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diff --git a/33280-h/33280-h.htm b/33280-h/33280-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6cf1ec8 --- /dev/null +++ b/33280-h/33280-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3713 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Civil War Experiences, by Henry C. Meyer. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +div.centered {text-align: center;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 1 */ +div.centered table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 2 */ + + + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + color: #A9A9A9; +} + + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + color: #A9A9A9; + font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; + font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; + +} /* page numbers */ + + + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.sidenote { + width: 20%; + padding-bottom: .5em; + padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; + padding-right: .5em; + margin-left: 1em; + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; + color: black; + background: #eeeeee; + border: dashed 1px; +} + + +.bbox {border: solid 2px;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + +.caption {font-weight: bold; font-size: smaller;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; + margin-top: 3em; +} + +.figleft { + float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 1em; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +.figright { + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1em; + margin-bottom: + 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +.author {text-align: right; margin-right: 5%;} + +ul.none {list-style-type: none;} + + + +.centerbox { width: 50%; /* heading box */ + margin: 0 auto; + text-align: center; + padding: 1em; + } + + + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +Project Gutenberg's Civil War Experiences, by Henry Coddington Meyer + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Civil War Experiences + under Bayard, Gregg, Kilpatrick, Custer, Raulston, and + Newberry, 1862, 1863, 1864 + +Author: Henry Coddington Meyer + +Release Date: July 28, 2010 [EBook #33280] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CIVIL WAR EXPERIENCES *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 368px;"> +<a name="frontis" id="frontis"></a> +<img src="images/i002.jpg" width="368" height="400" alt="" title="Yours Truly, Henry C. Meyer" /> +</div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> + + + + + + + <h1>CIVIL WAR<br /> + EXPERIENCES</h1> + + <h4>UNDER</h4> + + <h3>BAYARD, GREGG, KILPATRICK, CUSTER<br /> + RAULSTON, AND NEWBERRY</h3> + + <h3>1862, 1863, 1864</h3> + + <h4>BY</h4> + + <h2>HENRY C. MEYER</h2> + + <p class="center">CAPTAIN 24TH NEW YORK CAVALRY<br /> + BREVET-MAJOR NEW YORK VOLUNTEERS</p> + + <p class="center"><i>PRIVATELY PRINTED</i><br /><br /> + + NEW YORK<br /> + 1911</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span></p> + + +<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The Knickerbocker Press</span><br /> +(<span class="smcap">G. P. Putnam's Sons</span>)<br /> +<br /> +<span class="smcap">New York</span><br /> +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="INTRODUCTION" id="INTRODUCTION"></a>INTRODUCTION</h2> + + +<p>During December, 1895, I received a letter from General Walter C. +Newberry, of Chicago, who during the Civil War commanded the 24th New +York Cavalry. In this the General wrote:</p> + +<blockquote><p>"<span class="smcap">My Dear Major Meyer</span>:</p> + +<p>"You will remember how urgent the boys were last summer for a +history of the Regiment to be prepared. I resolved then to gratify +them and am engaged on it now. I want you to aid me to the extent +of giving me a detailed account of yourself—nativity, date of +birth, former service, engagements that you were in that led up to +your promotion, your service with us, your wounding and incidents +accompanying it, your period of treatment in the Hospital, your +civil record since, and be kind enough not to be at all modest in +setting it all forth. I shall not use your language, neither shall +I give you credit for the biography, and you may drop all modesty +with me and give it to me in full. You may have kept something of a +diary or there may be some old letters that you have written which +will give me some record by dates of the Regiment's service. I want +it all."</p></blockquote> + +<p>In 1896 I complied with this request to the extent of giving a brief +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span>account of my service in the Army. Since then, members of my family and +a few personal friends have asked me to incorporate in this account +incidents that I recalled, some of which they had heard me relate, +asserting that they would be of interest to my grandchildren.</p> + +<p>The following story is my attempt to accede to these requests. I am +naturally proud of having had the privilege of serving under the +Generals I have mentioned, and the story recited in the following pages +is in accordance with my recollection of events that occurred over +forty-five years ago.</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">Henry C. Meyer</span>.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap" style="margin-left: 2em;">New York</span>, May, 1911.</p> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> + + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" width="80%" cellspacing="0" summary="CONTENTS"> +<tr><td align="left" style="80%"> </td><td align="right" style="20%">PAGE</td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter I</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Enlistment; Journey to Regiment; First Picket Duty; Raid to Fredericks Hall.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter II</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_8'>8</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Night after Battle of Cedar Mountain; Death of Captain Walters at Rapidan; Retreat from Rapidan; Battle at Brandy Station.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter III</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_13'>13</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Second Battle at Bull Run; Destruction of Seymour's Squadron; Death of Compton; A Wounded Soldier's Heroism; Fitz-John Porter's Message to Kilpatrick; Longstreet's Assault on Left of Pope's Army; To Alexandria to Refit.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter IV</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_20'>20</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Refitting at Ball's Cross Roads; Skirmishing around Centerville; Advance after Antietam; Soldier's Opinion on McClellan's being Superseded; Battle of Fredericksburg; Death of Bayard.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter V</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_23'>23</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Detailed at General Gregg's Headquarters; The Stoneman Raid.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter VI</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_27'>27</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Gettysburg Campaign; Battle at Brandy Station; Wounded at Stuart's Headquarters.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter VII</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Battles at Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span></td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter VIII</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_42'>42</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Crossing the Potomac; Scenes in Frederick and Liberty; Girls' Boarding School at New Windsor; March to Gettysburg.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter IX</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_47'>47</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Second and Third Days of Battle at Gettysburg; Gregg's Cavalry Engagement on the Right; Repulse of Stuart.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter X</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_54'>54</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Day Following the Battle at Gettysburg; Compelling Citizens to Assist in Burying the Dead; Scenes in Gettysburg; Nick Finding John Burns; Following up Lee's Army; Wounded Confederates Left Behind.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter XI</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_58'>58</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Return to Virginia; Crossing at Harper's Ferry; Battle at Shepherdstown; Confederate Prisoner Reporting the Condition of a Cousin in Confederate Army; Advance from Sulphur Springs to the Rapidan.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter XII</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_62'>62</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Transferred to General Kilpatrick's Headquarters; Battle on Retreat from Culpeper; Battle at Buckland's Mills; Granted a Furlough; Recommended for a Commission; Appointed a Second Lieutenant; Leaving General Kilpatrick.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter XIII</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_71'>71</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Joined 24th New York Cavalry at Auburn, N. Y.; Trip to Washington; At Camp Stoneman; March to Join Army of the Potomac; Experience at Battle of the Wilderness; First Sight of General Grant.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter XIV</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_78'>78</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">At Spottsylvania; Finding Confederate Dead in Breastworks;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span> Selected to Guide a Division to a Position for Night Assault; Sent to Washington for Ammunition.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter XV</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_86'>86</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">Experience at North Anna and Cold Harbor; General Grant and Confederate Prisoner; Crossing the James; Assault on Works at Petersburg; Wounded; At Field Hospital; Journey to City Point and Seminary Hospital at Georgetown, D. C.; Removal to Dobbs Ferry; Convalescence.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Chapter XVI</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_96'>96</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left">General D. McM. Gregg, General Kilpatrick, Colonel Henry C. Weir, General Walter C. Newberry, Colonel William C. Raulston, General L. G. Estes, General E. W. Whitaker, Captain Theodore F. Northrop.</td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Appendix A</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td><td> </td></tr> +<tr><th align="center"><span class="smcap">Appendix B</span></th><td align="right"><a href='#Page_109'>109</a></td><td> </td></tr> +</table></div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[Pg viii]</a></span></p> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> + + + + +<div class="centered"> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" width="55%" cellspacing="0" summary="ILLUSTRATIONS"> +<tr><td align="left"> </td><td align="right">PAGE</td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Henry C. Meyer</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#frontis'><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Corporal Henry E. Johns</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_6'>6</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">General Judson Kilpatrick</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_16'>16</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Colonel Henry C. Weir</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_24'>24</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">General D. McM. Gregg</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_34'>34</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">General George A. Custer</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_48'>48</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">General E. W. Whitaker</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_62'>62</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Captain Theodore F. Northrop</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_66'>66</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">General L. G. Estes</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_70'>70</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Colonel W. C. Raulston</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_72'>72</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">General Walter C. Newberry</span></td><td align="right"><a href='#Page_93'>93</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + + + + + + + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span></p> + + + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a name="Civil_War_Experiences" id="Civil_War_Experiences"></a>Civil War Experiences</h2> + +<h3>CHAPTER I</h3> + + +<p>On the day Fort Sumter surrendered I was seventeen years old, having +been born April 14, 1844. Like other boys, I proposed enlisting, but my +father refused consent; and at that time youths under eighteen years +would not be accepted without the consent of parents. In July of the +following year, when the news of McClellan's retreat on the Peninsula +was published, I was satisfied that the Government would need more men, +and having carefully considered the matter, and being then eighteen +years of age, I decided to go without my father's consent. Seeing a +newspaper item to the effect that Captain Mallory, of the Harris Light +Cavalry, had arrived in New York, and proposed to enlist some men for +that regiment, I called upon him at the Metropolitan Hotel and made +known my desire. He informed me that his recruiting office was not then +arranged, though he had engaged a room a little farther up Broadway, and +his sergeant was preparing to open it. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> seemed reluctant to take me, +and talked to me as though I were too young to go, and as if I did not +realize what I was about to undertake. I assured him that I had +considered the matter well, and that I was physically strong; and that +if he would not accept me I would try to enlist in Duryea's Zouaves, who +were, at that time, enlisting men. He then told me to go up and see his +sergeant and that he would come up later. I found the room, but the +sergeant, however, had not yet unpacked the papers. On getting them +opened he said he was unable to make them out, whereupon I asked him to +let me examine them, and proceeded to make out my own enlistment papers, +the sergeant watching me. While I was thus engaged, a man with his arm +off came in. He had just that day been discharged from the hospital, and +inquired what steps he should take to get a pension, having been +attracted by the flag hanging out of the office window. I noticed the +sergeant was particularly anxious to get him out of the room, evidently +not considering him a desirable acquisition to facilitate recruiting. I +explained to the man what he should do. The sergeant, when he saw me +make out my enlistment papers, remarked, "They won't keep you long in +the ranks, because they can get better work for you to do," or words to +that effect. I did not then comprehend what he meant, but my subsequent +experience explained it. I was then sent to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> examining physician, +examined, passed, and sworn in for three years' service.</p> + +<p>That night I went to my home, at Dobb's Ferry, on the Hudson River, and +reported what I had done, intending to leave for Washington the next +morning, when I was promised transportation. This interview with my +parents was quite unpleasant, as my father was very angry and my mother +in great distress. At that time both my father and his friends regarded +my action as worse than foolish and almost as bad as though I had done +something disreputable. Indeed, as I was afterwards informed, one +gentleman remarked, "Well, that is too bad; that boy has gone to the +devil, too."</p> + +<p>The following morning I bade my parents good-bye, feeling that if I were +wounded or crippled I should not care to return home for them to take +care of me. Subsequent letters from home, however, removed that feeling. +The following night, having received transportation, I sailed as the +only passenger on a freight transport from a pier near the Battery to +South Amboy. I well remember my feelings as I watched New York receding +in the distance, there being no excitement or hand-shaking or waving of +flags such as accompanied the departure of the first troops that left +New York for thirty days' service the year before. From Amboy I went on +a coal train to Philadelphia.</p> + +<p>On landing at Walnut Street wharf I went<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> into the soldiers' refreshment +room, maintained by the citizens of Philadelphia, which was open night +and day, and at which all soldiers passing through the city were fed +free of charge. It was about two o'clock in the morning, very hot, and I +was tired and depressed. Hence, when invited to partake of some +refreshments, I was unable to do so but contented myself with eating a +few pickles.</p> + +<p>I then walked across the city to the Baltimore depot, which was then at +the corner of Broad and Pine Streets, and took a passenger train for +Baltimore, which I reached about seven o'clock in the morning, sitting +up, as there were no sleeping-cars in those days. On arriving in +Baltimore I walked to another part of the city to take the train for +Washington. Meanwhile I wanted some breakfast. Going into a place which +I supposed was a restaurant, I found that the only thing they could +offer me was ice-cream. I thereupon ate some, and soon after took the +train for Washington. In a few moments the Philadelphia pickles, the hot +night, and the Baltimore ice-cream produced most severe cramps, and I +was in a very distressed state of mind, fearing that I would never be +able to reach the front, but would have to submit to the mortification +of being returned home.</p> + +<p>Arriving in Washington, I went to Willard's Hotel, and, after a good +sleep, was able to take my dinner that evening. I had on citizen's<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> +clothes and was not recognized as a private soldier in the United States +Army, so the head-waiter assigned me to a seat at a table where General +Halleck, the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, sat opposite.</p> + +<p>That evening, my uncle, E. V. Price, who was in Washington, met me at +the hotel and took me to General Pope's room. The latter had just +arrived in Washington to take command of the Army of the Potomac. My +uncle procured a pass from him to enable me to go through the lines and +join my regiment, the Second New York Cavalry (Harris Light). It was +stationed at Falmouth, Virginia. J. Mansfield Davies was the colonel at +that time, and Judson Kilpatrick the lieutenant-colonel. My uncle, who +knew Colonel Davies, introduced me to him that evening at the hotel. The +following morning I accompanied him on the boat to Aquia Creek and +reached the regiment on the evening of that day.</p> + +<p>In two or three days I received my uniform and a horse was given to me. +The fact that I had been seen coming into camp with the Colonel led some +of the non-commissioned officers and men of my company to assume that I +did not intend to serve in the ranks, but would likely be commissioned +shortly and probably be jumped over them, who had already been out some +time, though they had not been in any battle, their previous service +being confined to drilling and a skirmish or two. This made it very +unpleas<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>ant for me, and for a short time I was subjected to some little +annoyance.</p> + +<p>As I wore to the front the best suit of citizen's clothes I had, a man +in our company by the name of Rufus West proposed to buy them and agreed +to pay me eleven dollars for them. That night he deserted and joined +Mosby's command, having made the remark before leaving that he did not +"propose to fight to free niggers." He owes me the eleven dollars yet.</p> + +<p>In a day or two I was assigned to picket duty with a man of my company, +on the Rappahannock River, with instructions to keep a sharp lookout, as +they said a female spy was expected to cross at that point. My comrade +was Henry E. Johns, who enlisted from Hartford, Connecticut. He appeared +to take pity on me, and that evening we discussed our families and our +affairs; and at that time a warm attachment was formed, which lasted +throughout the war, and since. As we were to remain on guard all night, +he suggested that we should take turns, each being on watch, two hours +on, and two hours off. Before morning I found it extremely difficult to +keep my eyes open, and several times walked to the river and washed my +face in order to do so. Just before daylight it was my turn to go to +sleep; when I awoke and looked around, I found no one on watch. Looking +beside me I found my comrade, also asleep. The place at which we were +posted was inaccessible in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> night from our lines, because it was +at the foot of a deep ravine. I don't imagine any female spy crossed at +that point. If we had been caught asleep, however, it would have been an +embarrassing position for both of us to have been placed in.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="images/i019.jpg" width="350" height="347" alt="CORPORAL HENRY E. JOHNS" title="" /> +<span class="caption">CORPORAL HENRY E. JOHNS</span> +</div> + + + + +<p>A few days later the Harris Light Cavalry made a raid in the +neighborhood of Fredericks Hall, Virginia, in which movement the command +marched some ninety miles in thirty hours. This was hard on the men, and +many of them were confined to their tents on their return to camp, from +saddle boils and lameness, for a day or two. I found it difficult to +keep awake on the march and picket, yet I was able to do duty without +interruption.</p> + +<p>On this raid the regiment destroyed considerable property, and many of +the men carried away all sorts of things for which they had no use. +Indeed, I heard Colonel Kilpatrick laughingly remark that one fellow, in +his zeal to have something, actually had a grindstone on his saddle in +front of him. After carrying it about a mile he concluded, however, that +he had no further use for it, and dropped it in the road.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II</h2> + + +<p>A few days afterwards the regiment marched through Culpeper and reached +the battlefield of Cedar Mountain late on the day on which that +engagement was fought. We approached the battlefield through what would +be called the rear, where we first saw the horrible sights accompanying +a battle, which are always dead horses, broken caissons, bodies lying on +the ground, and the wounded. On the front line these sights are not so +prominent.</p> + +<p>The regiment was pushed to the front and placed on picket duty, I being +posted on the edge of a piece of woods overlooking a valley, on the +opposite side of which was Slaughter Mountain, where Stonewall Jackson's +army was supposed to be.</p> + +<p>While at my post on picket that night, an incident occurred which made a +deep impression upon me, doubtless due to the time and place and the +incidents of the preceding two weeks. Before leaving home, I had +promised my mother that I would read at least one verse in my Testament +each day. Not having done so that day was due to the fact that we had +been marching and to the excitement attending the reaching<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> of the +battlefield and being put in position. I then took out my pocket +Testament and went to a picket fire near where I was, leaning over to +read a verse or two by its light, when I heard a rustle in the bushes. +Immediately I grasped my weapons and was on the alert, when a colored +man crawled through the bushes and said to me, "What's that you got +there, a Testament?" On admitting it, he said, "Do you know the chapter +General Washington always used to read before he went into a fight?" I +told him I did not, whereupon he said, "You turn to the Ninety-first +Psalm." "Now," he said, "you read it." I then read aloud:</p> + +<blockquote><p>"Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from +the noisome pestilence.</p> + +<p>"He shall cover thee with His feathers and under His wings shalt +thou trust; His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.</p> + +<p>"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow +that flieth by day.</p> + +<p>"Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the +destruction that wasteth at noon day.</p> + +<p>"A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right +hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."</p></blockquote> + +<p>At the reading of each of these verses he exclaimed, "You see, he didn't +get hit." The contraband evidently was perfectly sincere in the belief +that if I read this verse before a battle<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> I would never get hurt. He +then went away. This incident, coupled with the facts that I had only +been about ten days away from home, that I had seen the horrible sights +of the battlefield the previous afternoon, that I could see the enemy's +camp-fires across the valley, and that I was wondering what fate was in +store for me the following day,—all tended to impress this incident +upon my mind.</p> + +<p>The next morning the regiment advanced to the Rapidan River, presumably +with the object of searching for the flank of Jackson's army. Just above +the ford, which I think was Robertson's, was the residence of the +Confederate General Taliaferro. Our picket line was between the house +and the river. Captain Walters of my regiment had arranged with Mrs. +Taliaferro to have breakfast at her house. She and her niece were +engaged in a good-natured altercation with some of the men of my +company, she repeatedly remarking, "I want you men to understand that I +am the granddaughter of Chief-Justice Marshall of the United States." +When she had said this several times an Irishman of my company remarked, +"And who the divil is he anyhow?" The disgust on her face may well be +imagined. I had been polite in my remarks to her when she turned upon me +and asked, "Aren't you from New Orleans?" I told her, "No," that I was +from New York, when she shook her head sadly and said, "Well, I'm +surprised<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> that apparently such a nice young man as you should be +engaged in such a wicked cause as this." The laughter of my comrades +which greeted this remark was followed by their teasing me the rest of +the campaign, calling me, "The nice young man and the wicked cause."</p> + +<p>About this time the pickets began firing, when Captain Walters remarked, +"I will go down and see what the matter is." He mounted his horse, +started down the hill toward the ford, and in a moment or two was +brought back dead, their sharpshooters having shot him through the heart +immediately after he left the house. This was the first time I had heard +bullets whistle.</p> + +<p>That night Stonewall Jackson's movement to the flank and rear of Pope's +army resulted in the recall of the cavalry and a night march through +Culpeper to Brandy Station. We bivouacked for the night, but did not +unsaddle. About daybreak we were attacked. Although I heard bullets +whistle at the Rapidan River, where Captain Walters was killed, this was +the first real engagement I was in. In the early part of it we were +supporting the skirmish line. Later in the day the battalion in which my +company was made a charge, led by Major Henry E. Davies, in which a +number were killed and wounded, and some confusion ensued by reason of a +railroad cut, into which the command rode, its existence not being known +when the charge was ordered. Prior to this, in the retreating<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> movements +of that morning, my horse, which had become blind from the hard marching +of the night before, fell in a ditch with me. He struggled out, and I +was able to remount him, though we were quite hard pressed by the +advancing enemy.</p> + +<p>The Harris Light Cavalry was one of the regiments of General George D. +Bayard's brigade, which for sixteen successive days was under fire and +engaged in most arduous service in covering the retreat of Pope's army +and watching the fords on the Rappahannock River to detect the crossing +of General Lee's troops. This continuous service terminated with the +second battle of Bull Run, where Lieutenant Compton, the only remaining +officer with my company, was killed. This occurred the evening before +the last day of the battle.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III</h2> + + +<p>There had been some very severe fighting on the part of King's division. +We approached the field from Manassas Junction, arriving about nine +o'clock. As we were riding through this division, the men called out, +"What regiment is that?" When we told them they arose and cheered us, +for we had been with them on a former occasion. Then, as we were +approaching the Centerville pike, Kilpatrick rode down the column +calling out, "General MacDowell wants the Harris Light to take a +battery." "Draw sabres." We drew sabres, put our cap bands under our +chins, and turned into the pike, then to the left, moving a short +distance, and then into a field, also on the left, forming in column of +squadrons. It was then too dark to see any distance ahead. My position +was within one or two of the flank of my company, where I heard +Kilpatrick order my squadron to go out into the road to charge this +battery, which we could not see. As we were not the last squadron in the +column, which happened to be Captain Seymour's, he said, "Never mind, +take the last one," which was fortunate for us. In a moment or two we +heard the clatter of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> the horses' hoofs on the pike, and then saw a +sheet of fire from the enemy's lines some distance ahead, which I +understood was on the edge of a piece of woods. This fire was also doing +damage to our columns exposed to it, when the order was given for us to +"wheel and retire," where we could get under cover.</p> + +<p>From this unfortunate charge only eleven men came back that night. It +was said that they were subjected to not only the fire of the enemy but +also from our infantry on the right of the road, who, hearing the +clatter of the horses' hoofs, and unable to see what caused it, assumed +it to be a charge of the enemy's cavalry, when they also opened fire. It +was felt at the time that the ordering of this charge was a blunder, and +yet it was one of the many blunders from which our volunteer army +constantly suffered in the early years of the war. Kilpatrick was +severely criticised in the regiment for it that night and the next day; +little, however, was ever said about it in the reports. Whether +Kilpatrick acted under superior orders or on his own initiative, I never +learned.</p> + +<p>A few minutes after the regiment had retired a short distance, Sergeant +Griswold came up and reported to Kilpatrick in my hearing that the enemy +were advancing their lines, that our wounded were being captured, and +that Lieutenant Compton of my company had been killed, and he showed +where a bullet had passed through<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> the collar of his coat as he wheeled +when asked to surrender. Kilpatrick called for somebody to go with him +as an orderly, as he wanted to find General Bayard and General McDowell. +This I did, holding his horse while he was in conference with these +generals that night.</p> + +<p>The next morning we recovered the body of Lieutenant Compton, of whom we +were very fond, and we succeeded in making a coffin out of three +cracker-boxes from which we took out the ends; wrapping him in a blanket +we buried him in this cracker-box coffin at the corner of the old stone +house on the Centerville Pike. His friends subsequently recovered his +remains. We all felt rather blue over the loss of comrades in the affair +of the night before, which had seemed to us so needless.</p> + +<p>Among the pathetic incidents of that morning was one which indicated the +unselfish heroism of a young soldier. Early in the day some of our men +were looking over the battlefield of the night before for missing +comrades, and one, I remember, spoke of having found a young boy, +apparently not over eighteen years of age, lying with his shattered leg +in a pool of blood. My comrade spoke to him saying, "I will go and get +somebody to help carry you off," whereupon, the wounded boy faintly +remarked: "I do not think you can do me any good, but during the night I +heard groans coming from over the hill yonder, and I think if you go +there you may<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> be able to save some one; but if you will give me a drink +of water I will be much obliged." The man gave his canteen to the +wounded boy and started off for help. On his return he found the boy, +with the canteen clasped in his hands, dead.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 261px;"> +<img src="images/i031.jpg" width="261" height="400" alt="MAJOR GENERAL JUDSON KILPATRICK" title="" /> +<span class="caption">MAJOR GENERAL JUDSON KILPATRICK</span> +</div> + +<p>During the morning the armies were getting in position for the final +struggle of the afternoon of that day, which, I think, was the +thirty-first of August. Our regiment was lying in column of fours +awaiting orders. That afternoon, with a view to saving our horses from +the effect of shells dropping near us, Kilpatrick got permission to move +the column to the right a little, so as to be out of range. While we +were making this movement he happened to be riding alongside of me, I +being in the ranks, when a staff-officer approached and greeted him, +evidently some friend that he had known at West Point or in the regular +army. This officer leaned forward and said in an earnest manner, "Whose +cavalry is this?" Kilpatrick told him it was his. I then heard him say, +"General Porter," meaning Fitz-John Porter, "is fearful that there is +going to be a break. I wish you would deploy your cavalry in the rear of +our lines and do not allow a man to pass through unless he is wounded." +Whereupon Kilpatrick gave the order "By fours, left about wheel," and +moved the regiment left in front and then into line, with the men at +intervals in close skirmish<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>ing order. We no sooner had gotten into +line and advanced toward the woods in which Fitz-John Porter's corps +was, on the left of our army, than I heard the most terrific crashes of +artillery and then the rattle of musketry. This was Longstreet's corps +opening on us. In a few moments Porter's men came swarming out of the +woods. After them came the Confederates, with their batteries close up +with their infantry. Several times I saw our regiments rally, but they +were completely overpowered and swept away, resistance being apparently +impossible. It was this attack of Longstreet's with a superior force +which Porter had predicted and which General Pope had refused to believe +possible, which resulted in the crushing of the left of our army, and +the defeat of General Pope at the second battle of Bull Run.</p> + + + +<p>Having overheard the anxious message of General Porter's staff-officer to +Colonel Kilpatrick, I assumed that it was my duty to carry out +instructions literally, that is, I tried to stop every man I could from +passing to the rear. When all our guns at that part of the field had +limbered up, except those of one regular battery, I met a squad of men +with a major making for the rear. I rode up and told them to go and lie +down beside this battery until I could get more men to act as a support. +He demurred, stating that it was no use, and at my remonstrating with +him, one of his men, an Irishman,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> spoke up and said, "Who the divil are +you to be talking that way to our officer?" However, the major and his +squad went with me and lay down alongside the battery, when I started +for another squad. I had gone but a few rods when the major got up and +went over the hill with his men. In the light of what I learned +afterwards, the major and those who had seen fighting on the Peninsula +had a better idea of the proper thing to do than I did with my boyish +inexperience; for that was no place for them to remain at that time.</p> + +<p>I then discovered that my regiment had withdrawn. When I rode up to the +commander of this battery, as he was limbering up his guns to retire, +the enemy being almost up to him, and told him that I had been +instructed to keep back stragglers, and asked him what I had better do, +he smiled and replied, "The best thing you can do is to get out of +here." I then proposed to stay with him until I found General Bayard. +Pretty soon I met General Pope with his staff, and subsequently General +Bayard, who commanded our brigade. Riding up to the latter I asked him +if he knew where my regiment was. He turned and inquired where certain +members of his staff and orderlies were, and on being told that some had +had their horses shot, and reasons being given for the absence of +others, he said, "You stay with me." I then rode with him over to the +right, to the railroad cut, where<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> Sigel's men had been fighting. I well +recall how angry General Bayard was, talking to himself and shaking his +fist, evidently in a rage at the bad management which had resulted in +the defeat of our army. About ten o'clock that night Major Henry E. +Davies of my regiment reported to General Bayard where the regiment was, +and asked for instructions. It was back somewhere on the Centerville +pike. I then asked the General if I might go back with Major Davies, as +my little gray horse had only one shoe on, to which he consented.</p> + +<p>The next day the regiment marched to Alexandria and reached the hills +behind that town at night during a terrific rainstorm. I succeeded in +getting into a barn, where I slept soundly in my wet clothes until the +sun was up the following morning. I well remember the sensation when I +awoke and saw the dome of the Capitol at Washington in the distance.</p> + +<p>Going into the town I got weighed in front of a sutler's tent, and, to +my surprise, I had gained five pounds since I had enlisted six weeks +before.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV</h2> + + +<p>At this time the regiment had one hundred and fifty-two men, as I recall +it, present for duty; there were eleven men and no officers in my +company. We were ordered to Ball's Cross Road to refit, where we got new +clothing and horses; a number of recruits were sent to us, and some of +our sick and wounded men returned to duty. We were then sent out in the +neighborhood of Centerville, where we were engaged in scouting and +skirmishing with the enemy's cavalry while the Army of the Potomac was +in Maryland during the Antietam campaign.</p> + +<p>On the return of Lee's army to Virginia, my regiment in Bayard's brigade +was engaged in the various movements on the advance to Fredericksburg. +The incident I most readily recall during this movement was the +relieving of General McClellan from the command of the army and +superseding him by General Burnside. At that time the army idolized +McClellan. I went to a stream for water one night, where I met an +infantryman. He looked so badly that I asked him what the matter was, +when he replied, "Haven't you heard the news?" I said, "No." He then +told me that General McClellan<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> had been removed, whereupon he began to +cry. I went back to our bivouac, as we were on the march, and reported +this. I recall that we sat up in groups till well into the night +discussing this, and our conclusion was that we were being used as an +examining board to try candidates for the next presidency. Of course, in +writing of our impressions from our limited point of view at that time, +I do not wish to convey the idea that I now think McClellan should not +have been superseded. The only mistake was in selecting the man that +superseded him.</p> + +<p>In due time the captain of my company, J. F. B. Mitchell, finding out +that I had some clerical ability, as the sergeant who was present when I +made out my enlistment papers prophesied, detailed me to make out the +company's pay-rolls and do whatever company writing there was to do, in +consideration of which I was, for the time being, relieved from doing +guard duty. This fact was known to the members of my company who were +then very friendly to me.</p> + +<p>The night before the battle of Fredericksburg I was on picket on the +river's bank opposite the town, where I heard the enemy's artillery +being put in position and men making speeches to the troops. During the +battle, the regiment was on the field in reserve, occasionally under +fire from shells but otherwise not actively engaged. General Bayard, our +brigade commander, was mortally wounded by a shell, dying the next day, +the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> date set for his wedding, he having requested a postponement of his +leave of absence when he learned there was to be a battle. When our +regiment recrossed the Rappahannock I had no idea the army had been +defeated; indeed, until we saw the New York papers we were ignorant of +the fact.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V</h2> + + +<p>Shortly after the battle of Fredericksburg, Captain Henry C. Weir, the +adjutant-general of the division to which General D. McM. Gregg had then +been assigned, asked an orderly who happened to be a member of my +company, and who was then engaged carrying a despatch to his +headquarters, if he could suggest a man in his regiment whom he could +detail to act as clerk to make out returns and reports, his former clerk +having gone home with the body of General Bayard. The man suggested me, +and was told to request me to report to division headquarters. I +remember being quite startled at this order, and, anxious to look as +presentable as possible, I stripped and bathed in a brook, on the edges +of which the ice had formed, before calling on Captain Weir. He +questioned me as to my occupation before entering the army, which had +been that of a clerk in my uncle's firm, T. B. Coddington & Co., metal +importers, whom he knew by reputation. He also stated that he knew of my +father's home on the Hudson River. Indeed, he manifested an interest in +me, and, after giving me a copy of a tri-monthly report to look at, +asked me if I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> thought I could consolidate the several regimental +reports, copies of which he showed me. I made the attempt and succeeded, +whereupon he said he would ask General Gregg to have me detailed at his +headquarters. That detail was made out in December, 1862. Though my rank +was still that of a private, my position was much improved and my +surroundings much more pleasant. I was treated with great consideration +by Captain Weir, and was thereafter busily engaged while in winter +quarters in performing the duties of an adjutant-general's clerk, which +included such writing as General Gregg required of me.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 249px;"> +<img src="images/i041.jpg" width="249" height="400" alt="BREVET LIEUTENANT COLONEL H. C. WEIR" title="" /> +<span class="caption">BREVET LIEUTENANT COLONEL H. C. WEIR</span> +</div> + +<p>At the time of the battle of Chancellorsville, Gregg's division went on +what was known as the Stoneman raid to Richmond. On this movement and +subsequently on the march, and in all engagements as long as I was with +the General, I was sent with messages and orders the same as a +staff-officer.</p> + + + +<p>On this raid I attracted the attention of General Gregg and the +headquarters staff by my ability to sleep on horseback when on the +march. Captain Weir had given me a fine horse, which happened to be a +very fast walker. It was General Gregg's custom to ride alone at the +head of his staff, occasionally inviting Dr. Phillips, the medical +director of the division, to ride alongside of him. As soon as I would +fall asleep, the bridle reins would naturally slacken and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> horse +begin to forge ahead. My position in the column was in rear of the +officers of the staff, and with the General's orderly and bugler. +Instead of restraining the horse, my comrades and the staff officers +would open the way and urge him along while I, sitting upright but fast +asleep, would ride alongside of our dignified General and sometimes +ahead of him before he noticed me, when invariably he would wake me up, +grabbing me by the arm and saying, "Meyer, wake up." Chagrined I would +return to my place, the staff officers and orderlies greatly amused. +This incident occurred so frequently on this Stoneman raid that it +evidently made an impression on the General, because, meeting him some +twenty years after the war at a reunion in Philadelphia he, on greeting +me, introduced me to a group of officers and immediately recalled the +fact of my so often being asleep on horseback. One day my horse strayed +from the road and followed a fence up a bank until he came to a point +where the slope reached the fence and he could go no farther, when the +General called out, "Wake him up, he will break his neck." The jolt of +the horse, however, sliding down the slope into the road awakened me, +though I did not fall off. The only penalty I suffered from sleeping on +horseback was the occasional loss of a cap and the scratching of my face +by the branches of trees, but it undoubtedly had much to do with my +being able to withstand the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> fatigue incident to our campaigns, since +the fact is that I never was off duty for a single hour, by reason of +sickness, during my whole term of service.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI</h2> + + +<p>On the 9th of June, 1863, occurred the battle of Brandy Station, in +which more cavalry were engaged than in any battle of the Civil War. +General Buford's division had crossed the Rappahannock River at Beverly +Ford early in the morning. General Gregg's division crossed at Kelly's +Ford, and General Duffie farther down the river, the latter being under +General Gregg's command and supposed to accompany him. As we were +approaching Brandy Station we heard the heavy cannonading of Buford's +attack, when General Gregg, with the brigades of Colonel Windham and +Colonel Kilpatrick, hurried to the battlefield. Around the station and +between Culpeper and the Rappahannock the country was open and favorable +for cavalry engagements. Indeed, there was one there at every advance +and retreat of the army during 1862 and 1863, I being present at three +of them.</p> + +<p>As soon as we emerged from the woods near the station we saw the enemy +on a hill near the Barber House, which was General Stuart's +headquarters. We were approaching them practically in their rear; their +artillery, however, firing at us. General Gregg at once ordered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> Colonel +Windham to charge with his three regiments—the First New Jersey, the +First Pennsylvania, and the First Maryland; Kilpatrick's brigade at the +time was coming on the field to our right. Windham charged this hill in +columns of regiments, and it was a very thrilling sight to see these +troops going up the slope in the bright June sun, their sabres +glistening. As they neared the enemy General Gregg showed an enthusiasm +that I had never noticed before. He started his horse on a gallop toward +the house, swinging his gauntlets over his head and hurrahing, at the +same time telling Captain Weir to ride over and direct Kilpatrick to +charge at once. Captain Weir happened to be riding a horse that would +always refuse a fence unless another went first. At this critical moment +his horse shied twice, when mine took the fence and I started to carry +the order. As soon as my horse went over Captain Weir's immediately +followed. As he was the adjutant-general and directed to take the order, +I rode up the hill supposing that when Kilpatrick's brigade got there +the enemy would be routed and I might get a prisoner. On arriving at +Stuart's headquarters I found Windham's brigade in a hand-to-hand fight +around the house. Here I met a flanking party of the enemy, who were +driving back a portion of General Windham's command, Kilpatrick's men +not then having reached that point.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> + +<p>In the fight about these headquarters I saw a Confederate officer sabre +a man who I believe belonged to the Maryland regiment; and although the +man begged for quarter, I saw this officer strike him twice after he +offered to surrender. I tried to shoot him, but the ball from my pistol +missed him and struck his horse. This did not take immediate effect. +Finding that I was about to be cut off, as Windham's command had been +repulsed and Kilpatrick had not arrived, and having only one charge left +in my revolver, I had to allow the officer to ride up to strike me, so +as to be sure of my aim. As I presented the pistol, it missed fire, and +as soon as he could recover his seat in the saddle he struck at me. I +had, however, fallen down on the neck of my horse, so the point of the +sabre cut into my collar-bone, but the weight of the blow cut a +two-quart pail, that I had borrowed that morning to cook coffee in, +nearly in two. Before either of us could recover control of our horses, +I had gotten my sabre in my hand, which had been hanging by a knot from +my wrist, as was the custom. He then struck at me the second time, which +blow I parried. His horse then sank under him. I was then being crowded +in a corner, where a fence joined a building, by four of his followers, +one of whom was dismounted. The latter I saw shooting at me. Urging my +horse he jumped a fence and then a ditch beyond it. This enabled me to +escape with only<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> the loss of my hat. I was particularly anxious not to +be captured, because before going into the action the General had +confided to me, for safe-keeping, all his despatches and instructions, +which it was my custom to carry about my person, as, wearing a private's +uniform, in the event of capture, there would be less liability of my +being searched than in the case of a staff-officer wearing the uniform +of an adjutant-general. I finally joined some of our men near the +railroad station, but could not find the General; so, for the time +being, I reported to an officer of the First New Jersey cavalry, whom I +knew, and remained with him until we were again cut off by a force of +the enemy. Later in the day I found General Gregg, who, I was told, had +been quite anxious lest I had been captured, for some one had reported +that he had seen me hard pressed by the enemy, and he supposed I was +captured, and the General knew I had his papers in my pocket.</p> + +<p>My wound was not dangerous, though painful, and that night, after it was +plastered up by the doctor, I sat up and made out a list of the +casualties of the division during the day. When it was suggested by +Adjutant-General Weir, that I include my name, I remarked that I thought +I would not do it, as seeing it in the newspapers would needlessly alarm +my mother, and that it did not amount to anything serious, and wasn't +worth while. After the war, however,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> on the advice of friends, I +reported this circumstance to the War Department and had it certified by +both General Gregg and Colonel Weir,<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> who are still living, merely to +make it a part of my record there on file.</p> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> See Appendix <a href='#Page_109'>B</a>.</p></div> + +<p>Kilpatrick's men soon reached the house, capturing Stuart's +adjutant-general and his papers. The fighting was desperate; charges +being made, repulsed, and repeated by our men against a much larger +force, as Duffie's brigade had failed to report. Finally, the +Confederates bringing infantry from Culpeper, our commands were +withdrawn, without molestation by the enemy, across the Rappahannock, +the purpose of the movement being accomplished; which was to cripple +Stuart's cavalry, to prevent his starting on a raid to Pennsylvania +which was contemplated, and also to ascertain if Lee's army was still in +that vicinity. It was also a great benefit to our troops engaged, in +giving them experience in fighting in large bodies mounted, with sabres, +and added much to their confidence, as was demonstrated in later +engagements.</p> + +<p>After the battle, meeting the man who loaned me his tin pail which had +been destroyed by the sabre blow I described, I explained to him how it +happened, when, to my surprise, he complainingly remarked, "Well, how do +you suppose I am going to cook my coffee?" Whereupon, I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> remarked, +"Well, I can't help it, but I will give you a new pail as soon as I can +buy one." Evidently the loss of his coffee boiler was of more +consequence to him than my narrow escape.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII</h2> + + +<p>In about ten days General Gregg's division marched towards Aldie, the +object being to discover the movements of Lee's army; the idea being +that our cavalry should find their cavalry, attack and drive them back +on their infantry, thus obtaining the knowledge the commander of the +army required. On this march to Aldie General Pleasanton, the corps +commander, was represented at General Gregg's headquarters by one of his +staff officers, Captain George A. Custer, afterwards General. When +Custer appeared he at once attracted the attention of the entire +command. On that day he was dressed like an ordinary enlisted man, his +trousers tucked in a pair of short-legged government boots, his horse +equipments being those of an ordinary wagonmaster. He rode with a little +rawhide riding whip stuck in his bootleg, and had long yellow curls down +to his shoulders, his face ruddy and good-natured.</p> + +<p>While on this march we came to a stream beside the road, in which a full +battalion could water their horses at once. As the headquarters staff +and the troops following us had gone into line to permit their horses to +drink, Custer, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> some reason, concluded to go in on the other side of +the stream, riding in alone to allow his horse to drink. He did not know +how deep the water was, and after his horse was satisfied, instead of +returning by the way he went in, concluded to cross the stream and come +out on our side. The water was deeper than he anticipated and his horse +nearly lost his footing. However, when he got to our side, he urged his +horse to climb out at a point where the bank was steep. In this effort +he fell over backward, Custer going out of sight in the water. In an +instant, however, he was up on his feet and the horse struggled out amid +the shouts of the spectators, when, mounting his horse, the march was +resumed. The dust at this time was so thick that one could not see more +than a set of fours ahead, and in a few minutes, when it settled on his +wet clothes and long wet hair, Custer was an object that one can better +imagine than I can describe.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 242px;"> +<img src="images/i053.jpg" width="242" height="350" alt="BREVET MAJOR GENERAL D. McM. GREGG" title="" /> +<span class="caption">BREVET MAJOR GENERAL D. McM. GREGG</span> +</div> + +<p>In a short time, Kilpatrick, at the head of our column, met Fitzhugh +Lee's command at Aldie, and drove it through the town, where a desperate +fight occurred just beyond it, the enemy being strongly posted there +behind stone walls. As soon as the first shots were heard, General Gregg +hurried to the front and took his position on a hill just beyond and to +the right of the town, upon which Kilpatrick had posted a battery. It +was then found that Kilpatrick was outnum<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>bered, all his command had +been charging and he had no reserves. General Gregg then directed me to +go back and bring Colonel Irwin Gregg, commanding the Second Brigade, by +a short cut back of the town, through the woods, to this part of the +field as quickly as possible. Just as I went over the ridge to carry +this order, I met the First Maine cavalry, with Colonel Doughty at its +head, coming onto the field. As I passed him, the Colonel, who knew me, +laughingly remarked, "You are going in the wrong direction." I replied: +"Yes, I know it, but I will be back in a few minutes." Very shortly I +returned to this spot with Colonel Gregg at the head of his brigade, +when I saw a man leading a horse upon which was a body, evidently dead, +as his arms were hanging on one side and the feet on the other, a man +supporting it. Inquiring, "Whom have you got there?" the man replied, +"Colonel Doughty." The Colonel, who was a most gallant man, as soon as +he arrived on the field at a moment most critical for Kilpatrick, +charged at the head of his regiment, routing a charge of the enemy that +had repulsed the Fourth New York, and then charged upon dismounted men +behind stone walls, where he received two bullets through his breast. It +was reported that night that some of the prisoners we had taken had said +that the old fellow riding at the head of his regiment seemed so brave +they hated to shoot him. This charge, however, routed the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> enemy, and, +Irwin Gregg having arrived with his remaining regiments, they withdrew.</p> + +<p>That night was rather a blue time for us. Lieutenant Whitaker, a fine +officer of my regiment, was among the killed, and the First +Massachusetts cavalry had suffered severely. Our men induced a +wheelwright in the village to work that night making coffins for some of +the officers who had been killed.</p> + +<p>On the second day after occurred the fight at Middleburg. On this +occasion Colonel Irwin Gregg's brigade had the advance. The enemy had +been forced back to a strong position on a ridge, their lines occupying +the right and left of the turnpike in the edge of woods covering the +ridge on both sides of the road. On the right, in front of the enemy, +was a cleared field, on the far side of which were also woods in which +Colonel Gregg had two of his regiments, one dismounted, and one mounted +ready to charge at a favorable moment. The Tenth New York cavalry was +down the road in reserve. The enemy's battery was posted on the left of +the pike and on our right as we faced them. Just below this battery, the +ground receding, was a large wheat field and behind a stone wall +parallel to the pike they had a line of dismounted men, their battery +firing into the woods where Colonel Gregg's two regiments were. General +Gregg was with our battery on a ridge some distance back. As the enemy +were making a de<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>termined stand General Gregg turned to me and said: +"Ride up to Colonel Gregg, present my compliments, and ask him why he +does not drive those people out of there." As I rode to deliver this +message I wondered how Colonel Gregg would receive it from me, who was +not then a commissioned officer, though he knew me as the General's +clerk.</p> + +<p>When I reached the woods in which his command was, I started to ride in, +when an orderly holding a couple of horses called out, "Here, you can't +go mounted through there." Asking him then if Colonel Gregg was in there +he replied that he was, and that he was holding his horse. Leaving my +horse with this man I walked through the woods on the edge of which was +Colonel Gregg's line. He was standing with his shoulder against a tree +at the very front of it. As I approached him he reached out, grabbed me +by the arm, saying, "Keep back, they will hit you," and drew me up +alongside of him where we were somewhat protected by the tree. He then +said, "Well, what is it?" I then repeated General Gregg's message, +expecting an irritated reply, since it seemed to imply a censure. +Instead of that, he, in the mildest manner possible, said: "I will tell +you. You see their line across this clearing?" Replying "Yes," he +continued: "You see where their guns are on the right of the road +covering this, and you also see a line of dismounted men behind that +stone wall at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> the wheat field. Now, if I order a charge across there it +will be subjected to an enfilading fire from those men behind the wall +and it will be very expensive of men." He then asked me if the General +had a spare regiment that he could send around in a ravine beyond the +wheat field, have them dismount and crawl through the wheat unobserved +and attack the men who were facing him from behind the stone wall. I +told him there was, and he asked me to go back and explain the matter, +saying, "If the General will send some men to get those fellows started +behind that wall I will charge." I returned and described the situation +to General Gregg, who directed a battalion of the Harris Light, I think, +to make a détour, crawl through the wheat field, and attack the men +behind the wall, who were practically right under the guns of the enemy, +which were, however, firing over their heads across the road into the +woods from which they were expecting a charge to be made. The General +then directed me to return and tell Colonel Gregg to charge as soon as +the men behind the stone wall were attacked. In due time the Harris +Light suddenly appeared only a few rods in the rear of the Confederates +behind the wall, who, without any warning, received a volley in their +backs. They were at once in confusion and at that moment the bugle +sounded the charge and the First Maine and Fourth Pennsylvania from the +woods, and the Tenth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> New York in column on the turnpike, charged and +took the ridge, the Confederate battery getting away just in the nick of +time. I recall seeing the body of one of their colonels lying out in the +turnpike just near where their guns had stood. This finished the fight +for that day. This incident is mentioned somewhat in detail because I +think that Colonel Gregg's coolness and solicitude for the safety of his +men, where, by the use of a little strategy a needless loss of life was +saved, deserve recognition.</p> + +<p>The following day, which I think was Sunday, the three divisions of the +cavalry corps, including General Gregg's, drove the enemy steadily back +without much resistance on their part until we reached Upperville. There +was open country at the outskirts of the town, and to the left as we +approached it were woods. As our men attempted to charge down the main +street they were met by a murderous fire from behind a high hedge, and +at the same moment the enemy charged from the woods on the left and +drove them back. For a few minutes the situation seemed most critical, +and just then a piece of shell struck General Gregg's horse in the +stomach behind the saddle girth, grazing the General's leg. The horse +sank under him and in an instant one of his orderlies dismounted, gave +the General his horse, and took the saddle from the wounded animal. At +this moment General Gregg ordered a cavalry regiment, I think the Sixth<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> +Regulars, who were nearby in a field, to make a counter charge, which, +after a little delay caused by the presence of a stone wall, they did. +This charge, with our men, who rallied, co-operating, resulted in +driving the enemy back into and through the town. To our surprise, the +General's wounded horse had struggled to his feet and was running beside +him with his nose against his leg, his entrails dragging on the ground. +Noticing this, he exclaimed, "For God's sake, somebody shoot him!" +Whereupon I discharged my pistol in the horse's ear, which killed him.</p> + +<p>Just then, as we approached the entrance to the town, I heard Nick, the +General's bugler, calling me to come and help him. Looking around I +found Nick trying to ward off the blows of an infuriated German of our +army, who was trying to sabre a Confederate boy who had been wounded and +was lying down on his horse's neck. I immediately interfered, and with +my sabre parried a blow intended for the boy, when the German excitedly +exclaimed, "Vy, he's a Reb," when I replied, "Suppose he is, can't you +see he's done for?" Whereupon, after a brief altercation the German rode +on. Nick then led the boy's horse out, and the command moved on, the +enemy having broken. We soon met one of our doctors, and being anxious +to know if the boy was mortally wounded, we took him to a nearby house +where three ladies came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> to the gate, and, when they saw it was a +Confederate soldier, began to cry. We carried him to a room, turned a +chair up for him to recline on, when the doctor opened his shirt and +found a bullet had entered his breast. The boy turned to the women who +were standing around, pointed to little Nick, and faintly remarked, +"There's the only friend I had to-day." We then left the doctor with +him, mounted our horses, rode on, and soon joined the General.</p> + +<p>The enemy were driven to Ashby's Gap. This battle and those of the +preceding days demonstrated the fact that Lee's army was on its way to +Maryland.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII</h2> + + +<p>General Hooker, commander of the Army of the Potomac, having been +satisfied, as a result of the cavalry engagements here described, that +General Lee intended to invade Maryland, Gregg's division, as did the +rest of the army in a few days, crossed the Potomac at Edward's Ferry at +night. It was moonlight, and I, in common with others, experienced a +strange sensation as we watched our columns crossing the pontoon +bridges, the bands playing, <i>Maryland, my Maryland</i>. We then marched for +Frederick, reaching that city before noon of the next day. As we rode +down its main street we witnessed a sight the like of which we had been +unfamiliar with, since in Virginia, being the enemy's country, the +people when we entered a town either concealed themselves, or, when +seen, showed by their demeanor that they either detested or feared us. +In Frederick, however, every house was decorated and the porches filled +with people enthusiastically waving and making every demonstration of +delight. We soon after marched through Liberty and to New Windsor. In +the former place we met our infantry passing through the town as we rode +in. Here we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> saw ladies with servants standing in the streets beside the +marching column, handing out cakes, milk, and lemonade to the tired and +dusty infantrymen, who were not permitted to halt, one lady remarking in +my presence, "Isn't it a shame that they won't allow them to rest."</p> + +<p>Later in the day we stopped at New Windsor, where the General made his +headquarters at the little village hotel. Near this hotel, Johns, the +General's orderly, and I were offered refreshments by a lady who kept a +young ladies' boarding school. At this school were about fourteen +enthusiastic young girls who overwhelmed us with attentions. Indeed, +they took the ribbons from their necks and braided the manes of our +horses with them, and mine had a red, white, and blue rosette attached +to his forelock. We soon moved on, but that night the General was +ordered to return to this town. On getting this information I mentioned +it to my comrade Johns, and suggested that as soon as it got a little +dark we should ride on ahead of the column, when we might again meet the +schoolgirls, which we subsequently did. The General made his +headquarters at the little hotel beside the school-building, and we took +our horses inside the village cemetery adjoining the school-grounds and +tied them to the fence, taking off the saddles, and spreading our +blankets on the ground. As we were drawing them over our heads on +turning in for the night, we heard a call from<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> one of the upper windows +of the school, which was filled with faces, telling us to remember our +dreams, for dreams dreamt on a strange pillow often came true. We knew +no more till about daylight, when we awakened and found it had been +raining. While we were feeding and grooming our horses, a servant came +to us with an invitation from the mistress of the school, stating that +breakfast would be ready for us in a few minutes, and that we would find +water, soap, and towels on the back porch where we "might refresh +ourselves." We soon repaired to the porch where we found two white china +basins, and fresh water, soap, and towels. This was a novelty, as +hitherto a piece of a grain bag which we carried in our saddle-pocket +was what we used when a towel was necessary. The breakfast-table was +spread on the back porch. Noticing the General's horse saddled, we +expressed a fear that he might start while we were at breakfast, when +the lady proposed to have the table removed to the front porch where we +could see the General when he came out to mount. This was done and at +this most bountiful meal we had about a dozen girls to wait on us, each +with her album for us to write our autographs in. The General soon +appeared, when, thanking the ladies for their hospitality, we moved on. +As soon as Captain Weir, the adjutant-general, saw me he began to +censure me for being absent that night as he had a lot of writing to do +which I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> should have done, when one of the staff-officers, noticing my +horse's mane and the rosette on his forelock, pointed them out to him. +He, evidently appreciating the situation, withheld any further comment.</p> + +<p>Within the next day or so we marched to Westminster and to Manchester, +leaving the latter place by daylight for York, where it was reported the +Confederate cavalry were, and Gregg was sent to attack them. We reached +the hills beyond York some time that afternoon and saw their pickets. +Just at this time a despatch was received from the corps commander +stating that fighting had begun at Gettysburg and that General Gregg was +to report there with his command with all possible speed. He thereupon +started the column for Gettysburg by way of Hanover. We marched the rest +of that afternoon and through the night, reaching Hanover about two +o'clock in the morning. As in many Pennsylvania towns, this had a public +square, at one end of which was a market-house with a road on either +side of it, and the General had to awaken some of the citizens to +ascertain which was the direct road to Gettysburg. We noticed dead +horses in the streets of Hanover, and the citizens told us of the fight +Kilpatrick's division had had there the afternoon before, in which he +succeeded in driving away the Confederate cavalry that attacked him as +he was passing through the town. While the General<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> was waiting to +ascertain the right road to Gettysburg, I fell asleep sitting on a +zinc-covered fish stall, my bridle rein in my hand. On awaking I +discovered the command had all moved on; learning the road they took, I +hurried on and soon overtook them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX</h2> + + +<p>General Gregg reached the battlefield of Gettysburg about noon and +reported to the commanding general, whose headquarters were not far from +the cemetery, where I noticed that the sod and the graves were much torn +up by artillery wheels. The General was ordered with his division to +take position on the right of our army. During the day a portion of the +command did some skirmishing, and our artillery occasionally fired when +the enemy appeared, but we were not heavily engaged. This was the second +of July, the day on which the fighting was so severe on the left of our +line, where Longstreet's corps made such desperate attempts to break +through in the vicinity of the Round Tops.</p> + +<p>The weather was extremely hot and it was on this, the second day of the +battle, that the Sixth Corps made a march of about thirty-two miles to +reach the field, their exhausted and sun-struck men lying for fifteen +miles on the road. The following, the third and last day of the battle, +General Gregg's division was, at his suggestion, moved to a position +farther to the right and rear, to guard against the enemy's breaking<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> +through to where our reserve artillery and ammunition were parked. About +noon a despatch was sent to him stating that General Howard reported +that heavy clouds of dust were seen rising above the trees on his right, +indicating that a large force of cavalry was moving in that direction. +General Custer with his brigade, which belonged to General Kilpatrick's +division but had been under General Gregg's orders, was about to return +to Kilpatrick, who was on the left of the army, when General Gregg +proposed to Custer that, in view of an attack from a strong force which +now seemed imminent, he remain with him, which Custer gladly consented +to do.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 283px;"> +<img src="images/i069.jpg" width="283" height="400" alt="MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE A. CUSTER" title="" /> +<span class="caption">MAJOR GENERAL GEORGE A. CUSTER</span> +</div> + +<p>I described Custer as he appeared when, as a captain, he was with us at +Aldie about two weeks before, where, after his ducking, he voluntarily +led repeated charges of Kilpatrick's men, attracting the attention of +every one present by his conspicuous gallantry. Within that two weeks +he, with Farnsworth, Merritt, and Kilpatrick, had been made +brigadier-generals. Kilpatrick was given the command of Stahl's +division, Farnsworth one of his brigades, and Custer a brigade of four +Michigan regiments. In marked contrast with Custer's costume on the day +of the fight at Aldie, he now appeared in a uniform consisting of a +black velvet jacket and trousers, with a gold cord on the seam of his +trousers and the gilt stripes of a brigadier-general on his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> arm. He +wore a man-o-war's man's shirt with the wide collar out on his +shoulders, on each point of which was worked a silver star indicating +his rank of brigadier-general. The neck was open, just as a man-o'-war's +man has his, and he wore a sailor's tie. On this day he wore a small +cap. It was said at the time, that some months before, soon after he +came out of West Point, friends tried to secure for him the colonelcy of +the Fifth Michigan cavalry, at this time commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel +Russell A. Alger, but, like many volunteers of that period, the men, in +their inexperience, preferred officers from the civilians who came out +with them, and declined to have Custer. It therefore happened that the +man they refused to have as their colonel was sent to be their general, +and under his leadership the Michigan cavalry brigade became famous.</p> + +<p>The enemy had placed some batteries on our left and front, and advanced +from the woods in our front. Colonel McIntosh's brigade met their +attacks, a part of his command being dismounted. His entire force soon +became hotly engaged, and also the Fifth and Sixth Michigan regiments. +General Gregg stationed himself near his batteries, where he could see +the field and direct the battle; one of these was Randol's and the other +commanded by A. C. M. Pennington, both famous batteries, Randol's to the +right and Pennington's to the left. In this engagement the fire of these +batteries, especially Pennington's, was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> remarkably accurate, compelling +the enemy at times to shift their guns, and contributed in no small +measure to our success.</p> + +<p>After the fighting had been in progress for some little time, Custer +took off his cap, placed it in his saddle-pocket and led the Seventh +Michigan cavalry in a charge, his yellow hair flying and his uniform +making him a conspicuous object. The Seventh was a new regiment and was +armed with a Spencer rifle which carried one cartridge in the barrel and +seven in the breech; this was the first time I had seen this weapon. +This charge was over a very considerable distance, with the result that +the lines were somewhat extended so that when they came close to the +enemy behind a fence and were met by a fresh body of Confederate cavalry +charging them, they were repulsed. Being a new regiment, many of the men +rode wildly past McIntosh's command and up to and beyond our guns. I +think it was during this affair that General Custer's horse was shot. I +heard him remark after the fight that he would have been captured except +for the fact that one of his buglers caught a horse for him and held off +the man who wanted him to surrender. Meanwhile I had been sent to +Colonel McIntosh and was with him when the Seventh Michigan men came +back past his dismounted lines. He was making heroic efforts to rally +them, fairly frothing at the mouth and yelling, "For God's sake, men,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> +if you are ever going to stand, stand now, for you are on your free +soil!"</p> + +<p>It was just before this that we discovered Stuart's final advance, by +Hampton's and Fitz-Hugh Lee's brigades, which Hampton led past +McIntosh's dismounted men, charging right up to within about fifty yards +of our guns. Believing that, if the guns were taken, there was nothing +to prevent the enemy from getting at the reserve artillery and +ammunition trains in our rear, it seemed the crisis for us, as it was +also about the time Pickett was advancing against the centre of our +army's line of battle. I took a position between two guns, which I think +were in charge of Lieutenant Chester, who excited my admiration by his +coolness, and there awaited the expected struggle over them. The effect +of Pennington's and Randol's firing on Hampton's brigades was soon +noticeable, for the momentum of their charge seemed to be checked when +they were about one hundred and fifty yards from our guns. Our batteries +were then firing canister into them.</p> + +<p>Two gallant charges were made into Hampton's columns as they came on. +Captain Trichel with about sixteen men of McIntosh's brigade, including +Captains Walter Newhall and Rogers, suddenly appeared and charged into +them from the right, creating some confusion. Newhall tried to make for +a color-bearer, who lowered his staff, striking him in the mouth, +knocked him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> from his horse, and tore his face open. Trichel, his +officers, and nearly all of his men were wounded. About the same time +Captain Miller of the Third Pennsylvania with his company charged right +through the rear part of the column from the left. Hampton had led his +men to within about fifty yards of Chester's guns, when suddenly the +First Michigan cavalry, a veteran and very fine regiment, led by Colonel +Towne, with Custer by his side, appeared. The Colonel, in the last +stages of consumption it was said, required assistance to mount his +horse. This regiment, which from my position I had not seen, struck the +enemy in front and flank, right before our guns, which only then ceased +firing. Immediately staff-officers, orderlies, and the men that a moment +before had been coming to the rear joined in a hand-to-hand fight in +front of the batteries. In a few minutes the enemy broke to the rear and +our men, joined by the First New Jersey, Third Pennsylvania, Fifth and +Sixth Michigan which had mounted, chased them nearly to the woods from +which they had emerged some three quarters of a mile in our front.</p> + +<p>This ended General Gregg's cavalry fight at Gettysburg, the fortunate +outcome of which undoubtedly contributed greatly to the victory. +Immediately word was sent to headquarters of our success and in a short +time a brief note was received from, I think, General Butterfield,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +General Meade's chief of staff, written on a slip of paper about the +size of an envelope. The words, as I recall, were: "Congratulations upon +your success; attack here repulsed. Longstreet wounded and a prisoner." +The reference to Longstreet was a mistake, Armistead was meant. Riding +along the lines I called out the contents of this note to our men, who +began cheering, for we then knew that the battle of Gettysburg had been +won.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X</h2> + + +<p>The following morning our burial parties were at work, when a man from a +Michigan regiment came and asked me if I would help him look for some of +his comrades in a wheat field; the wheat being about three feet high it +was not easy to notice a body in it unless one stumbled right on it. In +a few minutes he called out that he had found one and then he said he +had another. As the burial party was digging a trench on the ridge just +beyond, I suggested that he stay where he was to mark the location and I +would ride over and get some of the citizens, whom we noticed plundering +the battle-field of horse equipments, to help carry the bodies over so +they might be buried. I rode up to two or three men who had harness, +saddles, and horse equipments in their possession and told them to drop +them and come over to help me carry the bodies that we might bury them, +as we had to move on shortly. They were a type of Pennsylvania Dutchmen +that lived in that county, who seemed utterly indifferent to the war and +anything pertaining to it, beyond securing such spoils as they got on +the battle-field. They at once demurred and said<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> they had no time, +whereupon I flew into a rage at their heartless conduct, drew my sabre, +and threatened to sabre them if they did not come at once. They then +sulkily complied. When we got back to where the bodies were I told them +to take some fence rails and carry them as though they were a stretcher. +We put the bodies across the rails, the men holding the ends of them. +When we had two bodies on this improvised stretcher I discovered a +Confederate soldier, a sergeant, with a bushy head of red hair and a red +beard. A sabre had split open the top of his head so you could put your +hand in the gash. I suggested that he be cared for too, and when we +attempted to put him on the stretcher they complained that they could +not carry the load. Then I rode after some more citizens whom I also +compelled to come over and help us. With their assistance we succeeded +in getting a number of bodies up to where the burial party was at work. +When I told my Michigan comrade of my experience with these men he +became so angry that I thought he would shoot them then and there.</p> + +<p>The General then moved into the town of Gettysburg, where, in contrast +to the heartless conduct of these men, we found patriotic women at work +in every house pulling lint and doing what they could to alleviate the +suffering that was all around them. One lady, who, I was told, was the +wife of a physician killed on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> Peninsula, came out on the front +porch and asked every soldier she saw to come in and have hot coffee and +biscuit. The men gave her coffee, which she made in a wash-boiler, but +the biscuits were made from flour she possessed, which by this time was +about exhausted. As it was likely to be several days before normal +conditions could be restored in the town, I suggested that she had +better cease baking biscuits and save the little flour she had for her +family, when she replied that she would take the chance, that as long as +she had any she was going to give it to the soldiers.</p> + +<p>About this time Nick, the General's bugler, came to me and reported that +he had found a citizen who had fought with our troops and been wounded, +an old man, and Nick wanted a doctor to go and see him as he was in his +own house nearby. This citizen proved to be the famous John Burns, an +old man of seventy, who fought, I think with a Wisconsin regiment. +Whether anybody else had discovered Burns before Nick did I am not sure, +but my recollection is that Nick's discovery first called the attention +of our people to the fact.</p> + +<p>General Gregg's command then moved out on the Chambersburg pike, where +for miles we saw the distressing evidences of the battle in the shape of +the Confederate wounded, who were in every barn and building and lying +beside the road. It had rained heavily the night before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> and the fields +in which these men lay were flooded with water. Those able to do so had +secured rails, upon which their helpless comrades were placed to keep +them out of the water. I think the division that day captured, including +the wounded, about four thousand. General Gregg sent back a report of +the condition of these poor Confederate wounded whom Lee had been +obliged to leave behind, and asked that ambulances be sent out to take +them in where they could have the attention of our surgeons, then +overworked and exhausted caring for the thousands of wounded among our +own men.</p> + +<p>From Chambersburg we marched back to Gettysburg and thence to +Boonesborough, arriving there about the ninth. In the neighborhood of +Boonesborough we met the Seventh New York militia, whose fine band of +about sixty pieces, led by Graffula, that night serenaded General Meade. +The square in front of his headquarters was thronged with men listening +to the fine music, the like of which we never heard in the army. One +man, I think from Indiana, remarked to me: "I tell ye the bullet hain't +run that will kill a fellow when that band's a-playin'."<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI</h2> + + +<p>Within a few days General Gregg was directed to cross the Potomac at +Harper's Ferry and move out to the vicinity of the road leading from +Martinsburg to Winchester, which was General Lee's line of +communications, to do what was possible to cripple his wagon trains. We +moved through Charlestown and the next day reached Shepherdstown, where +the Confederates had large stores of provisions. The people there were +divided in sentiment, some sympathizing with the South, and a few with +the Union army. With a view of rewarding the Union sympathizers, some of +us took flour and bacon from the Confederate stores and presented it to +the families that we believed to be in sympathy with the Union, to the +disgust of those who favored the South. This proved to be an unfortunate +performance on our part for the recipients of our favors. While this was +going on the enemy attacked and drove in our pickets and advanced in +force. Fortunately the First Maine cavalry was mounted and on the road, +going out for forage. Colonel Smith, their commander, at once deployed +his regiment and checked the rapid advance of the enemy until<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> General +Gregg could get out the rest of the command and occupy a good position.</p> + +<p>That morning some prisoners were brought in and as they were taking a +squad to the rear I asked one of the men what regiment he belonged to. +Upon his reply that it was the Twenty-eighth Louisiana and that it was +from New Orleans, I asked him if he knew any one by the name of Sykes. +He inquired if he was one of the auctioneer's sons. On telling him he +was, he replied that they had two in his regiment and that one of them +had been wounded and left back at some place, which I do not now recall. +This Sykes was a second cousin of mine. On writing home I reported the +circumstance to my mother, whose brother, my uncle, shortly after +visited New Orleans and was thus able to give information to Sykes's +mother in New Orleans regarding her son, she up to that time having had +no word as to his whereabouts or condition. He subsequently recovered.</p> + +<p>About this time General Gregg received word that Lee's army had entirely +recrossed the Potomac, so it was too late to accomplish anything with +two brigades. He also found that they were moving around to surround us, +as several couriers were captured on the way from Harper's Ferry, the +main roads leading there then being occupied by the enemy. General +Gregg, as usual under such conditions, made a splendid fight, the enemy +making repeated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> efforts to drive us, but were every time repulsed by +Irwin Gregg's brigade and the fire of our battery. They kept up their +attacks until dark. That night the wounded who could be moved were +started back for Harper's Ferry by a road close to the river's edge, the +only one not occupied by the enemy, the General and his staff leaving +some time after midnight, and our rearguard about daylight. Within due +time we reached Harper's Ferry with no losses other than the killed and +those so badly wounded that we were unable to move them. These were left +in a church with a surgeon and the ladies of Shepherdstown, who were +zealous in their efforts to assist in alleviating the suffering of our +men.</p> + +<p>During August and September, the division was kept busy watching the +movements of the enemy. Several skirmishes and engagements occurred. The +most notable that I recall was one during the advance from Sulphur +Springs to Culpeper and thence to the Rapidan, which I think was in +September. Kilpatrick's division came by way of Brandy Station while we +moved from Sulphur Springs, the two divisions meeting about midday at +Culpeper. After stopping to feed, the advance was resumed when, just +beyond that town, the enemy made a sharp counter attack, but we finally, +when our reserves were brought up, drove them back. Later in the day we +went into camp in an abandoned cornfield, when it began to rain and we +remained<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> there in the rain for I think forty-eight hours. Indeed, my +clothing had been wet through for probably sixty hours, because on the +morning of the advance before we arrived at Culpeper we reached a bridge +which the enemy had set fire to, thus temporarily checking our advance. +As the General rode up some of our men were pulling off the plank. I +noticed that this would not save the bridge, since the combustible +material was suspended from below. Riding into the stream and under the +bridge I began pulling down the burning material thus suspended, others +following and helping me, and within a few minutes we had the fire out, +the planks restored, and, with our mounted men fording the stream, we +were able to take our artillery across, when the enemy fell back. As we +were liable at any moment to meet with a counter charge, I was afraid to +take time to get off my horse and take my long cavalry boots off to pour +the water out of them, consequently I rode with about half a pail of +water in each boot-leg for a good part of the day. This fact and the +rain coming on later was the reason why my clothing was wet for the +period mentioned. No ill results, however, followed this, for when the +sun finally came out my clothes were soon dry.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII</h2> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 326px;"> +<img src="images/i085.jpg" width="326" height="350" alt="BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL E. W. WHITAKER" title="" /> +<span class="caption">BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL E. W. WHITAKER</span> +</div> + +<p>The following September General Kilpatrick, having become commander of a +division in July previous, applied to have me ordered to my regiment in +his division in order that I might be detailed for duty at his +headquarters. General Gregg wrote a letter to General Pleasanton, the +corps commander, requesting a "suspension of the order," because of the +absence, by reason of illness, of his adjutant-general, Captain Weir, in +which he stated substantially that he had no staff-officers familiar +with the adjutant-general's duties and that my services were then +"invaluable to him."[2] The order was thereupon suspended until Captain +Weir's return, when I reported to General Kilpatrick. About this time, +Captain Weir recommended me for a commission, which recommendation was +endorsed by General Gregg.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> I was very sorry to leave General Gregg's +headquarters, for I had come to have great admiration for him and +Captain Weir, both as soldiers and high-toned, patriotic men.</p> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> See Appendix <a href='#Page_109'>B</a>.</p></div> + + + +<p>At General Kilpatrick's headquarters I per<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>formed the same duties as +at General Gregg's, acting largely in the capacity of private secretary +to him when in camp, and doing a staff-officer's duty in the field, +until the following February. I was present with him at all the +engagements the division took part in during that period; the most +important of which that I recall was on the retreat from Culpeper, and +later at Buckland's Mills near Warrenton, about October 20th. The former +was on the occasion of the retirement from Culpeper and Brandy Station. +After leaving Culpeper General Custer's brigade had the advance and +General H. E. Davies, Jr., was covering the rear. General Pleasanton, +the corps commander, and his staff and escort happened to be riding near +General Kilpatrick and his staff, and Custer with three regiments was, I +think, in column of squadrons moving on the open plain between Culpeper +and Brandy Station and to the left of the railroad. The wagons of the +two brigades were in the advance, as we were retiring. It was a bright +October afternoon and one could see for a considerable distance ahead. A +stream called Mountain Run had to be crossed and we noticed confusion at +it, though it was probably a mile ahead. Presently some one appeared and +reported that the enemy were in position directly across our line of +march on the opposite side of the run. To their left they had a battery +which had the range of the little bridge over which our entire column<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> +must pass to cross Mountain Run. It thus seemed that we were likely to +be cut off and the only alternative was to charge right through this +force directly in our front. Kilpatrick gave orders to Custer to charge +with his entire command and we then advanced in practically five +columns. This was a fine sight and a thrilling moment. Pleasanton's +staff and escort, Kilpatrick's staff and escort, and Custer's three or +four regiments. When we arrived within a reasonable charging distance of +the enemy posted as I have described, Custer ordered his band to strike +up <i>Yankee Doodle</i>; the men on hearing this began cheering when the +bugle sounded the charge. The five columns rushed forward and the enemy +broke before we reached them, moving into the woods on their left and +our right, across the railroad. I remember one gallant Confederate +riding out in an effort to rally their men, standing in plain sight with +his battle-flag stuck in the ground, holding it off from his horse at +arm's length, but it was of no use, and he finally was obliged to +retire.</p> + +<p>Meanwhile the enemy appeared on our left and rear, and part of our force +had to turn and meet them, Davies, who was covering our rear, being also +strongly pressed as he was retiring from Culpeper. Repeated charges were +made and the enemy held back until our wagons, ambulances, and artillery +were gotten over the little bridge previously referred to at Mountain +Run. Ulti<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span>mately the entire command crossed at this point. The enemy had +such an accurate range of this crossing-place that they dropped their +shells on and in the immediate vicinity of the bridge during the +crossing of our men. Just as I passed it, the man who was riding ahead +of me, whose horse mine could touch, had his head taken off by a shell +just as though it had been severed by an axe; the remarkable fact was +that his headless body remained straight in the saddle for an instant or +two, finally toppling over. When we reached Brandy Station we made a +junction with Buford's command, which we found had been coming up in +rear of the line that was drawn up to cut us off. This doubtless had +something to do with their breaking before we reached them in the charge +I have described. We then crossed the Rappahannock and camped for the +night. This was the third engagement that I had been in at Brandy +Station.</p> + +<p>On October 19th occurred the engagement at Buckland's Mills, near +Warrenton. In this Kilpatrick's command was defeated. In the advance +toward Warrenton there was an interval of about two miles between +General Davies's brigade, which had the advance, and General Custer's. +We had been driving the enemy during the morning toward Warrenton, and +had halted to feed when a force of the enemy came unexpectedly in +between Custer's and Davies's brigades, overwhelmed General Custer's +com<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span>mand, and drove it back across Broad Run; and by taking possession +of the bridge and the Warrenton pike, had cut off General Davies's +command, which was then vigorously attacked by Hampton's force, which +Davies had been pushing toward Warrenton up to this time.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 298px;"> +<img src="images/i091.jpg" width="298" height="350" alt="CAPTAIN THEODORE F. NORTHROP" title="" /> +<span class="caption">CAPTAIN THEODORE F. NORTHROP</span> +</div> + +<p>Kilpatrick, when he found Custer was thus attacked, had sent one or two +staff-officers to Davies with orders for him to fall back and make a +junction with Custer. These apparently were unable to reach him, and +Kilpatrick, when he found that Custer could not hold his position, +became very anxious that word should be gotten to Davies of the real +situation and the danger that his brigade might be cut off and a large +portion of them captured. As he crossed the bridge with the rear of +Custer's command he turned to me, as I was riding near him, no +staff-officer being at the moment about, and remarked: "Meyer, somebody +must get to Davies and let him know that Custer has been driven across +Broad Run and that the enemy have got this bridge." On turning my horse +to go back, he called out: "Tell him to make his way the best he can to +Haymarket where he will find General Newton's corps."</p> + + + +<p>I was unable to return across the bridge, as the enemy had the other end +of it and were moving up the stream so as to intercept Davies, whom they +knew was being driven back on them. Riding until beyond their line I saw +some of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> Custer's men, who had been cut off, come out of the woods at +that point and cross the stream to escape, when I took advantage of the +confusion to cross to the west side, trusting I would not be noticed and +that the woods at that point would screen me from observation. Being +familiar with the country I made my way around their flank and rear, +having the sound of Davies's firing to direct me to his whereabouts. I +soon reached him and found him hard pressed. When I reported the +situation, his men were rallied for another charge, which was led by +Captain J. F. B. Mitchell, so as to gain time to permit a withdrawal, as +directed. We then galloped across the country, the forces opposing +following on our flanks, until we crossed Broad Run farther up towards +Haymarket. Davies's artillery had meanwhile been conducted away in +safety under the guidance of Doctor Capehart, of the First West Virginia +cavalry, who knew the country well. The brigade was thus saved from +serious loss; indeed, none other than the casualties in fighting. +Custer's and Davies's brigades formed a junction when they reached the +First Corps commanded by General Newton, and the enemy withdrew.</p> + +<p>General Kilpatrick was quite chagrined that evening over the surprise +his command had been subjected to and the defeat it met, and claimed +that he never would have separated Davies's and Custer's brigades and +given the enemy a chance<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> to get in between them by means of the road +from Auburn through the woods, had he not supposed that this road was +being looked after by some one else, whose name I do not now recall.</p> + +<p>Custer's command, which was feeding when attacked, made a gallant fight +under very great disadvantages. The remarkably accurate firing by +Pennington's battery, however, checked the enemy's advance and Custer's +personal efforts saved his brigade from much greater losses. Stuart, the +Confederate commander, in his report, claimed that it was "the greatest +rout that any cavalry had suffered during the war," and the Richmond +papers described the fight as the "Buckland Races." This I think is an +exaggerated statement. Of course we were defeated, but as soon as Custer +got across the stream his men were rallied and as fit to take the +offensive as they were in the morning. Davies's brigade fought gallantly +to resist Hampton's assaults, which began as soon as the firing on +Custer in the rear was heard. It was only after I gave Davies the +information that Custer had been driven across Broad Run and that the +enemy had the bridge and were in his rear, moving towards Haymarket to +intercept him, that he started his command on the gallop across the +country to that village. When he had made a junction with Custer, both +brigades were ready to take the offensive; at any rate the enemy +withdrew.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> + +<p>An amusing incident that occurred after Custer's men had gotten over +Broad Run and were being rallied was told me, to the effect that an +Irishman rode up to Kilpatrick, who was riding his horse called "Spot," +a speckled roan with a white rump, saying: "I say, 'Kil,' stop here, and +the boys will see your horse and they will rally round you, so they +will." This the General did, resulting as the Irishman had predicted.</p> + +<p>In December General Custer was temporarily in command of the division, +and on his recommendation I was allowed a furlough of ten days. During +that ten days I dined one evening with Admiral Hiram Paulding, then in +command of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. (His son had been a schoolmate and +the Admiral had known me before the war.) He questioned me as to my +position in the field, and expressed considerable surprise when I told +him I was not a commissioned officer, and quite embarrassed me, as there +were a number of prominent officers at the table, by slapping me on the +back and in a loud voice, to attract the attention of all present, +stating that he was proud to sit alongside of a private soldier of the +United States Army, and a gentleman. He then asked me to call upon him +the next morning, when he gave me a letter addressed to the Hon. John +Potts, the chief clerk of the War Department and an old friend of his, +which recommended me for a commission.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> I never presented this +letter,[3] however. He subsequently wrote letters[3] to Governor +Seymour, and Adjutant-General D. Townsend, U. S. A., copies of which he +gave me, and to General Kilpatrick. General Kilpatrick later gave me a +copy of the one he received.[3]</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 280px;"> +<img src="images/i097.jpg" width="280" height="350" alt="BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL L. G. ESTES" title="" /> +<span class="caption">BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL L. G. ESTES</span> +</div> + +<p>About this time, General Kilpatrick, hearing that my friends at home had +interested themselves in the matter of procuring me a commission, wrote +a letter to the Hon. George T. Cobb, an influential member of Congress +from New Jersey, a copy of which Captain L. G. Estes, his +adjutant-general, gave me.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> In February an order from the War +Department discharging me as a private from the Harris Light Cavalry to +accept a commission in the Twenty-fourth New York cavalry was received +at General Kilpatrick's headquarters at Stevensburg. I did not care to +leave the General and went to him for advice; yet the idea of going home +on a furlough with promotion was quite attractive, and the General told +me that he thought, on the whole, promotion in a new regiment was more +apt to be rapid since there would be a good many changes during the +first campaign, and, "in any event," he remarked, "if your regiment +comes anywhere near where I am I will have you detailed on my staff." +Thanking the General and bidding him and my friends good-bye, I left his +headquarters for my new field of duty.</p> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> See Appendix <a href='#Page_109'>B</a>.</p></div> + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII</h2> + + +<p>I returned to New York, procured my uniform, and immediately reported at +Auburn, where the Twenty-fourth cavalry was rendezvoused. To my +surprise, I found that they were under orders to proceed at once to +Washington. When I reported to Colonel Raulston, commanding, he told me +that he proposed to assign me to Company D, as this company had no +captain, and he did not think the first lieutenant, who had recruited +most of the men, was likely to remain long in the service and was unable +to enforce the necessary discipline. Though I was a second lieutenant, +he expected to hold me responsible for the safe conduct of the men to +Washington and the drilling and care of the company. It seems that the +first lieutenant, who was a well-meaning man, was not suited for +military life; he did not realize what was required and expected of him, +was incapable of securing the confidence of the men, and totally +ignorant of the duties of a company commander; and consequently with his +concurrence and with perfect good feeling between us, I took charge of +the company, drilled them, and had practically charge of them until +compelled<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> to leave them by reason of wounds, as will be explained +later.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 284px;"> +<img src="images/i101.jpg" width="284" height="350" alt="COLONEL WILLIAM C. RAULSTON" title="" /> +<span class="caption">COLONEL WILLIAM C. RAULSTON</span> +</div> + +<p>The regiment left Auburn for Washington via Elmira and Baltimore. It +rode in passenger-cars from Auburn to Elmira, and at Elmira, +notwithstanding the season of the year, February, the regiment was +placed in freight-cars and was thus transported to Baltimore. As the men +had received large bounties I was, I assume, in common with the other +company commanders, told that I would be held responsible should any of +my men desert while en route to Washington. The train made frequent +stops and was held at stations to allow other traffic to pass, and I +think we were something like forty-eight hours en route. It seemed to me +hard to keep the men cramped up in these cars in which they simply had +planks to sit on, so I told them that at each station we stopped at I +would allow a certain number to get out and take a little exercise, but +that in accepting this privilege if any of them took advantage of it to +desert I would have to suffer for it, yet I would take the chances that +they would be fair to me. This they were, since none of them deserted.</p> + + + +<p>Before reaching Baltimore an amusing incident occurred that illustrates +a volunteer soldier's idea of discipline on joining the army. At one of +the stopping-places where my men were out walking on the platform, +Lieutenant-Colonel Newberry remarked that he noticed my<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> men out at +every station, intimating that I was not holding them well in hand. I +replied that I thought it a hardship not to let them take some exercise, +the weather being cold, but that if he directed me not to allow them to +leave the cars I would carry out his instructions. At this he turned and +made no reply. A couple of Irishmen of my company overheard the +conversation, one of whom exclaimed: "I say, Lieutenant, if you say the +word we will belt hell out of him, so we will!" Ordering the men to get +in the car, I had great difficulty to refrain from laughing. If the +Colonel heard the remark he doubtless was amused at it; at any rate he +ignored it. He had a keen sense of the ludicrous, and no officer could +be more considerate of his men than he subsequently proved to be. When +the train conveying the regiment reached Baltimore, the sides of many of +the cars had been stripped of their covering, which had been used to +make fires en route. We finally reached the old Baltimore and Ohio +station in Washington at night, it being very cold. From there we +marched to Camp Stoneman, a cavalry camp of instruction across Potomac +Creek, where the regiment was drilled and put in shape for the campaign +that began in May.</p> + +<p>Having had experience in a cavalry regiment and being familiar with +cavalry tactics, and also with the various details of camp duties, I was +able to suggest how my inexperienced men could<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> be comfortable in camp, +as soon as we reached Camp Stoneman. The regiment was, in May, assigned +to Burnside's Ninth Corps, and joined the Army of the Potomac, after a +hard day's march, the afternoon of the second day of the battle of the +Wilderness. As soon as our regiment advanced into the woods, I was +selected to take command of a skirmish line that was to cover, as I +remember, the front of our brigade. I assumed that I was selected for +this duty, though only a second lieutenant in rank, because of the fact +of my prior service with the Harris Light Cavalry and with Generals +Gregg and Kilpatrick. Nothing serious occurred, however, to my command +that day.</p> + +<p>On the evening of the last day of the battle of the Wilderness we built +a new line of breastworks, which were in close proximity to the enemy's +lines. With a view to sparing my men, who were then much exhausted, I +had the works in my front built by stragglers from other regiments, of +whom there were a large number, releasing them when the work was +finished. At dark, in order to prevent a surprise, as it was extremely +difficult to keep the men awake, we placed a line of pickets about fifty +yards outside of our works. A short time after, some one on our line +fired a shot, when immediately the whole line arose and began shooting. +Believing that it was a false alarm, I jumped up to look over the +breastworks to see if I could see any<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> firing from the enemy's lines. At +that moment I heard our pickets outside, who were subjected to this +fire, calling out, "For God's sake stop firing, you are killing your own +men!" Running along the line giving orders to stop the firing, I had a +narrow escape from one excited fellow who fired his carbine off, the +muzzle of which was close to my ear as I was in the act of grabbing +another man who, in his excitement, was about to shoot. The line, +however, soon quieted down.</p> + +<p>Presently a messenger came to me and speaking in a low tone directed me +to keep a sharp lookout and when I saw the troops on my right move, to +have my men follow as noiselessly as possible, and he enjoined me to see +that the men carried their canteens and tin cups in their hands in order +that no noise might be heard by the enemy whose lines were so close by. +I was soon notified, "They are moving." Quickly walking along the line I +awoke the men and cautioned them to be as quiet as possible. In this +manner we moved out and for some moments were in suspense lest the enemy +hear the movement and, by attacking, stop it. After a while we reached a +place where we could form in column of fours, and all that night we +marched through narrow roads in the woods of that region, halting every +few minutes because of obstructions due to teams and other troops in our +front. This fatiguing process continued until about daylight, when we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> +reached the main road where the country was open. We were all greatly +depressed, since after the three days' desperate fighting at the +Wilderness no apparent advantage had been gained, and we assumed that +the army had been unsuccessful and that it was an attempt to retreat. We +soon came to a house outside of which I saw a colored woman apparently +dressed up, since it was Sunday. I called out to her and asked what road +we were marching on. Upon hearing her reply, "The road to Spottsylvania +Court House," a thrill of satisfaction instantly passed through every +man in the column, since then we realized that we at last had a general +and that our movement was south and towards the rear of Lee's army. From +that time until the end of my service I never had any misgiving as to +Grant's capacity to lead us to final victory.</p> + +<p>It was on this morning that I first saw General Grant. The road ahead +was blocked and our men were lying in it when some one called out, "Get +your men to one side to allow General Grant to pass." Grant, however, +gave directions not to disturb the tired men, many of whom were asleep, +and turned into a field. We were all up, however, anxious to see him. He +appeared riding a small black horse with his feet not more than two feet +from the ground. He had a couple of staff-officers with him, one of whom +was Captain Parker, an Indian, and an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> orderly. His unpretentious +appearance excited the comment of all, and had we not been told who he +was he would have attracted no more attention than an ordinary line +officer.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV</h2> + + +<p>A little after noon the regiment reached a position in the vicinity of +Spottsylvania, where details of men were given me and I was instructed +to go into the woods and establish a line of skirmishers in a favorable +location. We found the underbrush in these woods on fire, so using a +portion of the men to beat out the fire I placed the remainder on a line +which we occupied until the next day, when we were moved to another part +of the field. It was so difficult to keep my men awake that, in order to +avoid a surprise, I went along the line at frequent intervals during the +night, sometimes being obliged to wake up some of them.</p> + +<p>While in front of Spottsylvania Court House I was in command of a force +that held the line of works on the road to that town. We were under fire +most of the day until, towards evening, the enemy retired. With the +desire to have my men get a little refreshment, I suggested that some +part of the men cook coffee while the others remained in the trenches in +line. There being no firewood I suggested that some rails be pulled out +of a breastwork that ran at right angles to one that we had been<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> +occupying. On lifting these rails a man reported that he saw the body of +a Confederate soldier in the breastworks. I then had a considerable +portion of the breastworks uncovered, and found that they had placed in +them a number of dead Confederates and piled rails and dirt on top of +them, thus forming the breastwork behind which they had fought. +Reporting this on being relieved, I saw it afterward commented on in +some of the Northern papers.</p> + +<p>It will be remembered that the battle of Spottsylvania was a very +sanguinary one, the enemy being strongly posted behind breastworks in a +rough-wooded country, and the assaults made on these works had cost our +army a loss of nearly twenty thousand men, killed and wounded. A night +or two before the army moved from there, I was called from my place in +the line of breastworks and directed to report at division headquarters. +On arriving there I was introduced to an officer who, I was told, was a +topographical engineer from army headquarters, and that I was to go with +him. It was a dark night with a drizzling rain falling. As we mounted +our horses he told me that I was selected to conduct a division later in +the night to a position from which they were to assault the enemy's +works, the attack to be made before daylight, hoping to surprise them, +previous assaults in the daytime having proved so disastrous to our men. +He stated that he wanted to have me familiarize<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> myself thoroughly with +the ground where the division was to be placed in position for the +charge so that I could explain it to the general in command, and thus +avoid a chance of confusion among the troops and failure of the attack.</p> + +<p>On hearing what was expected of me I was naturally greatly impressed +with the responsibility, fearing that if I made a mistake it might be +very disastrous in its results. We soon reached a small corduroy bridge, +about wide enough for a column of fours to cross, from which a roadway +passed through a piece of woods, as I remember it, a few rods, to a +clearing. We left our horses with our orderlies at this bridge and +walked till we came to the clearing. He told me that a few rods in front +the ground began to ascend, and farther up on this slope was the line of +works the division was to attack and attempt to surprise. He then walked +with me along the clearing to the right, explaining about how many yards +it extended in that direction from the opening by which we had entered, +and told me about how many could be placed in line there. We then +returned to the opening and walked to the left of it, where he explained +about how many men could be placed there. On our return to this road, I +suggested that we had better move up the hill a little more so that I +could familiarize myself with the character of the ground over which +the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> assault was to be made. This was done and we lay on the ground +where we could hear sounds from the enemy's lines. We then returned to +our horses. In my anxiety not to make a mistake, I suggested that we go +all over it again and that he let me show him the way in the manner I +was expected to direct the general, to make sure that I correctly +understood what I was to do. He assented to this, and at its conclusion +expressed himself as satisfied that I understood the duty assigned to +me. On the ride back to headquarters I think nothing was said. I was +naturally thinking over what would be the result of this night attack +and wondering whether I would ever see daylight again. Reaching +headquarters, this officer, whose name I never learned and whose face I +could not even recall, as it was dark the entire time I was with him, +told me I had better lie down and get a little sleep and that I would be +called when wanted. Then taking me by the hand he said, "Good-bye and +God bless you!" and withdrew.</p> + +<p>When I awoke the sun was up, and upon inquiry I was informed that about +two o'clock in the morning a message was received from headquarters +countermanding the order for the assault. After the war, I read in some +of General Grant's writings that after assenting to this proposed +assault he was awake in his tent thinking over the prospects of its +success and decided<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> that the chances in the darkness were against it. +Therefore, soon after midnight, he directed that the order for it be +countermanded. I assume that the contemplated assault was to include +other troops than the division I was detailed to accompany.</p> + +<p>One night, while with my company in the breastworks, I was sent for and +informed by Colonel Raulston that General Burnside had requested him to +recommend an officer whom he could send to Washington to bring back with +him, at the earliest possible moment, some carbine ammunition for our +regiment, it being of a different calibre from that used by the other +regiments of the division, which were infantry. Colonel Raulston told me +he had decided to detail me for this duty and directed me to report to +General Burnside. I rode to the latter's headquarters, where he gave me +a letter to the War Department and one addressed to his wife. The latter +he requested me to mail in Washington, mail communication with the army +at that time having been temporarily cut off.</p> + +<p>I started immediately in a dense fog for Belle Plain, riding all night, +and was obliged to procure a fresh horse in the morning at +Fredericksburg. I sailed from Belle Plain for Washington, arriving the +next morning, and as soon as the War Department opened for business I +presented my letters, and was informed that the necessary ammunition +would be placed on a tug<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> which would be ready to sail for Belle Plain +that afternoon.</p> + +<p>I was told that a permit had been given to the late Bishop McIlvaine, of +Ohio, and George H. Stuart, the president of the Christian Commission, +to go on the boat with me, they having been granted permission to go to +the front to look into the practical working of the United States +Christian Commission. When the tug sailed, I being the only United +States officer or soldier on board, Mr. Stuart introduced himself to me, +and then presented me to the Bishop. Later he came to me and said that +it was proposed to have a brief prayer-meeting in the cabin, at which +were present the Bishop, Mr. Stuart, and one or two representatives of +the Christian Commission, and a lady, who, I was told, had a pass from +Mr. Lincoln permitting her to go to the front to see her son, who was +wounded. It impressed me as an exceedingly pathetic and remarkable +incident, and I remember that, being brought up a Presbyterian, I was a +little curious to see whether the Bishop would read his prayers from the +prayer-book or would make one extemporaneously. He, however, made what +seemed to me then one of the most affecting and beautiful extempore +prayers I ever listened to. When the little steamboat reached Belle +Plain, the Bishop's party were put into an ambulance and had an escort +of a part of a regiment to take them to Fredericks<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span>burg, as the +intervening country was raided by Mosby's men and all wagon trains +between Belle Plain and Fredericksburg had to be heavily guarded.</p> + +<p>No transportation being provided for me to take my ammunition to the +front, I took the responsibility of taking some wagons belonging to +General Potter's division, none of my own being available. I did this +without authority, but under stress of circumstances. When I got them +loaded I found it was impossible to start that afternoon, as no escort +could be furnished until the next morning. I concluded, however, the +General would be anxious to know that the ammunition was en route, and I +decided to start on alone for Fredericksburg. Putting my pistol in my +boot-leg, I started off in a very severe thunder-storm, and, keeping a +good lookout, rode to Fredericksburg without meeting any of the enemy's +roving cavalry.</p> + +<p>That night I spent with Captain Corson, quartermaster of General Gregg's +division at Fredericksburg, and started the next morning for the front, +where I reported to General Crittenden when he might expect the first +wagons containing the ammunition, and then rode back to Fredericksburg +to hurry them forward. When I returned with the first two wagons the +regiment was in action, and I was obliged to get details of men to break +open the boxes and carry the cartridges in blankets to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> supply the men +along the line. I remember being verbally complimented for getting back +some twelve hours sooner than it was thought possible, and shortly +afterwards General Crittenden detailed me on his staff, but I declined +the position, as my men expected me to stay with them and I had +intimated that I would stay with them through the campaign. It was a few +days after this that I was commissioned captain.</p> + +<p>I might add that I understood General Potter was very angry, as he +needed his wagons to bring commissary stores for his troops, and +proposed to prefer charges against me for unwarrantably taking them. If +he did so, I never heard anything from it. I took for granted that the +necessities of the case justified my action.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV</h2> + + +<p>From Spottsylvania, until the army reached Petersburg, some portion of +the regiment was under fire every day. During this period occurred the +engagements at the North Anna River, Pamunkey, and Cold Harbor. The most +fatiguing march that I ever experienced was that made by our brigade on +its withdrawal from the south bank of the North Anna River, in which we +had a similar experience to that during the withdrawal from the lines at +the Wilderness, the men realizing that if we were attacked then it would +be on the brink of a rapid running river we were about to recross. We +crossed the North Anna River sometime between darkness and midnight, and +then moved by a circuitous route, as the more direct lines were occupied +by other troops. We marched, without any halts other than those +occasioned by blockades ahead of us, all the next day and following +night. In order to prevent my tired men from falling out, and not having +the heart to urge them to keep up while I was riding my horse, I +dismounted and walked at the rear of the company, feeling that so long +as I was able to walk I could with propriety urge the men to do +likewise. It was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> reported at the time that some of our men died of +exhaustion in the middle of the night; at any rate, when the command +finally halted and stacked arms fully one half of it were not able to +answer the roll-call. During the following twenty-four hours, however, +our stragglers kept coming in.</p> + +<p>In a day or two the battle of Cold Harbor occurred. Our regiment went +into line in an unfavorable position, it being in an abandoned +cornfield, the woods beyond being held by the enemy. As was the custom +whenever we went into line at night to throw up temporary breastworks, +we were directed to do so here. The soil was sandy, there were no timber +and no rail fences, and we had few intrenching tools, consequently it +seemed impossible with the facilities at hand to construct any sort of +temporary breastworks. Within a few rods of my company's position in the +lines stood a large house, from which the family had hastily departed. +As there was no timber, the only alternative that suggested itself to me +was to take the roof from the house and break it up for our purpose. I +therefore sent a detail of men who in a short time removed the roof from +this building, while others soon knocked down the rest of the structure. +This material was broken up, the sand piled on it, and thus were +provided the breastworks that protected us the next day. This seemed a +hardship to the occupants of this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> dwelling, but it was justified by the +circumstances.</p> + +<p>During the battle of Cold Harbor I had a second opportunity to see +General Grant, having been sent to General Meade's headquarters where +General Grant happened to be. When I reached headquarters, I found +General Meade sprawled out on the ground with his face buried in a map, +he being very near-sighted. Staff-officers were constantly riding up and +reporting, and about fifty feet from where he lay I saw General Grant +sitting alone on a stretcher. He had nothing to say to any one and +seemed unconcerned. While waiting for my instructions, I intently +watched him. Presently an officer brought up a Confederate officer, who +was a prisoner. Looking up, General Grant quietly asked, "I assume you +have questioned him?" The officer replied, "Yes, but he does not tell +anything." Grant then remarked, "Ask him if he has a recent Richmond +paper." The Confederate officer said that he had and took one from his +haversack, giving it to the officer, who handed it to General Grant. +Grant nodded his head in acknowledgment, and remarking, "You may take +him back," opened the paper and began to read. Just then General +Sheridan rode up. Grant arose, greeted him warmly, and seemed deeply +interested as Sheridan began earnestly telling him, I assume, the +results of his recent movements. Receiving<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> my instructions I then +returned to the regiment.</p> + +<p>The crossing of the James River by the army on pontoon bridges, as is +known, was a memorable movement, the river being about two thousand feet +wide there. Our march from the James River to Petersburg was a very hard +one, since the roads were sandy and it seemed that at every two steps +forward we would slip one backward. However, towards evening, we reached +a position near Petersburg, when, tired as we were, it seemed to me a +favorable moment for us to advance and try to capture the town. We could +see trains of cars coming in, their infantry being hastily unloaded, and +everywhere were evidences that they were hurrying up forces to resist +us. The failure to attack that afternoon was a great disappointment to +General Grant, as one reading his <i>Memoirs</i> can ascertain. The next day, +the 17th of June, was my last day of active service in the field.</p> + +<p>About the 8th or 9th of June orders had been read out behind the +breastworks in which my appointment as captain was announced. Though I +had always been doing duty as a captain, I had never held the rank of a +first-lieutenant. Subsequently, Adjutant Hill having been wounded, I did +temporary duty as adjutant; and on the 17th of June was with the +regiment in the assault of the enemy's works near the Norfolk road, in +which it suffered so severely. My<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> wound was not received in the assault +but immediately after, and under the following circumstances. The +assault had been unsuccessful because of the failure of some troops on +our right to support us properly, and the command had secured the +protection of a line of breastworks. Acting as adjutant that day I had +been carrying an order, when I noticed lying on the field Lieutenant +Randall, who was lying on his face, and about him were our killed and +wounded, among others, General Morton, General Burnside's chief +engineer. I turned back to see if Randall was alive, and found him lying +with his face buried in the dirt of a corn-hill, the field being a +succession of ridges, and the corn being about eighteen inches high. He +had a hole in his neck and was apparently dying. I brushed the dirt out +of his face so that he could breathe, propped him up on the dirt ridges, +but was unable to carry him into our lines, because I had been suffering +for some days from intermittent fever and was almost too weak to walk +when I went into the engagement. While thus stooping over and in the act +of starting for our lines, a ball struck me alongside of the spine, just +above my sabre belt, and, as afterwards turned out, ploughed up in the +neighborhood of my shoulders. Realizing that I was struck in a bad place +and not wishing to lie there in the sun during the afternoon, I started +for our breastworks, the bullets striking the ground<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> around me as I +crawled. I asked a man who I believed belonged to the Eighteenth Corps +if he could pull me over, as I was unable to get over. He remarked, "I +will, if my partner will help me," and in a moment these two men jumped +upon the breastwork, took me by the collar of my cavalry jacket, jerked +me over, and dropped me inside. It had not occurred to me that I was in +plain sight of the enemy, and it was not until after I was lifting +Randall that I noticed the bullets were striking in the ground around me +and subsequently in the breastworks, as I lay outside of them, when I +asked the man to help me over.</p> + +<p>Just after I was pulled over, General Walter C. Newberry, then the +lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-fourth cavalry, who that day commanded +the regiment, came up to me. I showed him my wound and remarked that I +thought I had a "thirty-day wound." He sent two men who lifted me on my +feet, and, with my arm about their necks and their arms supporting my +body, I walked a considerable distance before I could reach an +ambulance, which took me to the field hospital. On my way to the field +hospital I noticed a corporal, Frederick Gundlach, a brave and honest +soldier, who was walking holding his hand, which seemed to be shattered. +I hailed him and he immediately ran along by the ambulance in which I +was, stayed by me, and waited on me during the afternoon and night.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> +During the night I was placed in a tent with five other seriously +wounded officers, including Colonel Raulston of the Twenty-fourth and +Captain Burch, the latter dying in the arms of his men as he lay +directly opposite me in the tent, During the night it was reported to us +that an officer outside had been obliged to have his clothing cut off to +get at his wounds, as he had five bullets in his body, in various +places, and a blanket was wanted to put around him. As Corporal Gundlach +had given me his blanket to lie on and my overcoat was wrapped around my +sabre hilt and pistol, so as to make a pillow for me, I gave them the +coat to wrap around this badly wounded man, who proved to be none other +than the Lieutenant Randall that I had assisted when I received my +wound. It was assumed that by brushing the dirt out of his face and +turning him over so he could breathe, he regained consciousness, and +when the enemy's position was taken in a later assault that afternoon, +he, with the other wounded, was brought in. At any rate, he lived +several years after the war, though I never met him again.<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> After the war, a medal of honor was awarded to me on the +recommendation of General Newberry; see correspondence in Appendix <a href='#Page_103'>A</a>.</p></div> + + + +<p>The day after I was wounded I am unable to account for. I may have been +insensible; at any rate, it was the second day after, that the +ambulances and army wagons were filled with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> wounded and started for +City Point, whence steamboats conveyed them to Washington. I was +fortunate in being placed in an ambulance with another badly wounded +officer, as these vehicles had springs, while many of the wounded had to +ride in the army wagons that had none, hence when going down hill or +over rough roads the jolting caused great suffering. A whole day was +consumed in making the trip to City Point, delays constantly occurring +because we had to pull out beside the road to permit supply and +ammunition wagons to pass, it being the custom in war always to give the +right of way to supplies for the front. The heat and the dust settling +down on us made it a very trying day, and when the teams reached City +Point a number of the wounded were found dead.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 292px;"> +<img src="images/i123.jpg" width="292" height="350" alt="BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL WALTER C. NEWBERRY" title="" /> +<span class="caption">BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL WALTER C. NEWBERRY</span> +</div> + +<p>We were placed on a large steamboat, where the cots were arranged on the +decks as near together as they could be placed and permit nurses to pass +between them. These were clean and there was an abundance of food and +drink for those able to partake of it. We were on this steamboat that +night and the following day, reaching the wharf at the foot of Sixth +Street in Washington about sundown. By this time I was suffering +considerably. Because of the nature of my wound I was the last man +removed from the boat, it then being nine o'clock. It was decided that +the best way to handle me was to carry me on the mattress, so a number<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> +of men held it over the stair-well, as I was on the upper deck, while +others took it from below. The journey in an ambulance through the +streets of Washington, then not paved, was a painful one. I finally +reached the Seminary Hospital at Georgetown, where I was bathed and my +soiled clothing replaced by clean linen, and placed in a comfortable cot +which I occupied for nearly four months.</p> + +<p>There were, during that period, usually six wounded officers in the room +at a time. Dr. Ducachet was the surgeon-in-chief and Dr. Finn the +assistant surgeon; the latter had charge of me. He took good care of me, +and I am doubtless greatly indebted to him for my recovery. For three +weeks repeated attempts were made to find the ball by probing, but +without success. One day a large swelling appeared on my back, and in +turning me over in bed to dress the wound a sudden discharge occurred +with great force, whereupon the surgeons were summoned and concluded +that this violent discharge must have forced the ball from its lodgment, +which had been beyond the reach of their longest probe, and it was +decided to attempt to get the ball out. After sundown, when the day was +cooler, the weather at that time being excessively hot, the operation +was successfully accomplished. The ball was flattened against my ribs; +two of them were splintered, and pieces of them occasionally worked out +through the wound during<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> the ensuing eight months. Because of the +fracture of my ribs and the wound in my back, I was obliged to lie on +one hip, with the result that I suffered from severe bedsores, and for +weeks was able to get sleep only by taking morphine.</p> + +<p>In October of that year the surgeons decided that it would do to remove +me to my home at Dobbs Ferry on the Hudson.</p> + +<p>During the following winter I was confined to my bed at intervals by +abscesses forming preliminary to their discharging pieces of bone or +cloth, the last particles coming out the following March or April. The +wound healed in June, though my body was bent and one leg contracted. +Hence I was obliged to walk with a cane for nearly another year, +although I was able to perform clerical work that summer.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI</h2> + + +<p>General D. McM. Gregg was a West Point graduate and had seen service in +the army before the war. He was dignified in manner and that winter I +was more or less in awe of him, when in his presence. One day he sent +for me and asked me if I knew of a certain special order from the War +Department bearing on a certain subject. Replying, "I think it is number +so and so," he said: "You should not think, sir, you should know. Go and +find out." To a layman this might seem needlessly severe, but it was +just the kind of training the young volunteer soldiers needed. Indeed, +my after experience demonstrated that one could not have been under a +more considerate and finer commander. His coolness whenever we were in +action and his thoughtfulness in looking out for his men, sparing them +needless risks and taking precautions to protect them from surprises, +secured for him the absolute confidence of every one in his command. He +was averse to newspaper notoriety and I do not recall an instance when +he seemed willing to give information to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> reporters. His idea was to +confine what he had to tell to his official reports, and let the records +testify to the character of his service. Indeed, on one occasion he +remarked to me, "Meyer, I do not propose to have a picture reputation." +As I am writing these lines he is still living, beloved by the survivors +of those who served under him and respected by the people of +Pennsylvania, the State in which he lives.</p> + +<p>General Judson Kilpatrick, also a West Point graduate, was of slight +build, wiry, apparently incapable of fatigue, and physically just the +man for a cavalry leader. He was of a highly excitable and nervous +temperament. Whenever we reached camp and every one else seemed to think +that men and horses should have a rest, Kilpatrick was writing letters +and asking for authority from his superiors to start out on a +reconnoissance or a raid, or to give him a chance to get into a fight. I +was told that when at West Point he was noted for making speeches. With +us he would frequently harangue the men, but his good-natured dash and +personal magnetism made him popular. He had capacity for rallying his +soldiers and getting them into a charge. His usual method when meeting +the enemy was to order a charge. Sometimes this was very successful, and +at other times it was not so much so and very costly of men. It was +because of this that he secured the nickname of "Kil-Cavalry." He was +good-natured,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> approachable, and not inclined to be much of a +disciplinarian.</p> + +<p>He was not disposed to punish his men if they took a horse from +citizens, which they occasionally did in 1862, unless they were caught +at it.</p> + +<p>One day when we were in camp near Falmouth a citizen called on him to +complain that a horse of his had been stolen and to ask permission to go +through our companies' streets in search of it. The man rode into camp +and tied his horse to one of the stakes to which the General's tent was +attached. Kilpatrick courteously invited him in, listened to his story, +and gave him permission to go through camp looking for his horse. On +emerging from the tent the man found that while he was inside some one +had taken his saddle from the horse he rode in on. My recollection is +that he recovered neither the saddle nor the horse he was in search of.</p> + +<p>Kilpatrick was energetic, brave, and patriotic, and as a cavalry leader +had a splendid record, and I understood that his services after he went +to Sherman's army were much appreciated by that commander.</p> + +<p>Among the fine officers with whom it was my privilege to serve and whose +friendship has grown and still exists, were Colonel Henry C. Weir, +adjutant-general of General D. McM. Gregg's cavalry division and his +chief-of-staff, and General Walter C. Newberry, the lieutenant-<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span>colonel +commanding the Twenty-fourth cavalry in June. It was the former who took +me from the ranks and secured for me the position at General Gregg's +headquarters, which brought me under the eye of the General and gave me +opportunities that probably secured the promotion I ultimately obtained.</p> + +<p>Weir was about twenty-one years of age in 1863, and with a most +attractive personality. He had a wide acquaintance among officers of the +army who had graduated from West Point, since his father was Professor +Weir, the famous artist on duty there, some of whose paintings are in +the rotunda of the Capitol at Washington. Weir was adjutant-general of +General Bayard's brigade when the latter was killed at Fredericksburg, +and then continued as such with General Gregg's division to the end of +the war. He was intensely patriotic, high-toned in character, and one of +the bravest men I ever knew. Indeed, General Gregg once remarked to me +after the war that Weir was so uniformly brave that he found it +difficult to recall a particular instance in order that he might +recommend him for a Medal of Honor. The Medal of Honor was, however, +awarded to Weir later and no man better deserved it.</p> + +<p>General Newberry, to whose kindness and consideration I am so greatly +indebted, had been an officer in one of the New York State infantry +regiments that went out for two years' service.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> On returning in 1863, +he, with Colonel W. C. Raulston, raised the Twenty-fourth New York +cavalry. These officers were both fine soldiers.</p> + +<p>General Newberry was a man of sound judgment, exceedingly cool in battle +and in emergencies, and a fine executive. He was most considerate of his +men and quick to appreciate any man or officer who tried to do his duty. +I doubt if any colonel of a regiment knew more of his men personally +than did he. He kept a record in which he described the character of +every officer's service, noting his impression of them both as men and +officers. Since the war he has been a man of affairs, holding prominent +positions, serving his city, State, and nation, yet with all his large +interests he has kept himself informed of the whereabouts of many of the +survivors of the Twenty-fourth cavalry, and I cannot imagine any +regimental commander more beloved by his men than he. During my short +term of service with the Twenty-fourth cavalry, which was from about the +latter part of February till the 17th of June, the last forty-five days +of which covered the campaign from the Wilderness to Petersburg, my +intercourse with General Newberry was mainly official, and it was not +until I received a sympathetic letter<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> while in the hospital that I +realized how good a friend I had in him. In later years this letter<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> was +followed by a report to the Secretary of War recommending that a Medal +of Honor be awarded me, which was accordingly done.<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> See Appendix <a href='#Page_109'>B</a>.</p></div> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> See Appendix <a href='#Page_103'>A</a>.</p></div> + +<p>In October, the 24th New York cavalry was mounted and assigned to +General Gregg's division, which in the spring of 1865 was commanded by +General Crook. Except when commanding a brigade, General Newberry +commanded the regiment from June 18th, when Colonel Raulston was +wounded, until a few days before the end of the war. He was wounded +twice in the summer of 1864, but retained his command until March 31, +1865, at Dinwiddie Court House, where he was severely wounded, this +preventing further active service. Lee's surrender occurred ten days +later. He was brevetted brigadier-general for gallant and distinguished +service at Dinwiddie Court House, March 31, 1865.</p> + +<p>I count the friendship of Newberry and Weir, begun during the war and +continuing up to the present time, one of the greatest privileges I have +ever been able to enjoy.</p> + +<p>Colonel William C. Raulston, who commanded the Twenty-fourth cavalry +until he was given the command of a brigade, also treated me with great +courtesy and consideration. It was he who suggested that I be selected +to go to Washington for ammunition, and I assume he also<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> recommended me +for other special duties which I was given an opportunity to perform. He +was an exceedingly gallant officer, was wounded on the day after I was, +recovered and returned to duty, and was subsequently captured. In an +unsuccessful attempt to break out of prison at Danville, in which he was +a leader, he was shot by a guard and died a few days after.</p> + +<p>Among the many gallant men with whom I at different times served, I +remember especially Captain L. G. Estes, adjutant-general to General +Kilpatrick, and afterwards Brevet Brigadier-General, and his aides, +Captain, afterwards Brevet Brigadier-General, E. W. Whitaker and Captain +Theodore F. Northrop. No cavalry officer had braver staff-officers than +were these three men. Whitaker and Northrop repeatedly carried out +successfully missions involving unusual hazards and requiring great +daring.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="APPENDIX_A" id="APPENDIX_A"></a>APPENDIX A</h2> + + +<h4>LETTER RECOMMENDING AWARD OF MEDAL OF HONOR—WAR DEPARTMENT'S ACTION +THEREON—EXTRACT FROM GENERAL NEWBERRY'S RECORDS</h4> + +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">Chicago, Ill.</span>,<br /> +April 11, 1898.</p> + + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Hon. Russell A. Alger</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Secy. of War,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Washington, D. C.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>:</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>I believe there are still some Medals of Honor awaiting officers and men +of the late War who by some special act of bravery or the saving of life +or enhancing the safety of the Army have earned such a reward.</p> + +<p>I desire to call your attention to the case of an officer of my own +Regiment, the 24th N. Y. Cavalry, who has suffered greatly, and who has +achieved most honorable position in the scientific world as a citizen +since the War. I speak of Capt. and Brevet Major Henry C. Meyer, now +Editor and Proprietor of a publication known as the <i>Engineering Record</i> +of New York City. He has two sons who were raised in the same honorable +manner and promise the very best of American citizenship to their +country that their father has, and I should very much like to see the +father's heroism and suffering rewarded as they deserve and as I believe +the Government intended by these Medals of Honor.</p> + +<p>Meyer as a boy, against his father's desire, enlisted in '62 in what was +known as the "Harris Light" (2nd New York Cavalry). Being of good +education<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> and writing a fine hand, he was subsequently detailed as a +clerk at Headquarters of General D. McM. Gregg of the 2nd Division of +Cavalry. On the 9th of June, '63, at Brandy Station, noticing some men +hard pressed, he rushed into the thickest of the fight and was wounded +by a sabre across the shoulder. He made light of the wound at the time +and induced Adj.-General Weir not to report his name as wounded on +account of needless alarm to his mother. Within the last few years, +however, both General Gregg and Colonel Weir reported this circumstance +to the War Department, which you will find on file under date of +November 19th, '91, addressed to the Adj.-General of the Army and +certified by those officers. Later, in an engagement at Buckland Mills, +where General Kilpatrick's Division met with a reverse, General Davies's +Brigade was imperilled by reason of the fact that General Custer's +Brigade had been driven to the north side of Broad Run, and the enemy +had gotten in between General Custer and his command, which was hard +pressed some two miles near Warrenton. General Kilpatrick expressed his +desire that somebody get to Davies that he might be made aware of the +situation. Without waiting for further orders Meyer rode up the river +and crossed the stream above the enemy and made his way around their +flank and in their rear to Davies, who was thus enabled, without serious +loss, to escape across the country to Haymarket. Meyer was recommended +by Generals Gregg and Kilpatrick for a commission, and early in '64 was +assigned to the 24th New York Cavalry, then just ready for the field. +Coming to us with a 2nd Lieut.'s commission and being familiar with +cavalry tactics he was a great addition to our effectiveness. From the +Wilderness through that entire campaign the 24th N. Y. fought +dismounted, and Lt. Meyer was most efficient from the fact of knowing +the country so well, and was frequently detailed to guide troops to +positions, es<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span>pecially about Spottsylvania. The Regiment being armed +with special Star Carbines used a special cartridge unobtainable except +by special requisition, and the Regiment being in constant service at +the front, the ammunition was likely to be exhausted. Gen. Burnside was +requested to send an officer to Washington for these cartridges, and he +by special letter detailed Lt. Meyer, who showed great efficiency in +bringing the ammunition to the front, seizing a wagon of Gen. Potter's +(another Division) to save time and distributing the cartridges in +blankets along the line of battle when the supply was nearly exhausted. +On the 8th of June Meyer was commissioned Captain, and on June 17th, in +that terrible assault upon the line before Petersburg, where he lost one +third of his Company, he was fearfully wounded very near the position +where Gen. Morton, the Engineer Officer of the Corps, was killed. He had +escaped wounds through the most serious part of the charge, when later +he discovered an officer, Lt. Randall, very badly wounded, Randall +having been shot in five places and lying with his face buried in the +dirt between our lines; Meyer turned back, going fifty to seventy-five +yards out of his way, and in plain sight of the enemy, turned Lt. +Randall over, brushed the sand and blood from his mouth so that he could +breathe, thus saving his life, when he himself received a most dangerous +wound. I was in sight of him, and he, after crawling in, was helped over +the works just in advance of me by two men, and as soon as I reached him +I detailed men to carry him back. For many months he lay in the Hospital +and was not able to be removed to his home until the following October, +and was a great sufferer for eleven months.</p> + +<p>I should claim that this act alone of saving the life of a brother +officer, being an act beyond his regular duty, entitled him to a Medal +of Honor. His service and his honorable character as a civilian and the +high position he to-day holds in the scien<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>tific world seem to point him +out as a proper person to receive such high and distinguishing honor +from the Government. I earnestly recommend that the Medal of Honor be +conferred upon Captain and Brevet Major Henry C. Meyer of New York City.</p> + + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">With continued high regard,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">I remain,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">Respectfully,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;"><span class="smcap">Walter C. Newberry</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">Late Col. 24th N. Y. Vet. Cavl.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;">Brevet Brig. Genl.</span><br /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">E. L.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Subject: Medal of Honor.</span></p> + + +<h4>WAR DEPARTMENT,<br /> +WASHINGTON.</h4> + + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;">File No. R. & P. 517,138.</span></p> + +<p class="author">March 14, 1899.</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Captain Henry C. Meyer</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><i>The Engineering Record</i>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">277 Pearl Street,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">New York City.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Sir</span>:</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>I have the honor to advise you that, by direction of the President and +under the provisions of the Act of Congress approved March 3, 1863, a +Congressional Medal of Honor has this day been awarded to you for +distinguished gallantry in action near Petersburg, Virginia, June 17, +1864, the following being a statement of the particular service rendered +on that occasion:</p> + +<blockquote><p>"During an assault upon the enemy's works, this officer rendered +heroic assistance to a helpless brother officer in the face of a +heavy fire, thereby<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> saving his life, and in the performance of +this gallant act sustained a severe wound."</p></blockquote> + +<p>The Medal will be forwarded to you, by registered mail, as soon as it +shall have been properly engraved.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">Very respectfully,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;"><span class="smcap">G. D. Meikeljohn</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 14em;">Assistant Secretary of War.</span><br /> +</p> +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> + +<h4>EXTRACT FROM GENERAL NEWBERRY'S RECORDS</h4> + +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">Chicago</span>, April 11, 1898.</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Henry C. Meyer, Jr.</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">New York City.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">My Dear Sir</span>:</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Soon after the close of the War of the Rebellion, finding myself in +possession of the Descriptive List Roster of my Regiment—the 24th N. Y. +Veteran Cavalry,—and appreciating the effect of time upon my memory and +judgment, resolved to go over the list of officers and make record of my +unbiased conclusion as to their ability and character.</p> + +<p>I have had frequent occasion to consult that record since, and knowing +how much you would appreciate this recorded opinion of your Father's +character and service I will quote my endorsement as therein written +thirty-three years ago.</p> + +<blockquote><p>"Henry C. Meyer, 2nd Lt, Jan. 26, 1864. Promoted to Capt. June 8, +1864.</p> + +<p>"Assigned to Co. D. Wounded June 17, 1864.</p> + +<p>"Discharged Sp. Order War Dept. Oct. 13, 1864; Disability.</p> + +<p>"This officer was among the finest officers I have ever met. Cool, +cautious, and brave as a soldier, he was generous, true, and +sincere as a friend.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> He was fearfully wounded and was discharged +in consequence.</p> + +<p class="center"> +"<span class="smcap">W. C. Newberry</span>,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">"Col."</span><br /> +</p></blockquote> + +<p>May you deserve such commendation after as many years of experience.</p> + +<p class="center"> +Sincerely yours,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;"><span class="smcap">Walter C. Newberry</span>.</span><br /> +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="APPENDIX_B" id="APPENDIX_B"></a>APPENDIX B</h2> + +<blockquote><p>[The following letters and copies of special orders are here reproduced +as having some bearing on my promotions, and to indicate the opinions of +those with whom I actively served in the Civil War of 1861-1865.—H. C. +M.]</p></blockquote> + + +<h4>FIRST PROMOTION</h4> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Head Quarters Cavalry Division.</span></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;"><span class="smcap">Left Grand Division.</span></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">Dec. 29th, 1862.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Special Order}</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">No. 7. }</span><br /> +</p> + +<blockquote><p>Private Henry C. Meyer, of C Company, 2nd New York Cavalry, is hereby +detailed as Clerk in the Adjt. Genl's office at these Head Quarters and +will report immediately.</p> + +<p>By command of Brig. Genl. Gregg.</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">H. C. Weir</span>,<br /> +Capt. and A. A. G.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Official Copy.)</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;"><span class="smcap">H. C. Weir</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">Capt. and A. A. G.</span><br /> +</p></blockquote> +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> + +<h4>RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMMISSION</h4> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Head Quarters 2nd Div. Cav.</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Ass't Adj't Genl's Office</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sept. 5th, 1863.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Hon. Geo. T. Cobb</span>, M. C.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Sir</span>: It gives me pleasure to recommend Private<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> Henry C. Meyer, 2nd N. +York Cav., for a commission. He has been a faithful soldier and +excellent clerk, and is eminently qualified mentally and morally for a +commission, especially as an adjutant of a Reg't.</p> + +<p class="center"> +I am very respectfully.<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Your ob't s'v't,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;"><span class="smcap">H. C. Weir</span></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">A. A. G.</span><br /> +</p> + + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Head Qrs., 2nd Div. Cav. Corps</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sept. 6th, 1863.</span> +</p> + +<p>The within recommendation of Capt. H. C. Weir, A. A. G., of this +Division, is fully concurred in. I have known Private Meyer, 2nd N. Y. +Cavalry, for nearly two years and can attest his faithfulness as a +soldier, his moral, mental, and physical qualifications for the position +of Commissioned Officer.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span class="smcap">D. McM. Gregg</span>,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Brig. Gen. Vols.,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Com'g, 2nd Div.,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">Cavalry Corps.</span><br /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> +<h4> +<span class="smcap">Headquarters 2nd Division Cavalry Corps</span>,</h4> + +<p class="author">September 9th, 1863.</p> + + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Lieut. E. B. Parsons</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><i>A. A. A. G. Cav'y Corps.</i></span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Lieut.</span>: I have the honor to request the suspension of the order from the +Major Gen'l Commanding directing me to return Private H. C. Meyer, 2nd +New York Cav'y, to his Regiment. Private Meyer has been serving for a +year as clerk at the Hdqrs. of the 2nd Division, the former 3d Division, +and <i>Bayard's Brigade</i>. He is well instructed in his duties, and is +familiar with all the records of the Adjutant-General's office of this +Division. Capt. H. C. Weir, A. A. G., of this Division, is now absent +sick, and at this time the services of Private Meyer are invaluable. I +respectfully request, therefore, that I may for the present be permitted +to retain Private Meyer. Private W. H. Bubier, 2nd<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> N. Y. Cavalry, was +taken prisoner at the battle of Brandy Station, and has not returned to +these Hdqrs.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">I am, very respectfully,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Your ob't serv't,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;"><span class="smcap">D. McM. Gregg</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">Brig.-Gen'l Vols.,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Comdg 2nd Divsn., C. C.</span></p> + + +<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;">(Official copy)</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><span class="smcap">H. C. Weir</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Capt. A. A. G.</span><br /> +</p> + + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Head Quarters 3rd Division</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Cavalry Corps</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Octr. 5th, 1863.</span><br /> +</p> +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Special Order }</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">No. 38. }</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Private Henry C. Meyer, Co. C, 2nd N. York Cavalry, is hereby detailed +on special duty as Clerk in the Adjt. Genl's Office at these Head +Quarters, and will report for duty without delay.</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;">By command of Brig.-Genl. Kilpatrick.</span></p> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">L. G. Estes</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">A. A. Genl.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">(Official)</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><span class="smcap">L. G. Estes</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">A. A. G.</span><br /> +</p> +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> + +<h4>RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROMOTION TO A COMMISSIONED OFFICER</h4> + +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">Head Quarters</span>, 3rd <span class="smcap">Division</span>, C. C.<br /> +December 31st, 1863.</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Hon. Geo. T. Cobb</span>:</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>I understand that you are about to make an effort to secure a +Lieutenancy in one of the regular Cav. Regiments for Henry C. Meyer, now +a private in Harris Light Cavalry. I hope you will be successful; he +fully merits and will fill with honor the position to which he aspires. +He was for a long<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> time a clerk at General Gregg's Hd. Qurs., and after +I was given a Division transferred to my Head Quarters. He is energetic, +well educated, and a Gentleman, and possessing as he does a thorough +knowledge of all papers, accounts, and reports which pertain to a +regiment, brigade, or division, acquired by one or two years' service in +the field, he is better qualified to discharge the duties of a +subordinate officer than many of our West Point graduates on leaving the +Academy. If you think this letter will aid in your efforts you are at +liberty to use it.</p> + +<p class="center"> +Very Respectfully,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Your Obed't Serv't,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;"><span class="smcap">J. Kilpatrick</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">Brig. Genl. Vols.</span> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> +<h4>LETTER ACCOMPANYING MY COMMISSION WHILE IN SEMINARY HOSPITAL</h4> + +<p class="author"><span class="smcap">Hd. Qts. 24th N. Y. Cavalry</span>,<br /><span class="smcap">Near Petersburg</span>, <span class="smcap">Va.</span>, July 22, '64.</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">My Dear Capt</span>: Your commission has arrived and I have forwarded it to +your address at the Metropolitan Hotel, Washington. D. C, thinking it +would be more safe than at the Hospital, for we're not certain where you +are now. I congratulate you on the promotion and am happy to acknowledge +that you deserve it and much more than a bleeding, suffering country +like ours can ever give. These honors but illy pay a man for the +suffering endured, where horrible wounds like yours are the penalty of +bravery. Yet the consciousness of having done one's duty is much reward.</p> + +<p>We all look for your return with much interest. Lt. Raulston is to-day +mustered to your Company. I enclose a morning report of your Co.</p> + +<p>With many wishes for your health, I am,</p> + +<p class="center"> +Yours,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><span class="smcap">Newberry</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">Lt-Col. Comdg.</span></p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;"><span class="smcap">Capt. Henry C. Meyer.</span></span><br /> +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> + +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> +<h4>FINAL DISCHARGE ON ACCOUNT OF DISABILITY FROM WOUNDS</h4> + +<p class="center"> +<span class="smcap">War Department</span>,</p> + +<p class="author"><span class="smcap">Adjt. Genl's Office, Washington, D. C.</span><br /> +October 13th, 1864.</p> + + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Special Order}</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">No. 345. }</span><br /> +</p> + +<p class="center">(<i>Extract</i>.)</p> + +<p>51. The following named officers are hereby honorably discharged the +Service of the United States on account of physical disability from +wounds received in action, with condition that they shall receive no +final payments until they have satisfied the Pay Department that they +are not indebted to the Government.</p> + +<p class="center">2nd Lt. <span class="smcap">H. C. Meyer</span>, 24th N. Y. Cav'y.<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> I was discharged as 2nd Lieutenant because no opportunity +occurred to permit my being mustered in as Captain before I was wounded. +Congress, however, recognized all such cases, and subsequent legislation +gave all officers the rank they were eligible to—mine being Captain. +Subsequently I received a commission as Brevet Major, stated to be for +"gallant and meritorious services."—H. C. M.</p></div> + +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> + +<p class="center">By Order of the Secretary of War.</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">E. A. Townsend</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">A. A. Gen'l.</span><br /> +</p> + + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hd. Qrs. 2nd Cav. Division,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Oct. 23rd, '64.</span><br /> +<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">(Official.)</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;"><span class="smcap">A. H. Bibber</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 5em;">A. A. A. Gen'l.</span></p> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hd. Qrs. 24th N. Y. Cavly.,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Feb. 20th, 1865.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">C. P. Williams</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(Official Copy.) Lt. and Act. Adjt.</span><br /> +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p> + + +<p class="center">[The following letter was never presented.]</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Navy Yard, New York</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Decr. 23d, 1863.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">My Dear Mr. Potts</span>:</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>The bearer of this is Henry C. Meyer, my young friend who has gallantly +served in the field with Generals Kilpatrick and Gregg.</p> + +<p>He is to my knowledge a gentleman by education and association, and in +every way calculated to fill the place of a First Lieutenant.</p> + +<p>I have given a letter to the Adj't-General, and if you can speak a good +word for him you will do me a great kindness.</p> + +<p>All his attributes are those of a gentleman.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Your friend,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><span class="smcap">H. Paulding</span>.</span><br /> +</p> +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">John Potts, Esq.</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 5em;">Chief Clerk, War Department.</span><br /> +</p> +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Navy Yard, New York</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dec. 23rd, 1863.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Sir</span>: I take leave, most respectfully, to commend to your Excellency's +consideration my young friend, Henry C. Meyer, a private in Second N. Y. +Light Cavalry. He is intelligent, of a highly interesting and +unexceptionable character, well educated, and in all his attributes of a +gentleman well calculated to fill the place of an officer.</p> + +<p>He has been serving in the field with Genls. Kilpatrick and Gregg for +eighteen months, and his commanding officers testify to his gallantry +and his manly bearing.</p> + +<p>In speaking thus highly of Mr. Meyer I do so from personal knowledge, +having known him from a child.</p> + +<p>I trust your Excellency may be able to advance this young gentleman to a +position worthy of his merit, feeling assured it will be for the +interest of the public service.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span></p> + +<p>With high respect, your Excellency's most ob'd't serv't,</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">H. Paulding</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Rear Admiral.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">His Excellency,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;"><span class="smcap">Horatio Seymour</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Governor of the State of New York.</span><br /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Navy Yard, New York</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Decr. 23rd, 1863.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">My Dear General</span>:</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>My young friend, Henry C. Meyer, of the 2nd N. York Light Cavalry, has +been serving in the field with Generals Kilpatrick and Gregg for +eighteen months as a private, and his gallantry and manly bearing are +well attested.</p> + +<p>I have known him from childhood as estimable and charming in all his +attributes as a gentleman.</p> + +<p>He is well educated, high-toned in character, and in every way a young +gentleman of great merit.</p> + +<p>He entered the service from the love of a soldier's life and motives of +patriotism.</p> + +<p>He has won advancement by his service in the field and will make an +excellent officer.</p> + +<p>If you can give him a helping hand, I am sure you will. I have no +acquaintance with the Sec. of War or General-in-Chief, and therefore +commend the young gentleman to you as one of our fraternity when the +Rebellion commenced.</p> + +<p>I have the honor to be, with high respect and esteem, your friend and +most obdt servt.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">H. Paulding</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 5em;">Rear Admiral.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">To Genl. E. D. Townsend</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Adjt. Genl., U. S. Army,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Washington.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">(True copy.)</span><br /> +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span></p> +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> + +<h4> +<span class="smcap">War Department</span>,</h4> + +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">Adjutant-General's Office</span>,<br /> +<span class="smcap">Washington</span>, Feb'y 10th, 1864. +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Special Order}</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3.5em;">No. 66 }</span><br /> +</p> + +<p class="center">(<i>Extract</i>.)</p> + +<p>14. At the request of the Governor of New York, Private Henry C. Meyer, +2nd New York Cav'y, is hereby honorably discharged the Service of the +United States to enable him to accept an appointment in another +Regiment.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">By order of the Secretary of War,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;"><span class="smcap">E. D. Townsend</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">Ass't Ad'j't Gen.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">H'd Q'r's Cav'y Corps,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 5em;">Feb. 12th, 1864.</span></p> + +<p class="center"> +(Official.)</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">E. B. Parsons,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 5em;">Capt. and A. A. A. G.</span></p> + + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Head Q'r's 3rd Div. C. C,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Feb. 12th, 1864.</span></p> + +<p class="center">(Official.)</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span class="smcap">L. G. Estes</span>,<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Capt. and A. A. G.</span><br /> +</p> + +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> +<h4>ADMIRAL PAULDING TO GENERAL KILPATRICK.</h4> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Navy Yard, New York</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Febr'y 16th, 1864.</span><br /> +</p> +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">My Dear General</span>:</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>Without a personal acquaintance, I respect and honor you for gallant +service in the field.</p> + +<p>You have had my young friend Henry Meyer with you and have learned to +esteem him. I have known him from a boy, as an interesting youth, and as +a gentleman by education and association, and know that when he entered +the Army as a Private he was honored and beloved, and from zeal and love +of country he left a comfortable home and lucrative place.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span></p> + +<p>I am very fond of him for his personal merit and have confidence in +commending him to you in every way in which he can serve you in our +sacred cause.</p> + +<p>He is now a 2d Lieut. in a New York Regt. and will doubtless be able +soon to fill a more prominent place.</p> + +<p>For the favor you have shown him, and for your gallant and distinguished +services to the country, I entertain the highest respect for you and +thank and honor you and beg to subscribe myself your friend and most +obd't serv't.</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">H. Paulding</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rear Admiral and Comdt.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">To Genl. J. Kilpatrick</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Army of the Potomac.</span><br /> +</p> +<hr style="width: 25%;" /> + +<h4>EXPLANATION OF NON-MUSTER AS CAPTAIN.</h4> + +<p>I hereby certify that Henry C. Meyer, late 2d Lieutenant 24th N. Y. +Cavalry, was severely wounded in action on the 17th day of June before +Petersburg, Va., 1864; that there was a Commission from the Governor of +New York making said Meyer a Captain in said Regiment, and that owing to +an irregularity in the mails said Commission did not arrive at the Head +Quarters of the command until about the 20th inst.; and further, that +said Meyer was acting in the capacity of Captain by authority of the +Col. commanding, and that he was absent and prevented from being +mustered by no fault of his; that said Meyer was a gallant and +meritorious officer and deserving said promotion.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><span class="smcap">W. C. Newberry</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Late Col. 24th N. Y. Cavalry.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Bvt. Brig. Gen.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sworn subscribed to before me }</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1.8em;">this 19th day of June, 1866, at }</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">this city of Petersburg, Va. }</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.8em;"><span class="smcap">Chas. Stringfellen</span>, }</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2.4em;">[SEAL] Notary Public. }</span><br /> +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span></p> + + +<blockquote><p>[The following letter is highly prized as coming from Corporal Gundlach, +of my Company, who, although wounded himself, waited on me until removed +from the field hospital.]</p></blockquote> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">West Seneca Centre, N. Y.</span></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">October 14th, 1868.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Capt. H. C. Meyer</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 7em;">New York City.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>: A few days back I was in Buffalo and stopped at Mr. Flach's +store; I learned that you got married. Permit me, dear sir, to give you +my best and sincere congratulation.</p> + +<p>I always must and will respect you for your honesty, bravery, and your +good moralic advices, which you used to give your subordinate. When +others did their duty, you used to do three times more than you was +obliged to do.</p> + +<p>I would ask you for your likeness.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Your most obt. servant,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;"><span class="smcap">Fred. Gundlach</span>.</span><br /> +</p> + + +<p class="center">[The following statement with its endorsements was placed on file in the +War Department.]</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">New York</span>, November 19, 1891.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">To the Adjutant-General of the Army</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 12em;"><span class="smcap">Washington, D. C.</span></span><br /> +</p> + +<p><span class="smcap">Dear Sir</span>: At the solicitation of friends I desire to place on record the +fact, not heretofore officially reported, that I received a wound from a +sabre at the battle of Brandy Station on the 9th of June, 1863.</p> + +<p>I was then a private in the 2nd N. Y. Cavalry, detailed as clerk in the +Adjutant-General's Department of the 2nd Division Cavalry Corps, Army of +the Potomac.</p> + +<p>That this circumstance was not reported at the time was due to the fact +that I personally made<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> out the list of casualties occurring in the +Division on the evening following the battle. My wound was not a severe +one, though painful.</p> + +<p>When it was suggested that I include my name, I declined to do so on the +ground that its publication in the papers would needlessly alarm my +parents, and consequently withheld it.</p> + +<p>I was subsequently severely wounded at Petersburg and mustered out in +consequence, which is a matter of record.</p> + +<p>In making this request to have this circumstance go on record, I +disclaim any permanent injury or any desire or intention of claiming any +pension because of that wound.</p> + +<p>This statement is corroborated herewith by General D. McM. Gregg, +commanding the Division, and H. C. Weir, Capt. and Asst. +Adjutant-General at the time.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Respectfully,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;"><span class="smcap">Henry C. Meyer</span>.</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Late Capt. and Bvt. Major,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;">24th New York Cavalry.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>The above was endorsed as follows:</p> + +<p>The foregoing statement is correct and worthy of record, and I heartily +recommend the same.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Very respectfully, your ob't serv't,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;"><span class="smcap">Henry C. Weir</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Late Bv't Lt. Col. and Major,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Ass't Adjt. Gen'l, U. S. Vols.,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 6em;">2d Division, Cavalry Corps,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">A. O. Potomac.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Brooklyn</span>, L. I., Nov. 25, '91.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p class="author"> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><span class="smcap">Reading, Pa</span>., Dec. 5th, 1891.</span><br /> +</p> + +<p>I fully concur in the recommendation of Colonel Weir, as I readily +recall the fact mentioned within.</p> + +<p class="center"> +<span style="margin-left: 8em;"><span class="smcap">D. Mc.M. Gregg</span>,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Late Brig, and Bv't Maj. Gen'l Vols.,</span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 10em;">Com'd'g 2d Cav. Division, A. P.</span><br /> +</p> + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Civil War Experiences, by Henry Coddington Meyer + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CIVIL WAR EXPERIENCES *** + +***** This file should be named 33280-h.htm or 33280-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/3/3/2/8/33280/ + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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