Three Years in the Federal Cavalry

Willard W. Glazier

Informations

• Publié par: indroi
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 16
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Project Gutenberg's Three Years in the Federal Cavalry, by Willard Glazier 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: Three Years in the Federal Cavalry Author: Willard Glazier Release Date: August 10, 2009 [EBook #29660] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THREE YEARS IN THE FEDERAL CAVALRY *** Produced by Chris Curnow, Barbara Kosker, Joseph Cooper and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THREE YEARS IN THE FEDERAL CAVALRY. Willard Glazier ToList THREE YEARS in the FEDERAL CAVALRY. BY WILLARD GLAZIER, AUTHOR OF "THE CAPTURE, THE PRISON-PEN AND THE ESCAPE," "VIRGINIA'S BATTLE-FIELDS," ETC., ETC., ETC. Illustrated. NEW YORK: R. H. FERGUSON & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS, 138 BLEECKER STREET 1870. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, by WILLARD GLAZIER, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. The Trow & Smith Book Manuf. Co. 205-213 E. 12TH STREET, New York. TO THE GALLANT AND UNASSUMING SOLDIER, MAJOR-GENERAL HENRY E. DAVIES, JR. WHOSE STAR ALWAYS SHONE BRIGHTEST ON THE FRONT LINE OF BATTLE, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY dedicated BY THE AUTHOR. [Pg ix] PREFACE. I have for a long time intended the publication of this book, for I thought that such a work would not only be found interesting to the public, but would do justice to the brave men with whom it was my fortune to be associated during the dark hours of the rebellion. To serve them is and ever will be my greatest pleasure. The remarkable features and events of our late Cavalry movements in Virginia and elsewhere, visible to me during the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac, were noted daily in my journal. From that diary this story of our raids, expeditions, and fights is compiled. My descriptions of battles and skirmishes, in some cases, may seem too brief and unsatisfactory; to which I can only say that scores of engagements, which to the participants appear to be of vast importance, have very little general interest. On the other hand, however, it is to be regretted that where our gallant horsemen have done the most brilliant things, it has been impossible for me, in many instances, to secure reliable and detailed accounts with which to do them full justice. WILLARD GLAZIER. NEW YORK, October 8th, 1870 . [Pg x] [Pg xi] CONTENTS. PAGE CHAPTER I. THE WAR FOR THE UNION.—CONTEST BEGUN. 1861.—Enthusiasm of the North.—Washington Threatened.—Bull Run, and Its Lessons.—General Scott and the Cavalry.—Enlistment under Captain Buel.—The Harris Light Cavalry.—Leaving Troy, New York.—Captain A. N. Duffié.—Drilling and Fencing at Scarsdale, New York.—Bound for the Seat of War.—Philadelphia.—Baltimore.—Washington.—Camp Oregon. CHAPTER II. CAMP-LIFE AND ITS INFLUENCES. 1861.—Our unmilitary Appearance.—First Equipage.—My Black Mare.—Good and Evil Influences. —News-Boys.—Mail-Bag.—Letter-Writing.—The Bugle Corps.—Camp-Guard.—Guerillas under Turner Ashby.—Mounted Drill.—Laughable Experiences with Horses.—Southern Egotism.—Northern Fancies. CHAPTER III. PREPARATIONS FOR ACTIVE SERVICE. 1861.—First Advance.—"Contrabands," their Hopes and Treatment.—Union Ranks Filling Up. —Promotion.—Foraging and its Obstacles.—Scouting and its Aim.—Senator Harris visits the Command.—Ball's Bluff.—Recruiting Service.—Interesting Incidents.—Camp Palmer.—"Contrabands" at Work.—Drilling near Arlington Heights.—Colonel George D. Bayard.—Fight at Drainesville. CHAPTER IV. THE ADVANCE TO THE RAPPAHANNOCK. 1862.—"All quiet along the Potomac."—Preparations.—Army of the Potomac Moves!—Capture of the "Quaker Guns" at Centreville.—Return to Defences.—Guerillas.—Their Attacks and Stratagems.—The Bovine Foe.—Picketing: how it is done.—Sufferings.—McClellan to the Peninsula.—Virginia Weather and the People.—General Augur's Advance to the Rappahannock.—Lieutenant Decker's Bravery and Death.—Night Charge on Falmouth Heights.—Fredericksburg Surrenders.—How Citizens regard us.—Guarding a Train to Thoroughfare Gap.—Fight and Captures at Flipper's Orchard.—Shenandoah Valley.—The Fifth New York Cavalry, First Ira Harris' Guard.—Death of Turner Ashby.—Strange Cavalry Tactics.—Personal Bravery of Captain Hammond.—End of the Peninsular Campaign. CHAPTER V. POPE'S CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 1862.—Kilpatrick at Beaver Dam.—Captain John S. Mosby.—Return of the Raiders. —Complimentary Orders.—The Harris Light at Anderson's Turnout.—Rebel Account of the Scare.—General John P. Hatch, his Misfortunes and Justification.— Reconnoissances. —Battle of Cedar Mountain.—Hospital at Culpepper.—General Stuart in Close Quarters.—His Adjutant-General Captured.—Death of Captain Charles Walters.—Pope driven back and waiting for Reinforcements.—Kilpatrick's Fight at Brandy Station.—Waterloo Bridge.—Bristoe Station.—Manassas Junction.—Battle of Groveton.—Second Bull Run.—Chantilly and Death of Kearny.—General Pope resigns. CHAPTER VI. REBEL INVASION OF MARYLAND. 1862.—Result of Pope's Campaign.—Rest and Recruit at Hall's Hill.—"My Maryland;" Its Invasion. —Offensive Policy of the Rebellion.—Pennsylvania and the Whole Country Aroused.—Battle of South Mountain.—Harper's Ferry.—Colonel Miles.—His Treachery and Death.—Bloody Battle of Antietam.—Drilling Recruits.—The Harris Light again at the Front.—At Chantilly. —Sudley Church.—Leesburg.—McClellan again Relieved from Command. CHAPTER VII. McCLELLAN SUCCEEDED BY BURNSIDE. 1862.—Burnside's First Campaign.—Army of the Potomac in Three Divisions.—Advance from Warrenton to Falmouth.—General Stahel's Raid to the Shenandoah.—Laying Pontoons across the Rappahannock under Fire.—Battle of Fredericksburg.—Daring Feats and General Heroism.—Death of General Bayard.—The Hospitals.—Sanitary and Christian Commissions. — C a m p "Bayard."—Camp-Fires.—Winter Quarters.—Friendly Relations of Pickets. —Trading.—Pay-Day.—"Stuck in the Mud." CHAPTER VIII. ORGANIZATION OF A CAVALARY CORPS. 1863.—General Hooker assumes Command of the Army of the Potomac.—Demoralization. —Reorganization.—A Cavalry Corps.—General George D. Stoneman in Command.—Death of Sergeant May.—Forests of the Old Dominion.—The Cavalryman and his Faithful Horse. —Scenes in Winter Quarters.—Kilpatrick.—His Character.—Qualifications of the True Soldier. 19 27 39 [Pg xii] 49 72 95 [Pg xiii] 105 —A New Horse.—A Mulish Mule.—Kilpatrick's Colored Servants in Trouble.—Terrific HailStorm.—Major E. F. Cooke Honored.—Colonel Clarence Buel. CHAPTER IX. REBEL CHIEFS AND THEIR RAIDS. 1863.—Rebel Raids by Stuart, Imboden, and Fitz-Hugh Lee.—John S. Mosby, Guerilla Chief.—His Character.—His Command.—Daring and Plunder.—Aided by Citizens.—Condition of the Country Favorable for their Depredations.—Our Picket Lines too Light.—Attacks on Pickets at Herndon Station, Cub Run, and Frying-Pan Church.—Miss Laura Ratcliffe, Mosby's Informant. —Mosby at Fairfax Court House.—Capture of General Stoughton.—Fight at Chantilly.—Mosby lauded by His Chiefs.—Mosby beaten at Warrenton Junction.—Severely whipped at Greenwich, where he loses a Howitzer captured from Colonel Baker at Ball's Bluff. CHAPTER X. CHANCELLORSVILLE AND STONEMAN'S RAID. 1863.—Review of the Army by the President.—Deserters Punished.—Sports and Pastimes. —Stoneman's First Move.—Storm.—Reconnoissance to Warrenton.—Another Move.—Other Storms.—Catching "Rabbits."—Stoneman's Great Raid on Lee's Communications.—On the Virginia Central Railroad.—Kilpatrick at Louisa Court House.—He Marches upon Richmond. —Bold Advance near the City.—Important Captures.—Retreat over Meadow Bridge. —Destructions.—Bushwhackers.—Happy Rencounter.—Safe Arrival at Gloucester Point. —Public Prints.—Battle of Chancellorsville.—Heroism and Defeat.—Stonewall Jackson Falls. —Hooker Injured.—Retreat.—Orders. CHAPTER XI. FROM YORKTOWN TO FALMOUTH. 1863.—Curiosity Satisfied.—Pastimes on the York River.—Religious Services; their Influence. —Raid to Mathias Court House.—Sickness and Recovery.—From Gloucester Point to Falmouth.—Exciting Details.—Correspondence of Mr. Young.—The Press.—With the Army of the Potomac again.—Cavalry Fight at Brandy Station.—Bold Charge of the First Maine Cavalry.—The Chivalry fairly Beaten.—Death of Colonel B. F. Davis, Eighth New York Cavalry. —Interesting Letter of a Rebel Chaplain.—Casualties.—What was Gained by the Reconnoissance.—Pleasonton and Kilpatrick Promoted.—Rebels Raiding in Maryland. CHAPTER XII. SECOND INVASION OF MARYLAND.—GETTYSBURG. 1863.—Invasion of the Northern States.—Kilpatrick at Aldie.—The Bloody Battle.—Daring Deeds. —Colonel Cesnola, Fourth New York Cavalry.—Incidents.—Victory.—Advance to Ashby's Gap.—Pleasonton's Official