USA > Pennsylvania > The Twenty-second Pennsylvania cavalry and the Ringgold battalion, 1861-1865; > Part 9
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' Ad. Richardson of Company A was very severely wounded in the shoulder ; Samuel Wright and Jerry Myers of Mitchener's Company were also wounded ..
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THE RINGGOLD BATTALION.
pected and impetuous that our loss is trifling, 3 or 4 men slightly and one severely wounded ; none killed.
" B. F. KELLEY, Brig. Gen."
MAJOR G. M. BASCOM, A. A. G.
Our men burned the camp, loaded the fat hogs into the captured wagons and the command, with the prisoners and captured prop- erty, started on the return trip, arriving at Moorfield about dark. The men and horses were exceedingly tired and hungry, not having stopped to eat or rest for twenty-four hours.
It was nearly noon the next day before we left Moorfield. We marched over the mountains toward the Burlington and Petersburg Road, going in the direction taken by Imboden. We could see the tracks of a large body of cavalry in the snow, and our slow move- ment in that direction was, no doubt, with the hope of intercepting him. We went only ten or twelve miles and camped for the night at the "Junction " with the Burlington Road. The next day we marched as far as Burlington, and, as the weather had become very cold, we slept in the houses there.
Next day, Greenfield's Company took the road to Cumberland, their post, while the rest of the command, with the prisoners and spoils of war, marched on to New Creek.
This expedition was a pretty severe breaking-in for the new troops of the Ringgold Battalion; they had been on the march through the enemy's country for six days and nights, through snow and cold, and when halted for the night, one-half the men had to be on guard while the other half slept.
THE SITUATION IN THE VALLEY.
After the battle of Manassas, or Second Bull Run, September, 1862, when Lee's Great Army was moving down the Shenandoah Valley to the Potomac, all the Union forces that had been stationed in the valley and in the mountain counties of Hardy and Hampshire, to the west, were withdrawn to the Potomac River.
Lee crossed over into Maryland, where the two great armies met and fought the Battle of Antietam. Next day after that bat-
Imboden had started on the 7th, with over 300 of his best mounted men, on an expedition across the main ridge of the Alleghanies to destroy the Cheat River Bridge over the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. While crossing the mountains, he encountered a heavy snowstorm, which cost him many hours of precious time and jaded his horses severely. He learned that our expedition was in his rear, and that the Union com- manders had become aware of his movements and were rushing troops from several points to cut him off; he immediately abandoned his purpose and " barely made his escape by a desperate flight over mountain paths, his men and horses suffering greatly from fatigue and hunger." He arrived at Augusta Springs in his "own country," one week after starting
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
tle (September 18th), Lee recrossed the Potomac into Virginia, and camped in the lower valley about Winchester, and farther down toward Martinsburg and Charlestown. McClellan remained on the north side of the Potomac in Maryland, until about the first of November.
All this time, the two great armies lay there watching each other, the Potomac forming the line between the contending forces from Cumberland eastward for a distance of a hundred miles. The Confederates busied themselves destroying the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and scouring the country to the south and west for forage and subsistence. The Confederate cavalry at that time was quite efficient, and roamed all over the country on their side of the river, and occasionally made a foray across into Maryland and Pennsyl- vania. The most remarkable of these raids was that of General J. E. B. Stuart, who crossed the Potomac at McCoy's Ferry on the 10th of October, 1862, with 3,000 cavalry and artillery, captured Chambersburg, where he supplied his troops with Federal uniforms, shoes, etc., destroyed the Government stores and then marched eastwardly entirely around McClellan's army and re-crossed the Potomac into Virginia at the mouth of the Monocacy River some distance below Harper's Ferry. McClellan's Army had been rapidly reinforced until it numbered more than 100,000 men. The President had been urging him to make a move, get across the Potomac, and operate against the enemy while the weather and roads were good and before the campaigning season would be over.
Finally McClellan, during the last week of October, began to cross the army to the south side of the Potomac, and by the 2nd of November, his entire army was over and camped along the base of the Blue Ridge; but he still had no plan of campaign, and was seemingly acting on the defensive.
The President's patience became exhausted at this continued inactivity with an army so much greater than his antagonist. So, on November 7th. McClellan was relieved, and the command of the army given to General Burnside. The latter hastily reorganized the army and was moving toward the Rappahannock in a few days.
The Confederate Army, as might have been expected, immedi- ately began to move out of the Valley to Culpepper Court House. " Stonewall " Jackson's corps did not leave the Valley until the last week of November. As was his custom, Jackson moved out with great secrecy. He left in the valley a force consisting of a brigade of cavalry, two batteries and a brigade of infantry. These were
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THE RINGGOLD BATTALION.
placed under the command of General W. E. Jones, who kept his cavalry and horse batteries dashing about with great activity in an effort, and a rather successful one, to create the impression upon the Union commanders that there was a large force of Confederates still in the valley, possibly Jackson himself. As a consequence, the Union forces about Harper's Ferry and at other points up the Potomac River, were very cautious in their advance to any con- siderable distance out into the unknown country.
THE WASHINGTON CAVALRY OUTPOST .- SPRINGFIELD.
On November 19, 1862, Captain Greenfield was ordered with his command to occupy, as a military outpost, Springfield, ten miles south of the Potomac River on the Romney Road. A detachment of New York cavalry was also ordered to that place. Captain Greenfield was assigned to the command of this post. This was the first military outpost re-established at a distance south of the Potomac and west of the Blue Ridge. There were yet in the valley two corps of Lee's Army with no Union force intervening. Assign- ment to this isolated and exposed outpost is, in itself, testimony stronger than words, of the confidence General Kelley reposed in the courage and vigilance of Captain Greenfield and his troopers.
" Stonewall " Jackson's lingering in the upper valley, threaten- ing an invasion of Western Virginia or of Pennsylvania, kept Gen- erals Halleck and Kelley guessing his intentions and exercising in- tense watchfulness to discover his movements. A strong Union . force was retained at Harper's Ferry as long as the War Depart- ment and General Halleck were uncertain about the strength of the enemy in the Valley.
On December 1st, General John W. Geary led a reconnaissance in force from Bolivar Heights to Winchester. He was resisted fiercely by Jones' cavalry, who in vain attempted to check him. Knap's Battery, which accompanied the reconnaissance, punished them so severely, that they soon kept at a safe distance. Geary moved on to Winchester, occupied the town, captured 118 prisoners, learned to his entire satisfaction that Jackson had left the valley on the 26th, and A. P. Hill on the 29th, and further, that the force in the valley consisted of three regiments of Ashby's Cavalry, the troops known as " The Maryland Line," consisting of 3,000 infantry, Chew's Battery of four guns, and six guns of a Maryland battery.
Geary's force then returned to Harper's Ferry. Other scouts and reconnaissances verified this information, and it was not long
·
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
until the former Federal outposts were re-established in the valley and in Hampshire and Hardy counties.
The Ringgold Battalion companies stationed at New Creek were kept scouting in the country almost daily during November. Cap- tain Barr's Company had arrived in camp on the 13th, thus increas- ing the command to five full companies, now reorganized and known as the " Ringgold Battalion."
Notwithstanding that the men were in the saddle a great deal, Captain Keys kept up the work of instruction, drill, inspection, etc. We read from a soldier's journal :
" Dec. 1, 1862.
" Battalion inspection by Captain Keys. We were not allowed to wear our overcoats, but required to have them strapped to the saddle in front of us, and we all shivered with cold. The Captain had all the sergeants and corporals meet at headquarters for instruc- tion. He asked their co-operation in enforcing stricter rules. A few disorderly men in the command cause all the men to be tied down to strict military discipline."
On the evening of December 2nd, Lieutenant Henry A. Myers
$ was ordered out with a scout of 100 men from our battalion. We give his report, as found in Vol. 21 of the War Records :
" HDQRS. NEW CREEK, VA., Dec. 14, 1862.
" Capt. John Keys,
" Chief of Cavalry, R. R. Division.
" Sir :- In accordance with your order, I proceeded to Moorfield by way of Greenland Gap, with detachments of twenty men from the Old Ringgold Cavalry (Co. A) and the same number from Captains Work's, Young's, Mitchener's and Barr's companies, making in all 100 men, with the mountain howitzer. At 4 P. M., we were on the march. After we had proceeded 8 miles on our way, we were joined by Captain Rowand with his company of 50 of the First Virginia Cavalry. We reached the Widow Solomon's on Pat- terson's Creek at ? A. M, where we stopped to feed and take break- fast. At 8 o'clock we were again on the march for Moorfield. about 14 miles distant. We had reliable information that the town was occupied by two companies of cavalry under command of Mc- Donald and Kuykendall. When we came in sight of the town, a charge was ordered. The men behaved gallantly. The Rebels were dispersed in all directions. We killed two, wounded a num-
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THE RINGGOLD BATTALION.
ber, captured 10 prisoners and 12 horses. The only loss we sus- tained was 2 horses killed.
"Among the prisoners is the celebrated Ed. (H) McDonald, Captain of one of the companies.
" H. A. MYERS, Lieut."
"P. S. We started from camp at 4 P. M., Dec. 2, and returned Dec. 4, at 3 A. M., having traveled a distance of 95 miles in thirty- four hours, including rests."
Next day, December 5th, thirty men of Work's Company were detailed to go to vicinity of Moorfield after some fat cattle that were being collected for the enemy.
" We started at six o'clock in the morning. At Ridgeville, Captain Jarbo and one of his men joined us to act as guides. We went to Taylor's within twelve miles of Moorfield, and got thirty good fat cattle. The cattle were taken to keep the Rebels from getting them. Captain Work and the rest of the men took the cattle on, while Captain Jarbo, Lieutenant Welch and ten men went out among the mountains to look for some bushwhackers. We went through a pass or gap that was very wild. One vast rock, about six by fifteen feet and one hundred feet high, stood out in a slanting position ; similar rocks, not so high, stood round about. The ever- green pines and laurel, white and drooping under the weight of snow, added to the charm and made the scene beautiful beyond description.
We traveled up to the top of a very steep mountain, and nearly straight down the other side to the home of George High, the notorious Sam High's father ; took him and left at dark. We came along the sharp ridge of a high mountain and down to a Mr. Tay- lor's ; searched the house and took a member of Captain McDonald's Company from under the bed; also two rifles and a pair of new cavalry boots. We searched several other houses, but found no more Rebel soldiers; arrived at Ridgeville at ten o'clock; where we found the rest of the command with the cattle. The night was intensely cold, and all the men, except the guards, slept in the hotel; the bar, parlor loft and kitchen floors were all full of sleeping men.
December 6th. Ten men in charge of Sergeant W. R. Gal- braith were left to bring the cattle and the rest came on to town. Nearly all the troops have left here. The 87th Pennsylvania went to Romney. Early this morning, General Milroy, with his brigade,
* Sergeant Donaldson's Diary.
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
three companies of cavalry and two batteries, marched for Peters- burg."
Orders were issued for the whole battalion to march at three o'clock in the afternoon, with three days' rations. Just as the men were getting out their horses, the order was countermanded.
The night of the 6th was intensely cold-so cold that the guards left their beats. To impress them with the seriousness of such conduct, the captain ordered that they be continued on guard duty for one week.
Winter was now on in earnest, and during the next few days, the men in camp were busy fixing up winter quarters. By the even- ing of the 11th, they had their quarters well fortified against the wintry blasts, and were getting very comfortably fixed up, when an order was issued to break camp in the morning, with five days' rations. It was understood among the men that this meant a change of base.
CHANGE OF BASE. ROMNEY.
On the next morning, Dec. 12, 1862, the men took down their tents and packed up their " moving." During their sojourn of two months at this camp, the new men had accumulated quite a lot of household goods-extra cooking utensils, one or more extra blankets, an extra pair of boots and the old carpet-bag brought along from home, full of everything. Military regulations forbade them to carry these extras, and they sorrowfully parted with much of this property. Almost every man, however, succeeded in smuggling his extra blanket and boots, and such other articles as were not so bulky as to excite the suspicion of the commanding officer.
Marched at noon. Arrived at Romney at eight o'clock at night. Details were made immediately, and pickets sent out on all roads leading into town. The men took quarters in the public buildings and in deserted private dwellings, of which there were many, and were soon very comfortably established.
Captain Greenfield's Company was stationed at Springfield, eight miles distant, on the Road to Green Spring Run Station, from which latter point the supplies for the camp at Romney were drawn. As the cavalry detachments from the battalion at Romney were on this road daily, escorting wagon-trains, mails, ambulances, etc., to the railroad. the men of the two posts were much thrown together.
On the 16th of December, 1862, General Kelley was assigned to the command of all the forces on the Upper Potomac west of
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THE WASHINGTON CAVALRY.
Harper's Ferry, and especially charged with the defense of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Every soldier who served in that department will testify to the faithfulness with which the General- administered that trust.
The night of the 16th was intensely dark. Taking advantage of this condition, some Rebel horse-thieves slipped in and stole out eleven of our horses; the guard discovered them as they were get- ting away, and fired. The camp was aroused and a pursuing party, mostly of Company A, under Lieutenant Myers, was sent after them. Five miles out, our detachment came to a mill which was known to be a favorite rendezvous for such marauding bands. Myers suspected that the people at the mill knew of the plot; so, leaving his com- mand back in the darkness, he went to the mill and· represented himself as a Rebel spy, and soon gained the confidence of these people, who told him of the plot, and that the gang would return that way. While they were talking, the unsuspecting Johnnies, with their captured horses, rode right into the trap and were halted by our men. The Rebs jumped from the horses and escaped in the darkness. They left thirteen horses, two more than they had taken from our camp. On returning to camp next morning with this corral, the scout received much praise for their successful horse-hunt.
Captain Greenfield's Company had been stationed at Springfield almost a month before the battalion came to Romney. Being the only cavalry post so far out in the enemy's country at the time, they were obliged to do very hard service. From Sergeant Rogers' journal, we quote :
" Shortly after we came to Springfield, we went on a scout, making a continuous march of forty hours, in the saddle all the time except while we fed our horses and made some coffee for our- selves. We first went to Slane's Cross Roads; thence to North River Mills, where we fed and got some supper; then resumed our march and kept it up all night, one of the coldest nights of the sea- son. We went nearly to Winchester, ran into Jackson's pickets, and returned by Pughtown; had a skirmish with some Rebels there at daylight, and came on through Bloomery Gap. The night was so coll that we could hardly recognize our comrades at daylight-men and horses being white with frost, and steam rising all along the Tne. We did not reach our camp until the following midnight, having travelled nearly one hundred miles. About the first of De- cember, a Rebel, pretending to be a deserter, came to our camp. He
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
represented to Captain Greenfield that he knew of a strong Rebel country back in the mountains, where there were a lot of good horses, and that if he would detail a squad of soldiers to accompany him, he would pilot them to the place, and capture a lot of the horses. I was one of ten men sent with him. Fortunately we did not get very far or we would have made a trip to Southern prisons. When we got near Romney and in sight of the town, a slave came in across a field driving four horses to a hay-wagon. He had the horses on a run and kept motioning to us to attract our attention, when he called loudly to us not to go into Romney for it was full of Rebel cavalry. We halted and drew up in line at the side of the road, and started a man on the fastest horse for camp after the company. The Rebels, who were watching us but could not see the colored man who had turned back, came rushing out of the town after us. Our line started off on a run. We were in the hollow at the toll gate. I, being in the front rank, was the hind- most man when we started up the hill on our retreat. The Rebels were coming down the hill and kept the bullets flying after us until we were out of their view. They came on after us for three or four miles ; two of our men, finding the Rebels gaining on them, jumped from their horses and ran up the bank to hide in the bushes ; but William Wright's horse followed him and the Rebs soon had both man and horse. The man who had taken us out, seemed as anxious to escape as any one of us; his horse fell with him and rolled clear over ; but he was up and on him in a jiffy and escaped. When we had run about five miles, we met Captain Greenfield com- ing with about sixty men, and we turned back and went into Rom- ney, but the Rebels had fled.
Colonel Greenfield writes :
" This Confederate force was commanded by Colonel Mc- Donald. Colonel Harness was with them. When I reached Rom- ney, I learned they had made a hasty retreat in the direction of Moorfield. I pursued them about twelve miles to a narrow passage in the hills, called ' The Trough,' where thirty men well posted could hold it against three or four times that number. It was get- ting dark when I overtook them. I drove in their rear guard, but would not risk attacking them in ' The Trough,' as I knew they had as many, if not more, men than I had.
" Mr. -- , the father of a young lady upon whom I had called occasionally, lived near the Gap. The Confederate officer had called and requested them to prepare supper. I ate the supper.
-
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THE WASHINGTON CAVALRY.
I afterwards learned from the young lady that McDonald had 120 men; I had 80. McDonald gave her as an excuse for not fighting me that he had placed a man across the river with a field glass who counted my command and reported to him that I had 160 men.
" McDonald retreated to Moorfield and I returned to camp."
From Petersburg, General Milroy sent out scouting parties to Franklin, Brock's Gap Settlement and Wardensville, and captured a number of prisoners.
On December 21st, he sent General Cluseret with his brigade to Strasburg, which he captured.
On the 18th, the telegraph line was completed from Cumber- land to Romney, and was being built to Moorfield and Petersburg where we then had forces stationed. On the 21st, Captain Smith's Company arrived at Romney, having marched over from New Creek. This gave us six companies of cavalry.
THE RINGGOLD BATTALION OCCUPIES WINCHESTER.
In the afternoon of December 22, 1862, we received orders to march with four days' rations. The detail consisted of all the men who had serviceable horses. The command, under Captain John Keys, took the Winchester Road, Work's Company in advance. Halted and fed at three o'clock. Passed through Blue's Gap, a pass- age just wide enough for a creek to flow through. At daybreak, came out into a fine country through which we passed all the way to Winchester,* marching into that place just as the Rebels marched out at the other side. We only had about two hundred men. The main body of the enemy left the previous night for fear of General Milroy, who was at Cottontown, nine miles off. One-half of our command was on picket one night, and the other half the next night. General Milroy's Cavalry, under Colonel Cluseret was at Strasburg. At dark on the night of the 24th, Captain Work with a squad of eight cavalrymen, scouted three or four miles into the country, searched a house, but not finding the party wanted, returned.
LIEUTENANT M'NULTY EATS CHRISTMAS DINNER WITH THE ENEMY.
Christmas was a glorious day. Lieutenant C. J. McNulty, of Company C, Provost Marshal, sent searching parties through the town and captured several prisoners. Among the captures was Mr. Speer's son and horse; yet the old gentleman treated the captors to
* Kelley to Milroy, Dec. 22: I sent Captain Keys with 200 cavalry to make a reconnaissance to Winchester this morning.
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TWENTY-SECOND PENNSYLVANIA CAVALRY.
beer and cakes. A colored servant of Miss Lucie, a Unionist, gave information about the hiding place of a Rebel officer. Sergeant Donaldson of Work's Company, got orders to take a squad and search Mrs. Meridith's house. Donaldson, with Sergeant Kelley, Corporal Woodburn and Private Mountz, called at the Meridith home and found Captain Murray of Ashby's Confederate Cavalry, whose sweetheart was one of the Meridith daughters. Captain Murray had been invited to the Christmas dinner before the tide of war had carried the city of Winchester within the Union lines. What would not a brave officer risk to be at the Christmas dinner- table for just one hour with his best girl? Here was a dilemma. Dinner was just ready. Was their Christmas to be entirely spoiled ? Mrs. Meridith sent for the Provost Marshal, Lieutenant McNulty. That officer, young, handsome and a perfect gentleman, responded to the request, and listened to the tale of distress; was introduced to Captain Murray, a finc-looking officer and a gentleman. Mrs. Meridith invited Lieutenant McNulty to cat Christmas dinner with them, after which Captain Murray would go with him as a prisoner ; Captain Murray pledged his honor as a soldier and a gentleman that he would make no effort to escape, and would esteem it the greatest favor. Lieutenant McNulty accepted the invitation, but wisely stationed several guards outside the house. The Christmas dinner went off merry as a marriage bell, after which the two officers took their leave of the ladies and went to headquarters, where Captain Murray was put under guard as a prisoner of war, and sent to Columbus, Ohio.
General Cluseret, who had occupied Strasburg, marched to Winchester on the 25th. On this same Christmas afternoon, the enemy advanced with a strong force of cavalry and artillery and at- tacked our pickets. Our battalion was in the saddle immediately and
After dinner on Christmas, eight or ten of the boys secured a pass to visit the Kernstown battlefield, where our two old companies had been engaged under General Shields in a battle with "Stonewall " Jackson on the 23rd of March, 1862. I do not remember the names of all of our party, but there were with us Sergeant John Holland and Harry Linn of Company A, Lieutenants Chessrown and Keys, and Private C. E. Rose of Company D. The battlefield was some distance beyond the pickets. We rode out and had a delightful time. for some of the party who had been in the fight gave us a vivid description of the battle. On our return trip, we found a force of Rebel cavalry between us and camp, and did not see them until within fifty yards of their battery in our front. Then we discovered a column on our right and another on our left. We turned to retreat ; they, no doubt, thought we could not get away, for the field we were in had a post-and-rail fence around it six rails high, and we were in a trap. We all had good horses, however, and when we came to the fence every horse cleared it beautifully. We were then about two hundred yards from the enemy, and passing around their ieft reached came. Here we found that our commaces had all gone out to fight the enemy. Our horses were completely exhausted after their several miles of a race; we rode out, however, but the skirmish was over before we got there.
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