USA > West Virginia > History of the Fifth West Virginia Cavalry > Part 21
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In this destructive battle, the loss of the enemy in killed and wounded was 8,400, while our total loss in killed and wounded was over 10, 000. The loss of our brigade was 70 killed and 286 wounded, being tenth in the order of losses, dead and wounded, out of 46 brigades that took part in the battles, and eighth in the order of the number killed. The total number of our brigade in the campaign was 2,507, and many of these were sick and unable for duty long before the ten days' fighting be- gan, and not over 2,000 were actively engaged, showing a loss of fully 18 per cent. in this brief campaign alone.
It was a severe, hard cam- paign, and our brigade was handled with a skill and bravery not ex- celled by any brigade in the entire army. Both Gens. Pope and Sigel referred in the highest terms of praise, to the gallant conduct of Gen. Milroy's brigade, and great credit was given it for the excellent work done by it. In the terrible and unequal fight on the 29th, when the Second was sent to support the Fifth Virginia and Eighty-second Ohio, the regiment lost fully one-fifth of all its members present, killed and wounded, in a very few minutes, and yet the next day the brave boys left took their places, and with the rest of the brigade, now scarcely more than a regiment, held in check the force of rebels that had turned the left flank of our army, which is reported fully in Gen. Milroy's report.
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The men of the regiment had fully proved their bravery, skill and tenacity of purpose, and if they had never fought a battle afterward, they would have had glory enough for one regiment. The fighting on this day was as severe as any that our regiment ever experienced, and those who were in the vicinity of that left flank on that occasion, will never forget it as long as memory lasts. The panic stricken, stamped- ing forces, that we were sent to reinforce, were fairly mowed down by the rebel batteries, and had our brigade not been protected as it was, the carnage must have been horrible.
The losses in our brigade were as follows: Third Virginia, 8 killed and 31 wounded ; Fifth Virginia, 13 killed and 62 wounded; Eighty- second Ohio, 24 killed and 99 wounded: battery, I killed and 4 wounded; Second Virginia, 24 killed and 90 wounded. Our regiment sustained more than one third of the losses of the brigade. The following are the names of the brave men who were killed in our regiment : J. B. McMil- len, Company B; August Davis, John B. Wiley, Company C; Ira Chase, James Quest, Company D; Lieut. H. B. James, Geo. S. Butcher, Rob't M. Adams, Jacob W. Cox, Elijah Hall, Jacob Ritchie, Thomas Smith. Company E: John Murry, Peter Cassidy. Alex. Dunn, James A. Gard- ner, Company F; Henry Burskell. Michael Keville, George Kramer, Theodore Martin, Charles Schmitz. Fritz Strickel, Company H; Chris Deitrick, James Gradner, Company K.
The following is Gen. Milroy's report of the work of his brigade in this battle :
Next morning, 28th, I took the advance toward Manassas Junction, arriving within a mile of the Junction at noon. I halted to await further orders. I accordingly turned my infantry aside into the shade of the woods and sent my artillery ahead as far as the Junction, there being no water for them nearer. Upon visiting the railroad sta- tion at the Junction I found an immense amount of government stores in cars, which were yet burning, having been set on fire by the rebels the night previous, after hav- ing helped themselves to all they could carry off. At 3 P. M. I received orders to join the rest of the corps, then marching in the direction of New Market. I accordingly moved across the country aud soon overtook them. After marching about an hour skirmishing commenced in front. I was ordered to go forward and take position on Schenck's left, and pressed forward through the woods and underbrush in the direction of the rebel firing, which seemed to recede as I advanced. It finally grew dark, but I pushed forward in the direction of the firing, which had gradually grown into the thunder of a desperate battle. It becoming so dark, and the nature of ground not admitting of my battery being pushed forward, I left it in charge of two companies of infantry and started forward with my four regiments in the direction of the heavy firing, which suddenly ceased with great shouting, indicating, as we judged, a victory by the rebels. It being now 9 o'clock, and the darkness rendering the recognition of friend or foe impossible, I withdrew to my battery, which was on a line with the front of the corps, then fully a mile in my rear, resting my brigade here for the night.
On the following morning, the 29th, at daylight, I was ordered to proceed in search of the rebels, and had not proceeded more than 500 yards when we were greeted by a few straggling shots from the woods in front. We were now at the creek and I had just sent forward my skirmishers, when I received orders to halt and let the men have breakfast. While they were cooking, myself, accompanied by Gen. Schenck, rode up to
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the top of an eminence, some 500 yards to the front, to reconnoiter. We had no sooner reached the top than we were greeted by a shower of musket balls from the woods on our right. I immediately ordered up my battery and gave the bushwhackers a few shot and shell, which soon cleared the woods, Soon after, I discovered the enemy in great force about three-quarters of a mile in front of us, upon our right of the pike leading from Gainesville to Alexandria. I brought up my two batteries and opened upon them, causing them to fall back. I then moved forward my brigade, with skirmishers deployed, and continued to advance my regiments, the enemy falling back.
Gen. Schenck's division was off to my left and that of Gen. Schurz to my right. After passing a piece of woods, I turned to the right, where the rebels had a battery that gave us a great deal of trouble. I brought forward one of my batteries to reply to it, and soon after heard a tremendous fire of small arms, and knew that Gen. Schurz was hotly engaged to my right in an extensive forest. I sent two of my regi- ments, 82d Ohio and Fifth Virginia, to Gen. Schurz's assistance. They were to attack the enemy's right flank, and I held my other two regiments in reserve for a time. The two regiments sent to Schurz were soon hotly engaged, the enemy being behind a railroad embankment, which afforded them an excellent breastwork.
The railroad had to be approached from the cleared ground on our side through a strip of thick timber from 100 to 500 yards in width. I had intended with the two regiments held in reserve, Second and Third Virginia, to charge the rebel battery, which was but a short distance from us over the top of the hill to our left, but while making my arrangements to do this I observed that my two regiments engaged were being driven back out of the woods by the terrible fire of the rebels.
I then saw the brave Cols. Cantwell and Zeigler struggling to rally their broken regiments on the rear of the forest out of which they had been driven, and sent two of my aides to assist them and assure them of immediate support. They soon rallied their men and charged again and again up to the railroad, but were driven back each time with great loss. I then sent the Second Virginia to their support, directing it to approach the railroad at the point on the left of my other regiments, where the woods ended, but they were met with such a destructive fire from a large rebel force that they were soon thrown into confusion and fell back in disorder. The enemy now came on in overwhelming numbers. Gen. Carl Schurz had been obliged to retire with his two brigades an hour before, and then the whole rebel force was turned against my brigade, and my brave lads were dashed back before the storm of bullets like chaff before the tempest. I then ordered my reserve battery into position a short distance in the rear, and when five guns had got into position, one of the wheel horses was shot dead, but I ordered it unlimbered where they were, and the six guns mowed the rebels with grape and canister with fine effect. My reserve regiment, Third Virginia, now opened with telling effect. Col. Cantwell, of the 82d Ohio, was shot through the brain and instantly killed while trying to rally his regiment during the thickest of the fight.
While the storm was raging the fiercest Gen. Stahel came to me and reported that he had been sent by Gen. Schenck to support me, and inquired where he should place his brigade. I told him on my left and help support my battery. He then returned to his brigade, and soon after, being attacked from another quarter, I did not again see him during the day. I was then left wholly unsupported, except by a portion of a Pennsylvania regiment, which I found on the field, and stood by me bravely during the next hour or two. I then rallied my reserved regiment and broken fragments in the woods near my battery and sent out a strong party of skirmishers to keep the enemy at bay, while another party went forward without arms to get off as many of our dead and wounded as possible. I maintained my ground, skirmishing, and occasion- ally firing by battalion, during the greater part of the afternoon.
Toward evening Gen. Grover came up with his New England brigade. I saw him forming a line to attack the rebel stronghold in the same place I had been all day, and
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advised him to form line more to the left and charge bayonets on arriving at the rail- road track, which his brigade executed with such telling effect as to drive the rebels in clouds before their bayoncts. Meanwhile I had gathered the remnant of my brigade ready to take advantage of any opportunity to assist him. I soon discovered a large number of rebels fleeing before the left flank of Grover's brigade. They passed over an open space some 500 yards in width in front of my reserved regiment, which I or- dered to fire on them, which they did, accelerating their speed and discomfiture so much that I ordered a charge. My regiment immediately dashed out of the woods we were in, down across the meadows in front of us after the retreating foc, but before their arriving at the other side of the meadow the retreating column received a heavy support from the railroad below them, and, soon rallying, came surging back, driving before their immense columns Grover's brigade and my handful of men.
An hour before the charge I had sent one of my aides back after a fresh battery- the ammunition of both my batteries having given out-which arriving as our boys were being driven back, I immediately ordered them into position and commenced pouring a steady fire of grape and canister into the advancing columns of the enemy. The first discharge discomposed them a little, but the immense surging mass behind pressed them on us. I held on until they were within 100 yards of us, and having but a handful of men to support the battery, ordered it to retire, which was executed with the loss of one gun. I then rallied the shattered remnants of my brigade, which had been rallied by my aides and its officers, and encamped some threc-quarters of a mile to the rear.
The next morning, 30th, i brought my brigade into position assigned them, and re- mained in reserve until about 4 P. M., when I threw it across the road to stop the retreating masses which had been driven back from the front. I soon received an order to move my brigade off to the left on double quick, the enemy having massed their troops during the day in order to turn our left flank. I formed line of battle along the road, my left resting near the edge of the woods in which the battle was raging. Soon our troops came rushing, panic stricken, out of the woods, leaving my brigade to face the enemy, who followed the retreating masses to the edge of the woods. The road in which my brigade was formed was worn and washed from three to five feet deep, affording a splendid cover for my men. My boys opened fire on them at short range, driving the rebels back to a respectful distance. But the rebels, being constantly reinforced from the masses in their rear, came on again and again, pouring in advance a hurricane of balls, which had but little effect on my men, who were so well protected in their road intrenchment. But the steady fire of my brigade together with that of a splendid brass battery on higher ground in my rear, which I ordered to fire rapidly with canister over the heads of my men, had a most withering effect on the rebels, whose columns melted away and fast recoiled from repeated efforts to advance upon my road breastwork from the woods. But the fire of the enemy, which had affected my men so little, told with destructive results on the ex- posed battery in their rear, and it required a watchful effort to hold them to their effective work. My horse was shot in the head by a musket ball while in the midst of the battery cheering on the men. I got another, and soon after observing the troops on my left giving way in confusion before the rebel fire, I hastened to assist in rallying them, and while engaged in this the battery took advantage of my absence and withdrew.
I had sent one of my aides shortly before to the rear for fresh troops to support this part of our line, where the persistent efforts of the rebels showed they had deter- mined to break through. A fine regiment of regulars was sent, which was formed in the rear of my brigade, near the position the battery had occupied. The rebels came around the forest in columns to our right and front, but the splendid firing of the regulars with that of my brigade, thinned their ranks so rapidly, that they were thrown back in confusion upon every attempt made.
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Shortly after sunset my own brigade had entirely exhausted their ammunition, and it being considered unsafe to bring forward the ammunition wagons where the enemy's shells were constantly flying and exploding, and the enemy having entirely ceased their efforts to break through this part of the line and had thrown the weight of their attack still farther to the left, I ordered my brigade back some one-half of a mile to replenish their ammunition boxes and there await further orders. I remained on the field. **
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Feeling certain that the rebels had been completely checked and defeated in their attempt to flank us and drive us from the field, I felt we could now securely hold it until morning, by which time we could rally our scattered forces and bring up suffi- cient fresh troops to enable us to gain a complete victory on the morrow. I felt cer- tain that the rebels had put forth their mightiest efforts and were greatly cut up and crippled ; I, therefore, determined to look up my little brigade and bring it forward into position, when we would be ready in the morning to renew the contest. I left the field about 8 P. M. in possession of our gallant boys, started back in the darkness, and was greatly surprised, upon coming to where I expected to find my brigade, with thousands of other troops, to find none. I kept on a half mile further in painful, bewildering doubt and uncertainty, when I found you, general, and first learned from you, with agonizing surprise, that our whole army had been ordered to retreat back across Bull Run to Centreville.
On the 3d of September. the brigade was in the defences at Washing- ington, and the army of Virginia, which had fought and suffered so heavily, was merged into the army of the Potomac. We were so used up by our campaigning, that we were left in the defenses, while fresher troops met Lee in Maryland, and defeated him at Antietam. We lay here until the 29th of September, drilling, recuperating, and enjoying occasional visits to the capital, when we were ordered to return to West- ern Virginia.
BATTERY G.
On the 25th of July, Capt. Ewing received orders to turn over his guns at Warrenton, and the company was virtually disbanded, the men being divided among other batteries, Buell's and Dieckmann's batteries receiving the main portion. On the first of August Capt. Ewing was detailed as ordinance officer on Sigel's staff. Lieutenants Morton and Shearer were in West Virginia with a part of the battery, and had no part in this campaign. Orderly Sergeant Rook with one sergeant and eighteen men, was placed in charge of the four caissons, battery wagon and forge, and ordered to report to Capt. Buell, who had command of Sigel's artillery reserve corps. Stephen Ripley and two or three others were with the captain at Sigel's headquarters, handling ordinance and acting as aids on the general's staff. Sergeant H. A. Evans was assigned to Capt. Buell's staff, and was a witness of that gallant officer's death, receiving his death wound on the 22d at Kelly's Ford. Gen. Milroy's graphic report of the work of the artillery that day, tells in an interest- ing way of the hard fighting, and of the discomfiture of the enemy. While Capt. Buell's guns were sending hot shot into the ranks of the confederates, Sergeant Evans rode up to the captain to make a report, when a shell screamed through the air, struck and passed through the
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captain's horse, and striking and mortally wounding the gallant captain, who died from the wounds the next day. Sergeant Evans then returned to Buell's battery, now commanded by Lieut. Hill, and took command of the right piece of the left section, to which he had been formerly as- signed.
Dieckmann's battery, to which a part of battery G men were assigned, is specially mentioned in Gen. Milroy's report of the engagement at Waterloo bridge, where for parts of two days they made things lively for the enemy. They were near the bridge, and vigorously shelled the op- posing forces, while Lieut. Frisbee and his brave men were burning the old bridge. Before the advance to Waterloo bridge, Milroy's forces had a severe fight, which tested the endurance of the men, and showed the skill of our gunners.
The bloody work was continued, and at Bull Run the batteries with which our boys were connected, won imperishable renown. Buell's battery on the first day was actively engaged, the section in which Bat- tery G boys served, being sent to Gen. Heintzelman, and were put in Gen. Kearney's division, where they had to meet and repel the attack of the confederate cavalry, firing all their ammunition, and then falling back to the rear. They refilled their caissons, and on the second day the section was ordered to the left, and had only got into position when Sergeant Davis of Buell's battery was shot, and the command of the section devolved on Sergeant Evans of battery G. This was the end section on the left, and when the confederates made their charge on the batteries, it was one of the tightest places of the battle. Good work had been done by the gunners, and the forces of the advancing, exult- ant enemy were considerably punished, as they charged forward, but despite all the hard fighting, they could not be stayed, and they broke through our lines. The section was out of ammunition except some canister, when the order was given to fall back. One of the guns was loaded to the muzzle with the canister, and when the confederate infantry came steadily forward in a solid mass, with bayonets fixed and with the determination to sweep all before them, and when within fifty or sixty feet of the gun, our men fired right into their faces, with terrible destruc- tion. They did not stop for an instant, nor did they fire a shot, but pressed forward. The battery immediately started for the rear, and the confederate officer gave the command to fire, when the air seemed to be fairly blue with the explosion, the bullets whistling and singing, carrying death with them, three gunners and two drivers being killed, among the rest being Albert Kincaid of battery G, a brave, noble young man, loved by all his comrades. The sections were reunited at Arlington Heights, and went with Milroy's brigade back to Western Virginia.
CHAPTER XII.
RETURN TO WESTERN VIRGINIA.
E BOARDED the cars in Washington and arrived at Pitts- burgh at midnight, September 30th. Here we were taken in charge by the sanitary commission, and given such treatment by the noble women of that grand organization, as we had not had since we left our homes at the beginning of the war. We were received in old city hall, where the patriotic women fed and cheered the tired and worn men, and rendered such service that it was an inspiration to us for future dangers and hardships. No words too strong have ever been written or uttered, in commendation of the cheerful services of these loyal, christian women, aided and backed by the noble work of the churches and organizations. So long as life lasts, and memory recalls the past, so long will the loyal soldiers of our country who passed through Pittsburgh, remember and bless these staunch and loyal sup- porters of their country. October ist the Pennsylvania companies of the regiment were granted a furlough of two days, and they separated for a brief visit to their homes, the other companies going to Wheeling. At the close of our brief visit home, our companies were sent to Wheel- ing, thence to Parkersburg, and then started on a march to Point Pleas- ant, opposite the mouth of the Big Kanawha, where the regiment had gone. We met them on the 15th near the Point, returning to Parkers- burg, and joined them, arriving at Parkersburg on the 17th. Thence we went to Clarksburg, where we were .supplied with an outfit of winter clothing, ready for the arduous work before us. We left here on the 21st, arriving at Buckhannon on the 22d, where we lay in camp for a few days. We resumed our march on the 28th, arriving in Beverly on the 29th, where we laid out a camp and settled down. On the 4th of November, Company B was ordered to Bealington, and Company H. to Leading Creek, to guard the road over which our supplies were to come. By the middle of the month all the troops were taken from Beverly except the eight companies of our regiment, and we were
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ordered to drill about four hours per day, besides watching the counties about us, and doing our utmost to checkmate General Imboden, one of the boldest of the partisan rangers in Western Virginia. We were left undisturbed by him until the night of December 3d, when the regiment was called into line of battle, and rested on their arms until daylight. Our discovery of his approach, thus preventing a surprise, caused Imboden to retrace his steps, and the quiet of camp life was renewed. While at Leading Creek, Samuel Lyons, Richard Robinson and two or three others of Company H, were sent over on Cheat river on a scout- ing expedition, and when there camped in a farm house. Not posting their pickets at every avenue of approach, they were surprised to see three rebels stalk into the house, who were unaware of the presence of any Yankees. Our boys were wide awake, however, and at once covered the intruders with their guns, compelling them to surrender, and brought them prisoners into camp.
While located here, we were detached from Gen. Milroy's command, much to the grief of the men. He was placed in command at Win- chester, and promoted to major general of volunteers, in recognition of his efficient services. Our regiment at once passed a set of resolutions, congratulating the general on his well deserved promotion, to which he responded with the following characteristic letter:
HEADQUARTERS SECOND DIVISION EIGHTH ARMY CORPS, WINCHESTER, VA., March 31, 1863.
LIEUT. COL. SCOTT, et al., Second Virginia Regiment.
Gentlemen: Your favor of the roth, congratulating me on my promotion to the rank of major general in the volunteer service of the United States, was duly received. To say that I thank you for your friendly congratulations and your expressions of feeling toward me, but poorly expresses my emotions, coming, as the congratulations do, from the Second Virginia Volunteer Infantry, one of the oldest of the West Virginia regiments in the present war, and one of the many West Virginia regiments that I have had the honor to command-a regiment justly entitled to be called veterans, for long, arduous and faithful service, through winter storms and summer suns, through pitiless cold, and rain, and mud, through burning heat and stifling dust, through the thunder and din of battle-always on hand for the march or scout, skirmish or battle -a regiment to whose valor I am much indebted for the honorable promotion recently conferred on me by our government ; congratulations from a regiment who have so long known me, followed me, and became endeared to me by a companionship of dangerous trials and privations, excite feelings which can be better appreciated than described. I thank you for the very flattering mention made of me in connection with the noble and patriotic resolutions you have adopted, which meet my most hearty approval. Please give my most heartfelt greeting to your brave boys, and say to them that I much regret that our temporary separation has been so long and unpleasantly extended ; but I hope for its termination soon and to have the pleasure of the com- pany of brave old Second Virginia with me in the coming campaign.
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