USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
It was. therefore, an important point as to all movements on the right flank of our army. Highways approached the place from all directions, and the open country made it necessary to keep a large picket force out on the different roads and paths, from thirty to thirty-five men from each company. Rebel cavalry were almost constantly in sight, watching our pickets at the front.
The four companies reported with forty-eight hours rations, and at the expiration of that time, were relieved by four other companies. I had to be constantly on the alert, as Colonel Ashby (afterwards Brigadier General), "Stonewall " Jackson's Chief of Cavalry, was a crafty officer. He and his men were fine horsemen, having been trained in tournaments to ride, and use saber and revolvers. These tournaments were attended in great numbers, and constituted one of their principal sports prior to the war. In
* Colonel Greenfield.
.
46
TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
fact, after the war, at our reunion with McNeill's Partisan Rangers at Moorfield, West Va., they gave a tournament for our benefit at which several thousand people attended.
CAPTURE A COMPANY OF ASHBY'S CAVALRY.
.On the 15th, a Union refugee was brought to my headquarters by the pickets, and I learned from him that Captain Harper's com- pany of Ashby's Cavalry was stationed at Hudson Corners, about seven miles distant on the Back Road. The same day, another refugee was brought in; they were brothers by the name of Wright. They wanted to go North. I interviewed them separately, and found their statements to agree. Mr. Wissler also knew of them, and vouched for their loyalty. I ascertained from them that by taking a road or trail through the woods along the base of the mountain that was made for getting out wood, a distance of about twelve miles, I could come in on the rear of the cavalry and avoid their pickets. They consented to go with me on the expedition as guides, so I concluded to go out, and, if possible, capture the com- pany that night.
I called the company commanders together and told them what I proposed to do; to start at midnight with sixty men of the squad- ron and sixty infantry. I requested two of the company commanders to volunteer and each take thirty men. I impressed upon the re- maining officers the importance of being on their guard, as Colonel Ashby might be contemplating the same kind of a surprise on us.
The Fifth Connecticut Regiment, in their history which they sent me in 1889, in their report of this capture in which they took part, say that Captain Eisenbisen. 46th Pennsylvania, whose company did not go with us, swore after he left the meeting that he "be damned if he wanted to go on such a wild goose chase."
At midnight, with sixty cavalry and sixty infantry, I took up the line of march in a drizzling rain. This seemed to me propitious for our "wild goose chase." although it was hard on the infantry, as the limestone soil became very slippery, muddy and sticky. The night was very dark. After going several miles, we came to a forks of the road, and the guides could not decide which was the right road. We continued, however, on their best judgment, and after going about a mile, found we were wrong and had to return, which rather dampened the ardor of Lieutenant Myers, and he sug- gested that we return to camp, as he feared our guides were leading us into a trap. I had no fear of this, and when we reached the
47
THE PENNSYLVANIA SQUADRON, 1862.
right road, continued on. My object was to reach their camp just at daylight, or a little before; but, losing our way, the dark night, rain and muddy roads made our march difficult and caused us to be a few minutes late, and our infantry complained of being very tired. One of the officers said he did not think they would be able to walk back to camp. I told him I proposed to have them ride back to camp. When within a short distance of their camp, as we emerged from the woods, a distance of about two hundred yards, I dis- covered that their company cooks were out building fires, preparing to get breakfast, while the rest of the men were asleep in their quarters. It was just after daybreak-a beautiful morning. The rain ceased falling, the clouds breaking away or dispersing and the mist rising from the valley.
I at once deployed the infantry, thirty men to the right and thirty to the left, and charged with my sixty cavalry down between the churches with a yell. firing a few shots to frighten them. They had no time to make any resistance, but tried to escape through the windows and doors, running in all directions. We captured three officers and sixty men, all but their pickets; and over seventy horses and all their arms and baggage. They were a fine looking set of men, and well equipped with arms and good horses. I had the Confederates walk and our infantry rode their horses.
As Colonel Ashby's command on the valley pike was as near Columbia Furnace as Hudson Corners, where I made the capture, I was fearful he might try to intercept me as I was seven miles from camp and he could reach the main road on which I returned within about four miles, so I tarried only long enough to give the Rebs time to dress and enable us to gather up what arms and baggage we could take with us. There was an old-fashioned Conestoga wagon, loaded with sundry supplies, that I did not think was of much value; so, after getting the command started for camp with the prisoners, I remained with a few of the cavalry and burned the wagon and destroyed what we could not take away. I then started to join the command, but had not gone far when I heard firing in the rear. We rode back rapidly to see what was up, and discovered that some old guns which were in the bottom of the wagon were fired off by the heat. All this time, the pickets, who had escaped, were watching us from a distant hill. We also got their muster rolls for pay, which showed that they belonged to Ashby's noted regiment. the Seventh Virginia Cavalry.
" Stonewall " Jackson, in a report of his operations, published
48
TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
in the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion, Series 1, Vol. 5, Page 391, makes special mention of this company (Captain Harper's), for their bravery in a charge at Hancock, Md., January 4, 1862.
We returned successfully to camp, and found it occupied by a brigade of our infantry, as General Banks had made a demon- stration that morning, contemplating an advance. The infantry here joined their regiments and I continued on to General Banks' headquarters at Woodstock and turned over the prisoners, horses and baggage.
In the records of the Rebellion, Vol. 13, Part 1, General Banks reports :
WOODSTOCK, April 16th, 7 P. M.
An entire company, more than sixty men and horses (Ashby's Cavalry) were captured this morning at Columbia Furnace, about seven miles from Mount Jackson, by our cavalry and infantry. The capture includes all the officers but the Captain. They will be sent to Baltimore to-morrow.
N. P. BANKS,
HON. E. M. STANTON,. Sec. of War.
Major General Commanding.
In the same volume, page 427, we find the following:
On the 15th instant, this squadron (First Squadron, Pennsyl- vania Cavalry), under command of the Junior Captain, Greenfield, assisted by detachments of infantry . made a dash upon a company of the enemy's cavalry, quartered in a church near Colum- bia Furnace, and succeeded in capturing the entire force of three officers and about fifty men, with all their horses, arms and baggage.
ALL THINGS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR.
Banks' headquarters at Woodstock was in a fine old colonial mansion, the property of a Southern gentleman, who had a beautiful daughter about eighteen years old. One of the aides on General Banks' staff informed me that this young lady would like to meet me, and said he would, if agreeable, introduce me, to which I readily consented. Not knowing what her reason was for wanting the in- troduction, I naturally supposed that she wanted to compliment me on my success, and, if she had a sweetheart or friend in the company. request me to see if I could not succeed in securing his liberty, or at least, have him well cared for in prison.
49
THE PENNSYLVANIA SQUADRON, 1862.
She did not smile on me as sweetly as I had hoped, but, after a gracious bow on my part, greeted me rather coldly with the re- mark: "I understand you are the officer that captured the com- pany of Ashby's Cavalry." I replied that I had performed that duty. She understood that I had taken them by surprise, and did not give them a chance to defend themselves, and wanted to know if I considered it a gallant act on my part. I asked her if she had ever heard that old saying, "Everything is fair in love and war." She said she had, but did not consider it a chivalrous act on my part. I told her it was the duty of an officer to be on the alert, and not allow his command to be surprised, and it was not customary in war to send a trumpeter in advance and herald to the enemy your coming for battle, and to be ready for the conflict. Without further ceremony, I bid the young lady good-bye.
I was then introduced to Brigadier General John F. Hatch, who had joined our corps as Chief of Cavalry, superseding Colonel Brodhead, and received his hearty congratulations.
On the 16th and 17th,* our Division (Shields') led the advance on the Back Road, General Kimball taking the turnpike, General Williams in the reserve. General Jackson made a stubborn resist- ance in order to gain time to destroy and burn engines, railway cars, bridges and supplies which had accumulated at the terminus of the railroad. Our attack was so sudden that Jackson's forces had to make so precipitate a retreat that we were able to save the bridges and two locomotives and many cars, and captured many prisoners.
On the evening of April 17th we entered New Market and went into camp; our squadron was ordered to picket the road to the left, which crosses through the Gap in the Massanutten Mountain into the Luray Valley.
The next morning, received an order from General Hatch to grind our sabres. So I had the boys hunt up all the grindstones in the neighborhood, and we had a regular old-fashioned "grinding bee." While we used our sabres in a charge, we found the revolver was very effective in close quarters, and the carbine was only good at long range or on the skirmish line, mounted or dismounted, and was an encumbrance in a charge. I also received an order from General Banks to make a wiitten report of the capture of the com-
* On this night of the 17th, our squadron led the advance in pursuit of the enemy on the Back Road. The enemy's rear-guard of cavalry was but a short distance ahead of us at times. Andrew Grant of the Ringgold Company, with our advance guard, rode on ahead and came up with the enemy's cavalry in the darkness, and marched with them for several hours, passing himself off as a Confederate. He obtained some valuable information, and just before daylight he dropped back and rejoined our advance.
50
TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
pany of Ashby's Cavalry, and received in reply the following com- plimentary order :
HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE SHENANDOAH. NEW MARKET, April 21, 1862.
General Order No. 20:
A portion of the Pennsylvania Cavalry having been detached from the Fifth Army Corps by order of the Secretary of War for service elsewhere, the commanding General desires to make known his appreciation of their services in the recent military operations in the Valley of Virginia, and to commend the spirit, energy and ani- mation in the public service exhibited by the Ohio and Virginia Cavalry, the First Michigan and First Vermont. Cavalry, attached to the corps under command of Brig. Gen. J. P. Hatch.
He also desires to make special commendation of the enterprise of the 15th instant, by the Washington and Ringgold Cavalry, Cap- tain A. J. Greenfield commanding, assisted by detachments from the 14th Indiana, 5th Connecticut, 28th New York and 46th Pennsyl- vania Infantry regiments, which resulted in the capture of an entire company of the enemy's cavalry, men, horses, arms, equipments and baggage. The conduct of the affair exhibited a commendable degree' of enterprise. discretion and decision-qualities that entitle a true soldier to the respect of his comrades and his country.
By command of
MAJOR GEN. N. P. BANKS.
R. MORRIS COPELAND, A. A. G.
General Banks gives credit in this order to the detachments of the four regiments that were under my command at Columbia Furnace at the time I made the capture, while I only took sixty in- fantry on the expedition ; thirty commanded by Captain Fitzgerald, 28th New York, thirty by Lieutenant Marvin, 5th Connecticut.
CALLED BACK TO KELLEY'S DEPARTMENT.
On the 19th, I received an order from the Secretary of War, through General Banks, to report with the squadron to Brigadier General Kelley, Cumberland. Md. General Kelley had become greatly attached to our squadron, and continued our warmest friend after the war, always attending our reunions when able to do so until his death. He made the following request through General Fremont to the War Department. April 9, 1862:
General: Refugees who fled from the western counties of this
£
51
THE PENNSYLVANIA SQUADRON, 1862.
State on the breaking out of this rebellion and joined the Southern Army, are returning with commissions from Governor Letcher to recruit " Mounted Rangers," in the disloyal part of the State, for the purpose of carrying on a system of guerrilla warfare.
To frustrate this scheme and enable me to kill or capture these desperate men, I require a cavalry force that has knowledge of the country which has to be scouted, and whose officers are well ac- quainted with the public and private roads, mountain passes, streams, fords and ferries.
Two companies of Pennsylvania cavalry, now with General Banks' division, who served under my command for several months last summer and fall are perfectly familiar with the country em- braced in my district. They are the Ringgold Cavalry, Captain John Keys, and the Washington Cavalry, Captain A. J. Greenfield. They are independent companies, not attached to any regiment, and, as I learn, General Banks has a large cavalry force and would doubtless be perfectly willing to have the two companies ordered to report for service in this district.
May I, therefore, ask you to make an application to the Secre- tary of War for the above companies? I am fully satisfied that the interests of the service will be largely promoted and the safety of our people, their persons and property, rendered more secure by this measure.
General Fremont indorsed it as follows :
Respectfully referred to the Honorable Secretary of War, with the recommendation that the two companies of cavalry named, may be assigned for duty in the Railroad District of this Dept., with directions to report to Brig. Gen. B. F. Kelley.
J. C. FREMONT, Major Gen. Commanding.
While I had a warm attachment for General Kelley and knew that our squadron would receive the best of treatment under his command, I did not like the idea of leaving the 5th Corps and going back to West Virginia, so I conferred with General Banks and General Shields, thinking I might get the order countermanded, but they thought it useless to attempt it, as the order came from the Secretary of War. They expressed their regrets at our departure.
In obedience to this order, we left General Shields' Division in the Upper Valley on April 22nd, and marched for Cumberland. Camped at Strasburg the first night ; occupied our old camp at
52
TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
Winchester the next night (23rd), and arrived at Romney on the night of April 24th, where we went into camp for a four days' rest."
Marched on to Cumberland on the 28th, and camped in a beau- tiful pine grove near the cemetery, where we remained until May 1st, when the squadron was ordered back to Romney. We found Romney now occupied by part of General Fremont's army ; at the same time. Moorfield was occupied by another part of Fremont's force. The Ringgold and Washington companies camped together here until the Sth of May, when Captain Keys and his Ringgold Cavalry Company were ordered to accompany General Kelley and staff to another field of operations. The two companies which had been operating together as one squadron for more than six months, were now to be separated for many months-the Ringgold Company, under Captain Keys, going to Southwestern Virginia, . while the Washington Company, under Captain Greenfield, would be retained to operate in Hampshire and Hardy counties.
CHAPTER VI.
BACK TO THE MOUNTAINS IN GENERAL KELLEY'S DEPARTMENT. THE COMPANIES SEPARATE. THE RINGGOLDS AT CLARKSBURG AND BEVERLY. THE WASHINGTON CAVALRY AT ROMNEY. MAY 10, 1862-OCTOBER 19. 1862.
On the morning of May 10th, the Ringgold Cavalry Company broke camp and marched to the railroad station at Cumberland, where the men and horses were shipped to Parkersburg on the Ohio River. The command arrived at Parkersburg the same evening and went into camp on the bank of the Little Kanawha. Next morning, Captain Keys and the Ringgolds, accompanied by General Kelley. marched for Burning Springs, an oil town situated in the Little Kanawha Valley.
Here it was reported to General Kelley that a young lady of that neighborhood was acting the part of a spy, finding out all she possibly conld regarding the strength and movements of the Union forces, and carrying the information to the enemy. General Kelley sent a detail out and bad her brought to headquarters. He ques- tioned ber for a time, but could get no information. She was cool and defiant, and refused to talk. Finally the General remarked: " Now. ' Mis- Blank,' you have given the Union forces a good deal
53
THE RINGGOLD CAVALRY COMPANY, 1862.
of trouble; if you persist in your operations, you are liable to get into very serious trouble yourself. You must quit this business. You are young and handsome, and would be a good wife and make a good home for some worthy man. Get married, settle down, and give us no more trouble." Without looking up, she expressed some doubt about finding a good husband. The General promptly an- swered: "Here, you may have your choice of any member of my staff, my son among them." She turned her head, gave a quick glance at the group of young officers, and said dryly: "I believe I would prefer the General himself to any of his. officers." There was no very direct evidence against her, and the General set her free.
During the week, May 13th to 19th, General Kelley, with a strong escort, including the Ringgold Cavalry, made a tour of a number of the southwestern counties, visiting the county seat in each instance. At some of these towns, bodies of Union troops were stationed at this time.
* Kelley arrived at Spencer, the county seat of Roane County, on the 15th. The object of his expedition was to visit these towns, familiarize himself with existing conditions throughout the region, and make a display of force to curb the lawless element and strengthen the authority of the courts. All that section of the State was overrun with guerrillas, and was in a demoralized condi- tion, bordering on anarchy. A local company of guerrillas, under a Captain Downs, had been keeping the loyal citizens in a state of terror. When at Spencer, General Kelley had sent a message to this Captain Downs to come in under a flag of truce, that he might have a conference with him. On the 17th, next day after General Kelley had left, Downs and two of his men came into Spencer under a flag of truce. General Kelley being absent, Colonel Rathbone, of the 11th Virginia Infantry, in command, entered into an agreement that they should cease fighting on both sides for eight days, and that Captain Downs' men should have the privilege of going home to see their families, and that they should not be molested by either mili- tary or civil authority, and at the expiration of eight days, they
* Vol. XII, Part 1, Page 490.
(Vol. XII, Part 1, 480.)
" On Monday morning, I left 75 of my men who were foot-sore, to guard the place (Spencer) and took a company of 40 men under Lieut. Bukey of the 11th Va. Reg't, whom I found stationed at Spencer, and marched to Burning Springs on the Little Kanawha. arriving there at six o'clock, Monday evening, 12th inst. ( May). I there found
that the Rebels had escaped in small squads, finding themselves nearly surrounded. I found General Kelley at Burning Springs with the Ringgold Cavalry and about 300 infantry. " B. M. SKINNER.
" Major 9th Va. Inf."
54
TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
would either give themselves up with their whole command as . prisoners of war, or take themselves off out of the country to the Rebel army. Colonel Rathbone furnished a company of cavalry to escort them back to their camp. On the 19th, a notorious guerrilla, named Dick Greathouse, who had been engaged in fighting at every skirmish in that country, and had stolen a large number of horses in that section, was arrested by the Sheriff of the county within a mile of Spencer. The Court being in session, he was examined and committed to jail. Colonel Rathbone, hearing of it, ordered his release, and he was escorted out of town under guard. This action was in, compliance with the terms of the truce agreed upon with Downs, upon the claim by Greathouse that he was a soldier. We have no information as to what action .Downs and his men finally took.
The command returned to Clarksburg on the 19th of May, where the Ringgolds were stationed for the next month, vigorously scouting the country thereabout.
BEVERLY .- DEATH OF THE SNYDER BOYS.
On the 18th of June, the company was ordered to Beverly. The march was over a mountainous country and very rough road. It rained almost incessantly for a day and night, making the jour- ney most disagreeable. Here at Beverly, the company went into camp, for this was to be its base of operations for a considerable time.
On June 27th, we were sent on a long scout with orders to at- tack and drive off a force of the enemy that was reported to be operating about the headwaters of the Elkwater River. We got to our destination after marching two days and a night, but the Con- federates had learned of our approach and had gone. We remained there over night, sleeping beside our horses, and next morning, 30th, started back to Beverly.
During the month of July, no force of the enemy invaded the region about Beverly, but the Ringgolds were kept busy scouting the mountains over a radius of some twenty miles, capturing small parties of the enemy who lingered about, or who had returned to visit their homes and recruit for the Confederate Army.
On the 6th of August, Lieutenants Myers and Hart, with all the available men of the company (50) were sent out for a six- days' scout. The second day out. they came on a body of Confed- erate cavalry six miles from Beverly, which they charged, and
THE RINGGOLD CAVALRY COMPANY, 1862.
succeeded in capturing the officer in command, Major Stevens, and six of his men.
* " On our return from this scout, Frank Fitzsimmons gave his horse to a foot-sore infantryman to ride, who, not being acquainted with cavalry riding, pulled too hard on the severe curb-bit and threw the horse, breaking the infantryman's leg. I suggested to his Cap- tain (Jarboe) that we peel a section of bark from the trunk of a hickory bush the size of the man's leg, first fit it to the well leg, and then transfer it to the broken one, in lieu of a splint. This we did, tearing up some underclothing for bandages. We then placed him in an ambulance and started on. We were in some danger of being cut off by the enemy, and hurried along over the rough mountain road for two days and a night. Through all our awkward surgical work and during this long torturing journey, the man never uttered one word of complaint. The doctor pronounced the limb well set when he examined it on our arrival at camp."
On the 15th of August, Lieutenant Myers, in command of forty of the men, with three days' rations, was ordered out to join a reconnaissance to Pocahontas County, in command of Colonel Har- ris, of the 10th Virginia Infantry. This expedition was without important event until the evening of the 18th, when, returning down the Elkwater River at a point three miles above Huttonville, Myers' Cavalry, some distance in advance of the infantry, was ambushed. The Rebel forces, concealed behind rocks and bushes close to the road, waited until our unsuspecting column was directly abreast of them, when they fired a volley, killing Corporal George Snyder and Christian Snyder, and wounding Scott Lever and Christ L. Kinder.
The cavalry rushed forward until out of range. Lieutenant Myers crossed the river and rode back to hurry up the infantry. ¡ Adam Wickerham, the senior non-commissioned officer, thus left in command of the cavalry, brought the Howitzer into position across the river and opened on the Rebels among the rocks, who soon retreated. When the infantry came up, the enemy had disappeared entirely. Joe Householder was sent to camp for an ambulance. On hearing of the misfortune to their comrades, the balance of the Ringgolds at camp were in their saddles immediately and came in
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.