days
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IN CAMP NEAR MARTINSBURG.
ago, at a point where the guards were wide apart, but only succeeded in stampeding a few wagons, when he was driven off.
AN UNNECESSARY RISK.
A detail of twenty-five men under command of Lieutenant Joe Lane, was ordered to guard the mail to Winchester this afternoon. We reported at the railroad station at two o'clock to meet the mail train then due. The train was four hours late, so that it was almost six o'clock and dark when we got the mail.
Some one suggested that this small daylight guard was insuffi- cient for a night trip with a valuable mail to guard across a belt of country twenty-two miles wide, over which Moseby's 300 veteran raiders roamed nightly. Lane's answer was, "Come on," as he struck his spurs into his gray mare and lit out at a brisk gallop up the Winchester Pike. The trip was uneventful until we had covered. some sixteen or more miles, when our advance guard fired their carbines and came rushing back. Just then the clouds broke a little, when we saw a short distance ahead, the dim outline of a body of cavalry. Lieutenant Lane never hesitated, but yelled " Charge," and went right at them ; they did not wait, but turned their horses to the east and galloped rather leisurely away toward South Mountain. There were more of them than there were of us, and although they declined to fight, it did not look as though they were much fright- ened, but rather like a ruse to draw us after them; so we turned again to the Pike and went ahead at a rapid pace, expecting to be pursued. We were not further molested and soon reached the outer pickets near Stephenson's Depot.
After the battle of Cedar Creek, Early retreated to New Market, where his infantry remained three weeks, during which time it was very considerably reinforced by gathering in conscripts and large numbers who had gone to their homes, and also by some troops from Breckenridge in Southwest Virginia.
Three days after Sheridan moved back from Cedar Creek to Kernstown. Early, with his entire army, started down the Valley, crossed Cedar Creek and came on to Middletown. Sheridan moved his army out, prepared to meet the enemy. He sent Merritt and Custer by the Back Road to attack Rosser, while he sent Powell out on the left to attack Lomax and McCausland on the Front Royal Pike. Custer and Merritt drove Rosser's command back and pressed them so hard that Lomax was brought over to reinforce Rosser. Powell then threw himself on McCausland and routed him, driving
436 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
his force back into the Luray Valley and capturing two cannon with caissons, wagons, twenty officers and more than 200 prisoners. Early withdrew during the night and retired to his former camp at New Market. Kershaw's Division was now sent back to Lee and Crosby's Brigade returned to Breckenridge.
The report reached Grant that Early's entire army had returned to Richmond ; if true, he wanted Sheridan to send a force to destroy the railroads and canal, that carried supplies to Lee's Army, and also to return the 6th Corps to the Army of the Potomac.
To determine what force the enemy still had in the upper Val- ley, Sheridan, on the 21st of November, sent Torbert with Merritt, Custer and Powell to make a reconnaissance in force to develop Early's strength. Torbert reached Mount Jackson on the morning of the 22nd and engaged the enemy in Meems' Bottoms in a hot con- flict that developed the presence of some 10,000 infantry and his full former force of cavalry. The object of the reconnaissance ac- complished, Torbert returned, reaching his camp at Kernstown on the 23rd.
November 13. General Seward in command of Martinsburg. went away yesterday on a leave of absence, and Brigadier-General Lightburne is in command.
November 14-18. Heavy details from the regiment daily for train-guard, picket and scout duty.
November 19. Detail of 200 men from our regiment to guard train to Winchester. Train of 500 wagons heavily loaded. The road was excellent, turnpike all the way. All the wooden fence- had been destroyed, and for the greater part of the way, there were side-tracks in the fields well beaten by such travel, so that the wagons could go two, and sometimes three abreast. Even with this bunching up, the train was two miles long. Besides the cavalry guard, there were 1,000 infantry marching in several battalions at intervals along the line of wagons. We started from Martinsburg before daylight and did not arrive at Winchester until after dark. Lay out in the rain at Winchester that night and rode at a walk all next day through a drizzling rain, guarding a train back to Martinsburg. Chi the way down, Ed Lane and " Buck " ( Buchanan) Herron, two of the youngest boys in Company C, left the line while crossing a ravine. They galloped down the ravine, unobserved by the officer :.. and we saw nothing more of them for half an hour or so, when the; came riding into line again where another depression crossed the road. and immediately transferred a sack of apples to "Friday "
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IN CAMP NEAR MARTINSBURG.
Mitchell, a middle-aged man with a heavy mustache, who threw the sack across the pommel of his saddle and covered it with a gum poncho. Presently a farmer, a typical Virginian, came riding rapidly from the same direction. He rode up to Captain Chessrown in com- mand of the cavalry and said: "Two of your men came over to my place and stole a sack of apples and I want them." The captain replied quietly: " Just ride along the line and pick them out." The Virginian rode down the line and back, looking hard at the men, who were guying him all the time, but failed to recognize the boys, or else his nerve failed him, for he rode away. Ed explained it as follows: "When we asked him for the apples, he denied having any. We then showed him the money-genuine United States money-and he went and got the apples. I took the sack of apples and handed it up to 'Buck,' who rode off. I then handed the Reb a five-dollar Confederate note, which he refused ; I told him that he was an old Rebel, and that was his kind of money, and he could either take that or nothing, as I mounted my mare and lit out after ' Buck,' who had gotten some distance away."
.
November 22, 1864. Lieutenant Welch, John McEwen and Sam Donaldson were appointed a committee to draft resolutions ex- pressing our appreciation of our deceased comrades of Company C, who have fallen ir battle or from disease during the last few months. The dead comrades, whose friends we are to remember, are: Corporal James C. Smith, Henry Pence, James Bell, Joseph C. Hunter, J. C. Stewart, S. Bayne.
November 24. This is Thanksgiving Day. The splendid, loyal women of the North have shipped to this regiment and, we sup- pose, to many other regiments, a large supply of dressed poultry for the soldiers' Thanksgiving dinner. The commissary issued to Com- pany C, four turkeys, two geese and five chickens, and the other companies no doubt fared as well. " We will thank the women and thank Him who put it into their hearts to thus remember us," says Donaldson's Diary.
November 27. Sunday. Inspection in the morning; always inspection on Sunday. Chaplain Patterson preached in the after- noon. The congregation was small, considering the large number of men in camp, but it was refreshing to see even this number, who could sit with bared heads and sing, " God is Our Refuge and Our Strength." Orderly Sergeant W. R. Galbraith, of Company C, led the singing.
November 28. Loudon County, Va., across the Blue Ridge,
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438 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
has been the hiding place and commissary of Moseby and his com- mand all summer. The inhabitants have harbored this desperate gang, thus enabling them to pounce upon and murder or capture stragglers and small bodies of men who became separated from their commands, attack our wagon trains, hold up railroad trains, and rob the passengers and express cars, and after each foray, spring back ยท into the fastnesses of Loudon, where it has been impossible to find them. On this date, Sheridan sent Merritt with his division of cavalry over to Loudon on a Moseby hunt, and with instructions to drive off all the stock and destroy all the forage and make the region desolate and incapable of sustaining a battalion of the enemy.
Harper's Ferry, November 23, 1864.
General Lightburne:
The Brigade of the 19th Corps sent to Martinsburg yesterday . are to remain until the garrison returns. Send 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry to relieve Cole's Regiment at Hedgesville.
JNO. D. STEVENSON, Brigadier-General.
ROSSER CAPTURES NEW CREEK.
Rosser, with two brigades of cavalry, crossed the mountain on the 28th, surprised New Creek, and captured the fort and garrison almost without resistance, and then burned the government ware- houses and stores, of which there were many. He left the same evening, recrossing toward Moorfield.
At seven o'clock on the evening of the 28th, the 22nd Pennsyl- vania Cavalry was all ordered out, and after waiting in line for one hour, moved off westwardly, the men not knowing where they were going, but supposed they were going to New Creek. About ten o'clock we halted at Hedgesville, and were informed that was our destination. Immediately upon our arrival, the garrison here, Cole's 2nd Maryland (dismounted) Cavalry, took train for New Creek, and we moved into the stockade and encamped.
The fortification here consists of an abbatis of fallen trees around several acres of ground, and within which are two block- houses. One squadron is stationed at the block-house for twenty- four hours, while nearly all the rest of the regiment is on picket or scout. It is thought that the enemy will make a dash on the railroad at this point.
December 3. The command is kept in the saddle pretty con-
439
'AT HEDGESVILLE.
stantly, scouting the country on the lookout for the threatened raid. Captain McNulty led a scout over to Shanghai after dark last night. . Reported that McNeill's men were near Girardstown last night. Captain Boring, with fifty-five men, went up this side of the moun- tain to Girardstown, then to Martinsburg and back here. We started at 3 p. M. Met another scout of eighty men from our regiment under Lieutenant Gass. Captain Chessrown with fifty men scouted over to Shanghai again to-day. We are on the go most of the time.
December 4. Sunday. Lieutenant Lane, with a scout from Martinsburg, passed through here, having come around by way of Williamsport. Many of the boys attended the Episcopal Church here to-day, the service being conducted by the chaplain of Cole's Cavalry, Reverend Mr. Cole.
On the evening of December 5th, Cole's Cavalry returned and relieved our regiment, when we returned to Martinsburg. Next day, the instruments for our new regimental band arrived; there are eleven new German silver horns, bass drum, snare drum and cymbals. They cost $900, and were paid for by money contributed by the officers. Levi Scott, our regimental bugler, is appointed leader of the new band. "Scotty " has been a band man and has found a number of musical men in the regiment, whom he has detailed for the band. They immediately set about building an "academy of music " of pine poles covered with shelter tents.
Sheridan has sent the 6th Corps back to the Army of the Poto- mac. The railroad from Winchester to Harper's Ferry is now in order and supplies are shipped to the army above Winchester in that way. The road is well guarded, however, or Moseby would destroy it or capture the trains. Merritt cleaned Loudon County out pretty thoroughly, destroying forage, mills, etc., and drove in the animals.
On December 7, General Seward returned to Martinsburg and took command again. Picket duty heavy. On the night of the 11th, there was a heavy fall of snow and the weather turned cold. The new band is practising day and night ; some of the men never touched lips to a horn before, and the tones they evolve are unheavenly, to say the least.
HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION, '
December 14, 1864.
Brigadier-General Stevenson :
Order the ?2nd Pennsylvania Cavalry to report to General Kel-
440 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
ley at Cumberland. The regiment will remain there some time. I will send another regiment to Martinsburg to replace the 22nd, if necessary. The regiment must be off early to-morrow morning. P. H. SHERIDAN, Major-General.
HEADQUARTERS MIDDLE MILITARY DIVISION,
December 14, 1864.
Major-General Crook :
I have ordered the 22nd Pennsylvania Cavalry at Martinsburg, 700 strong, to report to General Kelley at Cumberland.
P. H. SHERIDAN, . Major-General.
The regiment was ordered to be ready to march at seven . o'clock next morning. As this movement was supposed to be of a somewhat permanent character, the boys dismantled their snug winter quarters and packed up all their belongings, and were ready to march at the hour. The morning was cold, a heavy snow on top of the mud. It rained lightly, freezing as it lighted, covering everything with ice. Marched at eight o'clock; fed and ate dinner four miles from Williamsport. Forded the Potomac and marched up to within a mile of Clear Spring, where we bivouacked for the night in the snow and rain.
I (Donaldson) was detailed with ten men and a corporal and placed on picket on the road leading to town, and we had a gay time, for the boys (not the pickets) who had been recently paid, in order to keep up their cheer, warm their bodies and keep out the wet, had filled up with Virginia whiskey and were determined to go to town, and we pickets had to use harsh measures to keep them back.
December 16. Rained and froze last night and drizzled all day to-day. We marched early and a most disagreeable day's march it was. At two o'clock we halted and fed, three miles below Hancock. Marched six miles farther and bivouacked for the night.
December 17. Rained again last night. Cloudy and dreary all day. Marched early and kept on the move all day, halting only to feed and get some dinner. Reached Flintstone and bivouacked for the night.
December 18. Marched on, reaching Cumberland at noon, but marched right through, halting three miles beyond the town until
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FIVE-DAY MARCH-SNOW, MUD, RAIN.
some feed and rations could reach us. Rainy day and extremely disagreeable. Came on four miles and camped at dark.
December 19. Rained heavily all night and lightly all day. Marched on, crossing the river on the railroad bridge, as the river is high and unfordable. Arrived in New Creek at noon and camped in the flat between the railroad and river.
This march of five days in mid-winter, through snow and freez- ing rain, lying out four nights in such weather, was one of the most disagreeable experiences and very hard on both men and horses.
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442 TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
CHAPTER XXXI.
BACK TO NEW CREEK.
We found New Creek desolate. All Government buildings, and most of the stores and some private residences, had been burned by General Rosser. There is no lumber, no fuel, no feed or hay for the horses, no rations for the men, and they were obliged to buy food for themselves. The whole country was buried in deep snow, and the weather was becoming intensely cold.
December 20. Major Work, with a scout of 150 men was sent to Moorfield to ascertain if any Rebel forces were in that vicinity. He returned on the evening of the 21st, after a long hard march over the mountains in the most inclement weather, reporting no force of the enemy about Moorfield at this time. McNeill's and Harniss's men had been there recently.
December 24. The men are trying to fix up quarters, but have almost no material. Some of the men contributed to a fund and sent up to Piedmont and bought lumber and had it shipped down here. A scout of 80 men was sent out to-day. Our new band serenaded headquarters this evening; they play tolerably well and are learning rapidly.
December 25. A scout of 50 men sent to Romney, brought in 11 deserters from Early's army. They report Rosser's command in the Shenandoah Valley and Wickham with 600 to 800 in the vicinity of Petersburg, and Franklin. We do not give much credit to these reports ; we are hearing them all the time and they seldom prove to be correct.
December 28. Captain French returned from a four-day scout to Petersburg and Seneca Gap. No force of the enemy seen ; says State guards (Swamp Dragons) report having received information from citizens that a force of Rebel cavalry was in the vicinity of Franklin, driving off stock and getting supplies for the Rebel army. That sounds credible.
December 31, 1864. Conditions are improving somewhat. We are now supplied with coal for fuel, but have little hay or oats for the horses. The entire regiment was called out at ten o'clock, mounted. to be mustered for pay, on which occasion our new band made its debut in public. They are improving rapidly.
About the middle of December, General Early fell back to
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443
BACK AT NEW CREEK.
Staunton and sent away all his infantry, except Wharton's Di- vision. Sheridan had returned the 6th Corps to the Army of the Potomac, had sent part of Crook's Corps to West Virginia, and the remainder to Grant, and toward the end of the month, had sent one division of the 19th Corps to Grant. This left in the Valley but part of the 19th Corps and the cavalry.
Grant kept urging Sheridan to send a cavalry expedition to destroy the railroads about Gordonsville, and, if possible, the James River canal. Against his own judgment, Sheridan yielded, and on the 19th of December, sent Custer up the Valley to Staunton and Torbert with Merritt and Powell through Chester Gap and south toward Gordonsville. The weather was very bad and the march hard. Torbert met and defeated the enemy's cavalry, capturing two guns, and pushed on to Gordonsville. Here he found a strong force of infantry, which had been sent from Richmond to head him off. He, therefore, withdrew and returned. Custer advanced to Lacey Springs above Harrisonburg, where he was attacked in the night by Rosser and Payne, supported by a strong force of infantry, and compelled to fall back. The cavalry fell back to Winchester, after suffering greatly from exposure, many of the men being badly frost bitten.
The news from all parts of the field of war was encouraging. Since the middle of November, Sherman's victorious army had been marching " From Atlanta to the Sea," capturing the City of Sa- vannah, from which, on December 21st, General Sherman sent the following report to the President: "I beg to present to you as a Christmas gift, the City of Savannah."
General Thomas had utterly defeated the Confederate army under Hood at Nashville on the 15th and 16th of December. Sheri- dan had practically destroyed Early's army in the Valley. It was evident that the end of the struggle was nearing rapidly. The U'nion troops were in great spirits. Yet the enemy was game to the last, and it was going to take some bloody work to finish him.
At New Creek, the regiment was camped in the large bottom above the railroad station, between the railroad and the river. Immediately after our arrival, the weather became intensely cold, and so continued for several weeks. Our men ransacked the country thereabout and gathered pieces of boards and rails, and with these and pieces of shelter tent, they constructed nondescript winter quarters for themselves, and by stealing coal from passing trains, managed to keep warm. Our camp was located right along-
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