USA > Virginia > Henrico County > Henrico County > A history of the Laurel brigade, originally the Ashby cavalry of the Army of northern Virginia and Chew's battery > Part 9
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Next day Jones moved on to Evansville, and late in the evening learned that Lieut. C. H. Vandiver and a party of eight men had captured the town of Independence and the home guard of twenty men. A force was immediately thrown into Independence and the bridge near by was effectually destroyed.
"At daylight Harman joined the brigade, bringing the first tidings of his and McDonald's success at Oakland and Altamont."3
Colonel Harman had moved with his usual celerity upon Oakland, capturing a company of fifty-seven Federals. After destroying the railroad bridge east of the town and the railroad and turnpike bridges over the Youghiogheny River, he moved on to Cranberry Summit, where he cap- tured the guard of fifteen men and destroyed the railroad property.
In the meantime Captain McDonald with a squadron of the Eleventh had burned the bridges at Altamont, and following up Colonel Harman's line of march was endeavor-
3General Jones' Report.
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A HISTORY OF THE LAUREL BRIGADE 125
ing to overtake him. Harman, however, with scrupulous care was burning all the bridges over which he crossed. Besides, his burning of bridges had roused the mountaineers, and the woods became alive with bushwhackers ready to waylay the now perplexed squadron of the Eleventh. After fording .many deep streams and continuously marching, Captain McDonald succeeded in joining Harman.
April the 27th, the day of the capture of Oakland, being Sunday, and the hour about eleven o'clock A. M., the good people of the town had just turned out for church. The late Hon. William L. Wilson, sometime member of Con- gress from West Virginia, and Postmaster-General under President Cleveland, was a private in Company B of the Twelfth Virginia Regiment, which led the charge into the town. Wilson, than whom there was no braver nor more efficient soldier in the Southern army, and who was natur- ally of a jocular and cheery disposition, seeing a young man and young woman together apparently agitated at the sudden appearance of the Confederates, addressed some reassuring remarks to them.
"Don't you think the Rebels are better looking men than the Yankees?" said Wilson to the young woman.
"Not you, anyway, with that moustache the color of buttermilk !" replied the girl.
The laugh was on Wilson, who had been cultivating with some pride the then budding moustache which in after life contributed in no small degree to his pleasing and striking appearance.
The whole command reuniting on the 28th of April marched on Morgantown, and arriving there about noon crossed the suspension bridge to the west side of the Monon- gahela River. Here a halt was made of a few hours. At
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dark the column moved on Fairmont. Approaching the town from the west it was discovered that the hills com- manding the road were occupied by the enemy. By turn- ing to the right the position was flanked and the Con- federates entered the town at a charge pell-mell with the flying Federals. The enemy retreated up the river by both the east and the west banks, uniting with the force of Federals stationed for a guard at the railroad bridge. The Confederates pursued vigorously, and after a brief conflict the Federals on the west bank, numbering 260, raised the white flag and surrendered.
The prisoners' arms were hardly stacked before a Federal reinforcement arrived on the scene, consisting of artillery and infantry. Their first salutation was a round volley of artillery and musketry which to many of the Confederates was the first indication of their presence.
Colonel Marshall at once moved his horses under shelter of a hill, and dismounting his men armed them with the captured muskets of the enemy.
The volleys of the Federals were now quickly returned, . and "the reception of the newcomers was soon too warm for a long tarry."
On the opposite side of the river Colonel Harman, with the Twelfth and the skirmishers from the Eleventh, Brown's Battalion and White's Battalion, pushed the enemy vigorously. The Federal reinforcements on Harman's side were driven off, and he asked for reinforcements to enable him to capture the whole command. "But," says General Jones, "as the bridge was my main object, I preferred to exert my whole energy in its destruction, and to allow the troops who could do me no more harm to escape.""
"Jones' Report.
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Under the supervision of Lieutenant Williamson and Cap- tain Henderson the work of destruction now began, and soon after dark the magnificent structure tumbled into the river. The bridge was of iron, three spans, each 300 feet.
In the charge on the town one piece of artillery was cap- tured by Lieut. B. F. Conard and four men of Company A, White's Battalion. It was afterwards spiked and thrown into the river.
In this affair General Jones' loss was three wounded; that of the enemy, twelve killed and many wounded, besides 250 prisoners.
Leaving the wounded in the hands of friends, at dark the command moved on, still indulging in the hope that General Imboden would soon be found. Learning that Clarksburg was occupied by the enemy, the Monongahela was crossed and the Federal force at Bridgeport, five miles east of Clarksburg, was captured, the work being done by the Maryland cavalry under Maj. R. Brown.
As nothing better offered itself at this point, a bridge to the left of the town was destroyed and a captured train run . into the stream.
The next day an early start was made towa ds Philippi, and along the march many horses and some cattle were picked up.
Upon reaching Philippi about noon, the led horses and cattle were sent off to Beverly, and the rest of the command moved towards Buckhannon, where there was constant "
expectation of falling in with Imboden's command.
On May the 2nd, a few miles from Buckhannon the first certain intelligence of him was received from one of his men on furlough, who met Jones' column in the road. From
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him it was learned that Imboden was at Buckhannon, at which place the two commands soon united.
A joint movement was now made upon Clarksburg. At Weston, after a rest of two days, the attempt upon Clarks- burg was abandoned and the commands separated, General Imboden going southward, while General Jones went for- ward to destroy the Northwestern Railroad.
On the 6th of May Colonel Harman, with the Eleventh and Twelfth and Wicher's Battalion, moved on West Union, while with the rest of his command General Jones went to destroy the railroad at Cairo.
Colonel Harman found the garrison at West Union too strong to be dislodged, but feigning an attack with a part of his force, he diverted their attention, while with the remainder he succeeded in burning the bridges east and west of the town and capturing nineteen prisoners.
At Cairo General Jones gained an easy victory. The garrison of twenty-one men surrendered without firing a gun.
The fruits of the victory hardly paid for the trouble .of gaining it, the cavalry, already well jaded, having marched eighty miles without unsaddling.
The command now moved on Oil Town, and the work done there made a lasting impression upon those engaged in it.
The oil wells were owned mainly by Southern men who had been driven from their homes and their property appro- priated by the Federal Government or by Northern men.5 This, it appears, was the chief reason for destroying the works. All the oil tanks, barrels, engines for pumping, engine-houses, wagons, etc., were burned.
"General Jones' Report.
COL. RICHARD H. DULANY
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"The boats filled with oil in bulk burst with a report almost equal to artillery and spread the burning fluid over the river."
Flowing over the surface of the meandering streams that led to the river the fiery wave rolled on with the current. Soon as far as the eye could reach the river was on fire, sending up dense columns of black smoke that by contrast increased the brightness of the conflagration.
General Jones had strict orders from General Lee to respect private property. He did all he could to have these orders obeyed by the troops and never overlooked a violation of them even when circumstances greatly palliated the act. It was hardly to be expected that men traveling through a hostile country, themselves and horses at times almost starved, would wait for permission from the proper authority to gratify their pressing wants. Stores were fre- quently plundered, although General Jones more than once punished those caught in the act; on one occasion belaboring with his sabre a soldier who had tied behind his saddle a bundle of hoop-skirts.
Two saw-mills were burned, one at Fairmont that was engaged in making gun-stocks for the Federal Government, and another at Cairo because it would have been used to saw material to repair the damages done to the railroad.
From Oil Town the command moved to Summerville, where General Imboden and his force were found, and the raiders now turned their faces homeward. The work of destruction had been done. Many cattle had been seized and nearly every trooper returned leading a captured horse.
In thirty days Jones' command had marched 700 miles, gathering by the way subsistence for man and horse. Some
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twenty-five or thirty of the enemy had been killed, three times that number wounded, and 700 prisoners captured.
It had burned sixteen railroad bridges and rendered use- less one tunnel, thus for quite a time interrupting the use of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for the Federals ; but what was most important, they had brought back for the use of the Confederacy 1,000 cattle and 1,200 horses.
The entire loss of the Confederates upon the raid was ten killed and forty-two wounded.
"Throughout this arduous march," says General Jones, "the men and officers have evinced a cheerful endurance worthy of tried veterans. They have shown skill in glean- ing a precarious subsistence from a country desolated by two years of oppressive tyranny and brutal war that would have won the admiration of the most approved Cossack."6
General Lee, in his endorsement of General Jones' report, says: "The expedition under General Jones appears to have been conducted with commendable skill and vigor, and was productive of beneficial results. The injury inflicted on the enemy was serious, and he will doubtless be induced to keep troops to guard the railroad that otherwise might be employed against us. General Jones displayed sagacity and boldness in his plans and was well supported by the courage and fortitude of his officers and men."
On its return the last week in May, the brigade rested a few days in camp at Mt. Crawford, and in the first week in June crossed the Blue Ridge to join the cavalry corps of "Jeb" Stuart near Culpeper Court House.
"General Jones' Report.
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On the 5th of June a grand review of all the cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia was held in the plains between Brandy Station and Culpeper Court House.
Upon a commanding point from which could be seen the whole corps as it was marshaled for the display, Stuart watched their motions with admiring eye and waited for them to pass in review.
The soldierly pride of each body from company to brigade was stirred, and as they marched in squadron front past their commander even the horses seemed to know that they were on dress parade.
Each regiment appeared different from every other, and in turn evinced some peculiarity that evoked admiration from the lookers-on.
The Carolinians were easily distinguished. They rode with military primness and were mounted on steeds of deli- cately-shaped limbs with glistening eyes and full of fire and motion. At their head rode Wade Hampton, then in the full bloom of manhood and looking every inch the soldier he proved himself to be.
The Lower Virginians challenged attention by the grace- ful nonchalance of their riding, and the eas's with which they moved along, yet having the steady front of veterans.
The Valley and Piedmont men, of which Jones' brigade was composed, were from the blue-grass section, and the strong, well-limbed horses gave to their squadrons an impression of massive and warlike strength. The riders like centaurs appeared almost one with their steeds. General Jones rode at their head, evidently proud of his command, but with disdainful air, for he hated the "pomp and circum- stance of war."
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Among scenes that made good riding conspicuous, and where there seemed to be some enjoyment of glory won in previous battles, not a few missed the lamented Ashby, the recollection of whose surpassing horsemanship brought back so vividly his short but glorious career.
Stuart's 8,000 horsemen first passed the grandstand at a walk, then rounding their circuit went by at a charge, while the guns of the artillery battalion on an opposite eminence lent to the scene the charms of mimic warfare.
When the "performances" were ended the men returned to camp, having gained that day much information in regard to the cavalry's strength, and were inspired with additional esprit du corps.
Many, however, grumbled at the useless waste of energy, especially that of the horses; and when it was announced a few days afterwards that there was to be another grand review on the 8th, the grumblers were even more numerous and outspoken. Complaints, however, ceased in a measure when it was learned that Genl. Robert E. Lee was to be pres- ent and witness the review.
On the appointed day the corps again assembled and marched in review. General Lee, always careful to husband the energies of his troops, would not allow the squadrons to charge nor the artillery to fire, and the ambitious eques- trians had to content themselves with marching at a walk past the grandstand.
Lee had already begun moving his army northward to enter upon his Gettysburg campaign, and the cavalry was ordered to camp towards the Rappahannock and hold the fords of that river.
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Jones' brigade had particular charge of the road that crossed at Beverly Ford. On the night of the 8th the Sixth Virginia held Jones' front, picketing Beverly Ford and camping near St. James' Church.
Nearby and somewhat in advance of them the battalion of horse artillery bivouacked; for orders had already been issued to march at an early hour the next day.
From this point the river was distant about two miles, and the road for half the distance was shut in by continuous forests until an eminence is reached that commands the country about Beverly Ford.
Jones' men lay down that night little dreaming that there would be fought on the morrow the greatest cavalry battle of the Civil War, or indeed of modern times, on the very ground where they had passed in the harmless review. There were some, however, who thought the Yankees would soon come over the river to inquire the meaning of all the reviews reported by their scouts.
In the meantime General Pleasonton, commanding the Federal cavalry, had determined upon making a recon- noissance in force across the Rappahannock, in order to press in Lee's outposts and unmask the position and move- ments of the main army. So, on the 8th of June, while the Confederates were engaged in their pageantry, the Federals were concentrating for an advance next day over the fords of the Rappahannock in the direction of Culpeper Court House.
Pleasonton's force consisted of three divisions of cavalry and two of infantry, with one reserve cavalry brigade in addition. One column, including the first cavalry division, the reserve cavalry brigade and one brigade of infantry, all
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under the command of Genl. John Buford, crossed at Beverly Ford. The remainder of the force under General Gregg was sent across by Kelly's Ford, about four miles below the railroad bridge, Pleasonton accompanying the column under Buford.
As no fires were left in the Federal bivouac on the night of the 8th, the Confederates on the south bank of the Rap- pahannock remained in profound ignorance of the designs of the enemy. The rattle of small arms at the ford in the early dawn conveyed the first information of the hostile movement.
At the head of the advancing Federal column was the Eighth New York Cavalry under the command of Col. B. F. Davis. It was met at the ford by Company A of the Sixth Virginia, under Captain Gibson, and gallantly resisted. Yielding to numbers the company gradually fell back, being favored in their retreat by ditches in the low grounds on either side of the road, which, by preventing an attack towards their flank and rear, confined the assault to the limits of the narrow road.
In the meantime the Sixth Regiment was aroused. The call to arms was quickly responded to, and in a short time Maj. C. E. Flournoy, hastily getting together about 150 men, came rapidly to the rescue. Charging down the road he struck with vigor the head of the Federal column and forced it back for a short distance.
The fight was at close quarters, and for a short time was fierce and bloody. In a few minutes the Sixth sustained a loss of thirty men, that of the enemy being probably less.
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Yielding to superior numbers, Major Flournoy slowly fell back, the enemy being loath to pursue, as appears from the following incident :
"Lieut. Owen Allen of Company D, who was in the charge above mentioned, was riding in the rear of Flournoy's retreat- ing column. Seeing a Federal Officer in the road some sev- enty-five yards in front of his column, which was halted, Allen advanced upon him with his horse at a canter.
"The officer's attention was given to his own men, to whom he was waiving his sword as if to order them forward. Remembering that he had but one shot in his pistol, Allen reserved fire until within swords length of his foe. Per- ceiving his danger, Colonel Davis turned upon Allen with a cut of his sabre, which Allen avoided by throwing himself on the side of his horse, and at the same moment fired and Colonel Davis fell. He met a soldier's fate, and at the hands of one as brave and daring as himself.
"Sergeant Stone of Company H, Sixth Regiment, and Private G. Larue of Company D now came forward to the assistance of Lieutenant Allen. Others of the enemy advanced at the same moment, when Sergeant Stone was killed almost instantly, and Allen and Larue, finding themselves alone in the presence of a large force, made a hasty retreat to their own lines."7
In the meantime the Seventh, under Lieut .- Col. Thomas Marshall, had already reached the field and struck the enemy on the left of the Sixth.
General Jones was with them and had brought the brigade off in such a hurry that many of the men rode bareback into the fight.
Indeed there was no time for dallying. Not far from the enemy, and far in advance of any support, was the battalion
"Mcclellan's "Campaigns of Stuart," page 265.
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of horse artillery, which the bold dash of the Confederates alone saved fromi capture.
As the Seventh approached the enemy on the left of the Sixth, which was charging down the road, it came under the fire of the enemy's sharpshooters protected by woods. Con- tinuing to advance it dispersed the sharpshooters, and pene- trating the forest some distance encountered a large body of Federals.
After a brief encounter, in which two men of the Seventh were killed, Marshall was ordered to fall back. Retiring slowly, he, with dismounted men, retarded the Federal advance.
Two guns of Hart's Battery were now in position in the road and had opened on the enemy. When the Seventh retired these guns were without support, but the gallant artillery covered their own retreat, keeping the enemy at bay with canister.
The Federals had now been retarded long enough to allow the wagons to move to the rear, and the artillery to be put in position near St. James' Church.
General Jones formed his line in connection with the artillery, bringing up to their support the Eleventh and Twelfth regiments and the Thirty-fifth Battalion.
The Seventh had in the fighting gotten far off to the left, and for the rest of the day participated with W. F. Lee's brigade in its repulse of the enemy.
The Sixth veered to the right, and united with Hampton, who had now come up and formed on Jones' right.
There was now a slight breathing spell on Jones' front, which faced an open field, beyond which was a thick woods, from which Federal sharpshooters delivered a scattering fire,
COL. E. V. WHITE
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but their heavy columns did not continue to advance. Genl. W. F. Lee was pressing their right flank, while Hampton had partially enveloped their left.
Jones was now ordered to move forward and press their center. With the Twelfth in front, under Col. A. W. Har- man; the Thirty-fifth Battalion, under Lieut .- Col. E. V. White; and the Eleventh, under Colonel Lomax, on the left, Jones advanced. The edge of the woods held by the enemy smoked with the rifles of hidden sharpshooters as the grey squadrons crossed the open grounds in front of the woods. Just as Harman reached the forest, a murderous volley was poured into his ranks, and Buford's troopers came charging up the road right upon them.
The head of the Twelfth was shattered, and out into the fields rushed the Federals. The bulk of the Twelfth was still fighting, and the Eleventh and White's battalion rushed into the mêlée.
There was now charging and countercharging. Squad- rons cut in two and, again reuniting, turned upon the daring foe. Grey and blue were intermingled; men were captured and recaptured, and for a brief space the issue was doubtful.
In the midst of the tumult of battle the Sixth Pennsyl- vania and the Sixth United States Regulars made a most daring charge. Breaking through the fighting squadrons in the open field, they made straight for the Confederate guns at the church. Shrapnel and canister greeted them, but they rode on undismayed, and dashing up to the very muzzles went past the guns.
Immediately they were attacked on both flanks by Jones' and Hampton's squadrons and driven back; and though
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they suffered heavy loss, they returned as they came, with ranks well closed up.
Again there was a breathing spell, and nothing but the dropping fire of the skirmishers on General Lee's front broke the stillness that succeeded the storm. No bluecoats were even in sight. Perhaps they had gone back to the ford and the battle was over. The surgeons were looking after the wounded, and the soldiers were telling of their hairbreadth escapes and boasting of victory.
But a sound of cannon was heard far to the rear. The reports ceased in number and seemed to be getting nearer. Presently a courier on a foaming horse galloped up to Gen- eral Jones with orders from General Stuart to lead his bri- gade with all speed to Fleetwood Hill, a mile and more to the rear of the position he then occupied.
Fleetwood Hill was the commanding position of the field contended for.
Gregg with a full division of cavalry and artillery in pro- portion had crossed the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford, and having evaded Robinson's command, was moving rapidly in the rear of Stuart's position in the direction of Brandy Station, and was in cannon shot of Fleetwood Hill, which was then occupied only by one gun of Chew's Battery, a howitzer commanded by Lieut. John W. Carter. This gun being only supplied with a few rounds of damaged ammuni- tion, could do no execution, but made a brave show of defending the position, and the boldness of Carter created the impression upon Gregg that he was well supported. Hence he delayed to make an immediate attack upon the position with his cavalry, but opened a cannonade upon it with three rifle guns.
A HISTORY OF THE LAUREL BRIGADE I39
Moments were now precious, and the best description of the situation is given by Maj. H. B. McClellan, chief of staff of Stuart's cavalry corps, in his "Life and Campaigns of Stuart," page 271, here quoted.
"The nearest point from which a regiment could be sent was Jones' position, one and a half miles distant from Fleetwood. The Twelfth Virginia, Col. A. W. Harman, and the Thirty- fifth Battalion, Lieut .- Col. E. V. White, were immediately. withdrawn from his line and ordered to meet this new danger. The emergency was so pressing that Colonel Harman had no time to form his regiment in squadrons. He reached the top. of the hill as Carter was retiring his gun, having fired his very last cartridge.
"Not fifty yards below Col. Percy Wyndham was advancing the First New Jersey Cavalry in magnificent order, in column of squadrons, with flags and guidons flying.
"A hard gallop had enabled only the leading files of the Twelfth Virginia to reach the top of the hill, the rest of the regiment stretching out behind in column of fours. It was a trying position both to the pride and the courage of this regi- ment, to be put into action in such manner, that a successful charge seemed hopeless. But with the true spirit of a forlorn hope Colonel Harman and the few men about him dashed at the advancing Federals. * * And now the first contest for the possession of Fleetwood Hill was on, and so stubbornly was this fought on either side, and for so long a time, that all of Jones' regiments and all of Hampton's participated in the charges and countercharges which swept across its face."
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