Ohio History Journal

edited by

ROBERT W. HATTON

 

 

Just a Little Bit of the

Civil War, As Seen by

W. J. Smith, Company M,

2nd 0. V. Cavalry--Part I

 

 

 

These are the memoirs of Private William James Smith, Company M, Second

Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Smith, the second of eight children in the family of

Randall and Nancy Lyons Smith, was born in a log cabin near Galion, Ohio, on

October 25, 1844. When he was two years old his family moved to Iberia, Morrow

County, Ohio, where his father worked in the Shunk Brothers Cooper Shop.

Although still under the legal age, Smith managed to enlist in the Dennison

Guards on June 18, 1862. When the opportunity presented itself, he transferred

to the 2nd 0VC on December 30 of the same year. His company was involved

in a number of battles, including many in Kentucky, the Wilderness Campaign,

the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of General Sheridan, and the final battle of

the war at Appomattox Court House where Lee surrendered. Jim, as he was

called by his buddies, was mustered out of the army with his company on Sep-

tember 28, 1865, at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri.

Three years later Smith married Mary Stephens on September 18, 1868, and

they became the parents of eight children. After living in Richmond, Indiana for

a time, he moved his family to Columbus, Ohio, where he worked for many years

as a granite engraver. He died at the age of seventy-three on September 15, 1918,

in his home at 45 West Northwood Avenue, and was buried in Union Cemetery.

Even though it is not known exactly when Smith wrote about his participa-

tion in the Civil War, there are indications that his memoirs were written some

years after the war ended. One indication is that the memoirs were typewritten

on a shift-key model typewriter (permitting change of case), which did not appear

until 1878. There is also a reference (not included here) toward the end of the

narrative to a reunion "nearly fifty years after that" with a Confederate soldier

whom Smith had captured on March 2, 1865. The day-to-day exigencies of the

war undoubtedly made it difficult for Smith to make regular diary entries con-

cerning his involvement. He, like his comrades-in-arms who had undertaken to

write a history of the Second Ohio Cavalry, was certainly aware of official ac-

counts by Whitelaw Reid and General Philip Sheridan as well as the personal

accounts that had been published. Two private works were Isaac Gause, Four

Years with Five Armies and Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary of Luman

 

 

Mr. Hatton is Professor of Modern Languages at Capital University. He is the great-grandson of

William Smith.

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102                                                           OHIO HISTORY

 

Harris Tenney, 1861-1865. Smith's chronology may have been influenced by the

latter. The insights expressed by him, however, are his own. The memoirs are

written with an attention to detail and accuracy.

The original manuscript, which is in this editor's personal library, contains

many misspelled words and the consistent substitution throughout of commas for

periods. In the interest of legibility and as a courtesy to the typesetter, it was de-

cided to correct some of the misspelled words-while leaving intact those that

were obviously intended for emphasis-and to use periods where called for by

current stylistic practices. Except for the addition of a first name here and there

for purposes of identification, and the grouping of sentences into paragraphs, no

other changes have been made in matters relating to style.

From the beginning of the Civil War on April 12, 1861, to the end of the year,

both sides were largely concerned with raising field armies, consolidating posi-

tions, and developing military strategy. When the Confederates moved their

capital from Montgomery, Alabama to Richmond, Virginia, just 100 miles south

of Washington, in late April, Virginia became the major battleground of the Civil

War.

It was in Virginia that the largest battle of the war's first year took place. On

July 21 at Bull Run (Manassas), the opposing forces clashed in a battle that re-

sulted in a resounding triumph for the Confederates, but which clearly demon-

strated to both sides that the war could not be fought without well-trained soldiers

and that the conflict would be a long one. The year ended with lesser military

successes for both sides, but momentum seemed to be on the side of the Con-

federacy.

As 1862 opened, there were two major areas of military operations, the East

and the West, with the Appalachian Mountains serving as the dividing line. Both

sides had separate armies campaigning independently of each other in these

areas until 1864, when the Union began to coordinate the movements of its

armies. Much of the fighting in the East centered around the two capitals. Ad-

vances on both were repulsed, and the advantage shifted from side to side in a

series of raids, battles and skirmishes. Perhaps the most decisive victory during

the first two-thirds of the year belonged to the Confederates, when, on August

29, they once again routed the Federal troops at Bull Run.

Lee, buoyed by this victory, decided to invade Maryland. The invading Con-

federates were intercepted by the Army of the Potomac, and the ensuing struggle,

fought along Antietam Creek on September 17, 1862, became perhaps the blood-

iest one-day battle of the war. Lee gave up on the idea of invading the North and

withdrew his forces, but any gains made by the Union at Antietam were soon lost

at Fredericksburg, Virginia. There, on December 13, 1862, the Army of the Po-

tomac, under General Burnside, suffered a disastrous defeat. Nonetheless, the

North experienced successes in the Western theater of the war. Under General

Ulysses S. Grant, the Union achieved its first decisive victories at Fort Henry and

Fort Donelson in February 1862. At the battle of Shiloh on April 6 and 7, Grant

forced the Confederates to retreat, with both sides suffering great losses. The

surrender of New Orleans on May 1 was a serious blow for the Confederacy.

The morale of the Union was at a low point at the end of 1862. Some victories

had been achieved, but staggering losses had been suffered in the process. Its

troops were bogged down at Fredericksburg on the Eastern front and in the West,

despite a costly victory at Shiloh. There was heavy desertion among the volunteer

army. People at home were tired of a war that had lasted far longer than they had

anticipated and whose complexities they could not understand. Then, on January

1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, re-

minding the people, civilian and military alike, that they had a cause.

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2nd O. V. Cavalry                                                              103

 

It was at this point that Smith became an active participant in the affairs of the

2nd 0VC. The story he tells from here on is not only one of an Ohio private in a

volunteer cavalry regiment of the Union Army, but also one of a large slice of the

Civil War itself.1

Beginning of Smith's account

I, William James Smith, was born in RICHLAND COUNTY, OHIO, Oct. 25,

1844, in a LOG CABIN five miles southeast of GALION, and one mile east of

where EBENEZER CHURCH now stands, and in what afterward became a part

of MORROW COUNTY. When I was about two years old, my parents, RAN-

DALL & NANCY SMITH, moved to IBERIA, where my first recollections are

of a COOPER SHOP where my father worked, and a little later of hearing my

Grandfather talk about the War of 1812 in which he was with the Engineer Corps.

My EDUCATION I got in the DISTRICT SCHOOL, with the exception of three

or four terms in the Galion High School.

When the war broke out in 1861, we were living in Galion, and I very NATU-

RALLY got the WAR FEVER, and wanted to go with the BOYS. But my parents

thought I was too young and the Recruiting Officers thought me too SMALL, so

I had to wait awhile.

But in June 1862 there was being a Company raised to do GUARD DUTY at

CAMP DENNISON.² I ENLISTED in that, and PASSED all right, as they were

not very PARTICULAR about SIZE. I enlisted on June 18, 1862. Our Officers

were Capt. EDWARD V. BROOKFIELD, and Lt. JAMES M. BARR. Most of

the time while I was at Camp Dennison, Capt. Brookfield was acting as Post

Commander, leaving Lt. Barr in command of the Company, and he being a sort

of COMBINATION, of PREACHER, LAWYER, & MILITARY OFFI-

CER, you can IMAGINE what kind of time WE HAD. Our DUTY was

GUARDING Government property and keeping a GUARD AROUND CAMP,

to keep EACH OTHER IN. And to keep SICK and WOUNDED MEN

from getting OUT, and a whole LOT of what the Lt. CALLED DRILLING.

Well we VERY SOON got tired of it, and wanted a change of some kind. So

we got up what is known as a ROUND ROBIN, that is a LETTER to the WAR

DEPARTMENT, ASKING to be SENT TO THE FIELD. After several of our

letters had been intercepted by the Officers, we arranged to get a letter through

 

 

1. Some general studies on the Civil War that may be consulted for the period covered by Smith's

memoirs are the following: George E. Pond, The Shenandoah Valley in 1864 (New York, 1883); An-

drew A. Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign of '64 and '65: the Army of the Potomac and the Army

of the James (New York, 1883); Carswell McClellan, The Personal Memoirs and Military History of

U. S. Grant versus the Record of the Army of the Potomac (Boston, 1887); Philip H Sheridan, Per-

sonal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan. General United States Army (New York, 1888), I and II; Ulysses

S. Grant, Personal Memoirs of U. S. Grant (New York, 1885) I and II; Isaac Gause, Four Years with

Five Armies: Army of the Frontier, Army of the Potomac, Army of the Missouri, Army of the Ohio,

Army of the Shenandoah (New York, 1908); Frances Andrews Tenney, War Diary of Luman Harris

Tenney 1861-1865 (Cleveland, 1914); Jubal A. Early, A Memoir of the Last Year of the War for Inde-

pendence, in the Confederate States of America, Containing an Account of His Commands in the

Years 1864 and 1865 (Lynchburg, Virginia, 1867); Jubal Anderson Early, Autobiographical Sketch

and Narrative of the War Between the States (Philadelphia, 1912); August V. Kautz, "Report of the

Military Services of August V. Kautz, Brevet Major General U.S.A. From March 4th 1861, to January

15th, 1866" [for Adjutant General's Office, per request of June, 1872]; Frederick H. Dyer, A Com-

pendium of the War of the Rebellion (New York, 1959), I, II, and III; Whitelaw Reid, Ohio in the

War: Her Statesmen, Her Generals, and Soldiers (Cincinnati, 1868), I and II; Official Roster of the

Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1866 (Akron, Ohio, 1891), XI; The War

of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (Wash-

ington, 1893), Series I, Vol. XLIII, Part I; Mark M. Boatner, The Civil War Dictionary (New York,

1959).

2. Camp Dennison was established near Cincinnati under the command of Major-General George

B. McClellan in early 1861. Reid, Ohio in the War, I, 43.

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104                                                          OHIO HISTORY

 

by the help of a man in Cincinnati. Soon our Officers got orders to let any of us

who wished to be TRANSFERRED to the 8th Battalion O. V. Cav. which was

being organized there at that time. Out of some seventy or eighty who had signed

the PETITION, EIGHTEEN of us went, the rest ALL BALKED. Fourteen of us

went into Co. D. (Capt. WILLIAM H. ULREY) which was to go as ARTILLERY,

the other four preferred the CAVALRY, so went into Co. C. (Capt. WOOD-

RUFF).3

But when it came to getting our EQUIPMENTS, we were all fitted out as

CAVALRY. We were under the command of Capt. Samuel K. Williams, of Co. I,

who called himself MAJOR. We were transferred on Dec. 30, 1862, and the next

day drew our horses, saddles, and arms, and started on the MARCH without any

CAVALRY DRILL for either MEN OR HORSES. A good many of the men were

GREENER than the horses they rode. We marched away from Camp Dennison

Dec. 31, 1862, late in the afternoon, HEADED FOR CINCINNATI, and crossed

the Ohio River into KENTUCK while the BELLS WERE RINGING IN THE

NEW YEAR 1863.

It was nearly daylight when we went into camp, about four miles back of

COVINGTON. After daylight when our WAGONS came in, it was found they

had TENTS and COOKING UTENSILS, but no RATIONS, for either MEN or

HORSES. And as we had started from Camp Dennison with only RATIONS

for the day, you can guess the BOYS raised a KICK.

RIGHT AWAY QUICK Capt. WILLIAMS (WHO CALLED HIMSELF MA-

JOR) and the rest of the HEADQUARTERS GANG struck out for town to get

rations. BUT when the SUN was getting low in the west, and neither MAJOR

nor RATIONS SHOWED UP, the KICK got so STRONG that Capt. ULREY

of our Co. and two or three other Officers got on horses and STRUCK FOR

TOWN. There they found the HEADQUARTERS GANG at a HOTEL, having

a NICE TIME.

They INFORMED the MAJOR that if there were not RATIONS for the

MEN, and FEED for the horses in the camp inside of an hour, the whole Bat-

talion was coming to town, and they could look for TROUBLE A PLENTY.

WELL then the MAJOR got a move on himself. And before the hour was up

the RATIONS CAME IN, with the TEAMS ON THE JUMP.

But it was after DARK when we got our NEW YEARS DINNER, and our

OYSTER WITH TURKEY DRESSING looked very much like SOW BELLY

WITH HARD TACK DRESSING, and some of the BOYS thought our SHAM-

PAIN tasted very much like BLACK COFFEE. But I guess we all relished it all

right.

We laid there for several days, and while the Officers spent most of the time

in town, we men INSPECTED THE FORTS. While there I saw one GUN taken

out to one of the forts by a team of FORTY HORSES. When we left there, we

marched through by way of CYNTHIANA to LEXINGTON, Ky. There we

camped near Gen. GILLMORE'S COMMAND of Infantry and Artillery, just

south of the town.⁴

After we had been there some three weeks those of our Co. who had been

transferred from the DENNISON GUARDS with the understanding that we

were to go as Artillery, were DETAILED to go with Capt. JESSE S. LAW'S

 

 

 

3. For organization of the 2nd OVC see Reid, Ohio in the War, 11, 758; for information on Captain

Ulrey see Official Roster, XI, 110, 294; no reference to "Capt. Woodruff' was found.

4. General Quincy Adams Gillmore (1825-1888) was born in Black River, Lorain County, Ohio.

Reid, Ohio in the War, 1, 617.

• 4
 

2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                   105

 

HOWITZER BATTERY, where we drilled as Artillery for a short time. Then the

2nd Regiment Ohio Vol. Cav. came and camped near us, and we were notified

that we were to be CONSOLIDATED with it. Co.'s A, B, C, & D of the 18th

Battalion became I, K, L, & M of the 2nd Reg't. Ohio Vol. Cav. which was at that

time commanded by Colonel, afterward General AUGUSTUS V. KAUTZ, and

the men detailed with the Artillery were ordered to return to Co. M.

A brief history of the Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry

The Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry was the first cavalry regiment to be re-

cruited and organized in the northern part of the state. It was mustered in at

Camp Wade, near Cleveland, on October 10, 1861. At the time of its organization,

this regiment consisted of 1177 men. Muster out took place on September 11,

1865, at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri. The 757 men remaining were paid

and discharged at Camp Chase in Columbus.

Marching orders in early January 1862 took the regiment by rail to Platte City,

Missouri, where it spent the next few weeks scouting the border. On February

22, while on a march to Fort Scott, Kansas, a scouting party of the 2nd 0VC was

attacked in Independence, Missouri, by a group of guerrillas under the command

of the infamous Billy Quantrill. Casualties were not great on either side in this

brief encounter, and the 2nd OVC continued on to Fort Scott.

The 2nd 0VC remained at Fort Scott until late May 1862, engaging primarily

in maneuvers designed to break up guerrilla activity. In early June it made an

expedition into Indian Territory, where it was joined by three regiments of loyal

Indians. Throughout the remainder of June and the month of July, the 2nd OVC

engaged in a few brief skirmishes with the enemy, with neither side suffering

losses of consequence.

In early August, the 2nd OVC returned to Fort Scott, with many men and

horses dying en route due to the excessive heat to which they were exposed. In

the latter part of August the regiment took part in a forced march, lasting ten

days and nights, in pursuit of a Confederate raiding party. There were several

encounters but few losses.

Early in September the mounted portion of the regiment took part in successful

campaigns in Missouri and Arkansas. Later in the same month the dismounted

men came under the command of Colonel Augustus V. Kautz and returned to

Camp Chase for remounting and refitting. They were joined in December by

those who had been serving in Missouri and Arkansas, and as the year 1862

came to an end the 2nd OVC received new horses, arms and recruits.

The 2nd OVC left Camp Chase for Somerset, Kentucky in early April 1863,

where it was joined by a battalion of four companies originally raised for the 8th

OVC. This battalion became Companies I, K, L and M of the 2nd OVC. Smith,

who was serving in the Kentucky-based battalion after transferring from the Den-

nison Guards, begins his account of the activities of the 2nd OVC at this point.⁵

Smith's account continued

The 2nd Reg't. had been organized at Cleveland, early in 1861, and went west,

where they had done duty in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, and the Indian Terri-

tory. They did some fighting, and a lot of hard MARCHING. They had lost a

good many men, mostly by disease. Then there had been something like one hun-

dred and fifty Officers and men taken out of the reg't. to form the 25th Inde-

pendent Battery O. Vol. Art. That had so weakened the Reg't. that the twelve

 

 

 

5. Reid, Ohio in the War, II, 757-759.

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106                                                                OHIO HISTORY

 

Companies were consolidated into eight, then recruited up to full strength. Then

the 8th Battalion was added to bring it up to a full Reg't. of twelve Companies.

Shortly after the consolidation, Col. KAUTZ was promoted to the rank of Brig.

Gen'l., leaving the Reg't. to the command of Lt. Col. Geo. A. Purington.

In a couple of weeks the Reg't. was sent to Mt. Sterling, Ky. where the old 8th

Battalion got its first taste of GUN POWDER in a BRUSH with Kirby Smith's

Cavalry, Mar. 19, 1863. The Reg't. lost several men but drove the Rebs, who had

a much heavier loss.⁶

Soon after that we went to the southern part of K-y, where I first found out by

EXPERIENCE what a BULLET felt like. On April 30, 1863, we met a pretty

heavy force of Rebs at MONTICELLO and drove them for several miles.⁷ I was

with the advance guard, and we met them just before we got to the town. When

we were driving their advance line, I had the LUCK to have the end taken off of

my big toe of my right foot, and the stirrup taken with it. I lengthened out the

stirrup strap, so as to get my foot in that, instead of the stirrup, and stayed with

the advance guard. After two or three hours spent in dashing over stony roads,

stony fields, and stone fences we came to a creek.

There I dropped out, and went to a house close by. A woman came to the door,

and I asked her for a rag to tie up my toe. It was bleeding, and hurting pretty bad

then. The woman got kind of EXCITED. (I couldn't see anything to get EX-

CITED about. Just a LITTLE BATTLE going on around her house.)

She got an old calico shirt and handed it to me. She threw up her hands, say-

ing, OH MY ARE YOU WOUNDED? I told her not very badly. I tore off a piece

of the calico, and went to the creek, dismounted, and was washing my foot when

one of our surgeons came along, dismounted, got out his KIT, trimmed off the

ragged edges, and bound it up. Then after trimming my boot to FIT MY FOOT,

I mounted my horse and again joined the advance guard, and stayed with it the

rest of the day. And we surely found it pretty warm for a spring day.

At one time about twenty of us drove a squad of rebel Cavalry along a country

road or lane and captured a number of them. The boys had been falling out to

take care of the prisoners, until at last Lieut. FRANKLIN S. CASE and I found

ourselves alone and facing some twenty or thirty REBS, who were behind some

tree tops and were trying to make it warm for us. But they were all armed with

MUSSEL LOADING GUNS, and couldn't do much on horseback. But we, of

course, decided to STOP A LEETLE. (You see our horses needed a rest.) We

were protected a very little by some trees and were PUMPING LEAD into those

tree tops as lively as possible when the Lieutenant, who was using a revolver,

said, JIM, I'm out of ammunition. (I think Lieutenant FRANK CASE who had

command of the twenty men who were taken from our Reg't. that day for ad-

vance guard, was as brave and as COOL HEADED a man as I ever saw on the

battlefield.)

 

 

6. E. Kirby Smith, CSA, general and cavalry leader who surrendered the last Confederate force on

June 2, 1865. Boatner, Dictionary, 769-770.

The narrative lags here. Smith's military service record indicates that he deserted in late January

1863 (three conflicting dates are given) and returned from desertion on April 10, 1863, apparently

without reprimand. See Smith's Military Service Record, Records of the Department of War, Na-

tional Archives.

Twelve extant letters received by Smith while in the service from various members of his family

contain, among other things, an obvious awareness on the part of his family of Smith's general dis-

satisfaction with life in the military and his plans for desertion. A concerted effort, obviously unsuc-

cessful, was made to dissuade him. Perhaps the most reasoned plea of all was made by his mother,

"Pap and Mother" to "Son," December 17, 1862, VFM 1335, William J. Smith Letters, Ohio Historical

Society.

7. The 2nd OVC was involved in several skirmishes in and around Monticello, Kentucky, between

the dates of April 28 and May 2, 1863. Reid, Ohio in the War, 11, 758.

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2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                    107

 

I told him I had some revolver cartridges. But he said they wouldn't FIT HIS

GUN so I handed him my revolver and ammunition for it. I was using a BREECH

LOADING CARBINE (a Burnside) so we WORKED AWAY. The LEAD was

BUZZING around us pretty lively. Presently he said, JIM, this is getting PRETTY

WARM. (We knew that if we turned our backs to them it would give them the

advantage.⁸

Then the Lieutenant turned in his saddle, and sung out at the top of his voice,

SECOND OHIO, F O R W A R D. C H A R G E!

Luckily for us, just at that time some ten or twelve of our boys came over a hill

back of us, and our friends behind the brush, apparently thinking the whole

YANKEY ARMY was coming, took a notion to go down the lane. They started

along a narrow lane, which soon came to a square turn, with us a CLOSE SEC-

OND. They were BUNCHED as close as they could crowd in, and since we were

strung out across the lane, this gave us a chance to PUMP LEAD into them live-

ly, without their being able to return it, except an occasional pistol shot, which

all went wild. When they reached the end of the lane, they turned into a small

barn yard. To get out of it they had to jump their horses over a pair of low bars.

In doing that one of them had his saddle girth to break, throwing him head fore-

most to the ground, while his comrades went on across an open field.

Seeing his SAD DILEM MO, I rushed up to help? him out of it. I suggested

that he need not mind the saddle, or his GUN which lay on the ground, but to

jump on his horse?? (I guess he called it a horse) and go with me.

Just as I got started I noticed that my crowd had all turned back and were mak-

ing for the TIMBER. I also noticed quite a number of southern GENTLEMEN

ALL DRESSED IN GRAY, coming across the field at my left. So I invited my

lefthand PARDNER to STICK IN HIS HOLDERS, and I kept him on the side

NEAREST TO HIS FRIENDS. And I informed him that I loved him so much

that I would never leave him (ALIVE). The rebs couldn't fire at me as HE WAS

ON THEIR SIDE.

As we went through the lane, we passed several Rebs on the ground, and as

we passed one who lay face up, and looked to be dead I asked, do you know him?

He answered, yes POOR JOHN, we were boys together, and belonged to the

same Company.

I asked if any of the others were hit, and he said they were nearly all wounded.

When I got back to the timber with my NEW MADE FRIEND, I found most of

our advance guard, of twenty men lined up, and watching several hundred Rebs

forming in a field in front of us. Lt. CASE told me to turn my FRIEND JONNIE

over to one of the other boys, who already had a couple of others to look after,

and take to the rear. I did so, but first took charge of his SPURS, as I did not

think he would need them again soon, as about all the blood in his MOUNT was

running down his sides.

Then I fell in with the squad, who were all the YANKS that I could see, except

Col. FRANK WOLFORD of the First K-y. Cavalry, and his orderly, who were

sitting on their horses across the road from us, a short distance away. I told the

Lieut. that I thought we had better make arrangements for getting away from

there, as there was a high rail fence in our rear. He thought we were safe enough,

but at my urgent request sent a couple of the boys to make gaps in the fence. The

 

 

8. The Burnside carbine was invented and patented by General Ambrose E. Burnside (1824-1881)

in 1856. This breech-loading percussion carbine, a short-barreled shoulder rifle to be used by cavalry,

weighed about seven pounds. Burnside was an inconsistent commander. His successes included the

capture of Morgan's Raiders and the siege of Knoxville. One of his most patent failures was the

Petersburg mine assault. Boatner, Dictionary, 107-108.

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108                                                          OHIO HISTORY

 

Rebs took it very cool and formed a very pretty line in front of us, in an open field.

They sent out men to lay down the fence in front of them, to give them a chance

to charge on us. Then they started over to CALL ON US. Just as they had got

through the fence and straightened up their line, ready to charge us, Col. WOL-

FORD, who had been very coolly watching them, called out LET THEM HAVE

IT BOYS!

At that the old First K-y Cavalry, nearly a thousand strong, who were dis-

mounted, and hidden behind logs and trees, raised up, and did surely LET THEM

HAVE IT. Many of the REBS went down, and the rest went back across the field,

on a regular stampede. They didn't stop to try to form a line until they got clear

across the farm. Very few of the Rebs tried to return the fire, and those who did

simply shot up into the air. Not one of their shots hit any of our men.

Then our Regiment came up and the K-y. boys' horses came up and they

mounted and we followed the Rebs for more than a mile, but couldn't get a shot

at them until they got back to the main force of Infantry and Artillery. Then the

two Regt's. formed in front of them with a battery of Artillery in our rear, and

made a BIG BLUFF, as if we were going to charge on them. At the same time our

Artillery was dropping a few shells in among them with good effect.

In that way we kept them watching us for some time, and after a while we could

see a column of infantry moving out from between two hills some distance in

their rear. The first thing they knew our Infantry charged them in rear and flank.

They had sent a few shells over our way, but had not hit any body. When our In-

fantry struck them they struck out, leaving many dead and wounded on the field.

Then instead of Gen'l. Gillmore following right up and getting the whole

BUNCH, he took us back five miles to MONTICELLO and laid there for three

days, giving the rebs a chance to gather up their dead and wounded and get

CLEAN GONE. When he did at last start after them, they were nowhere to be

found.

But that days work about DONE ME UP for quite a while, for beside having

a very sore foot, the hard riding all day over stoney roads and fields, and up and

down hills most of the time with my horse on the JUMP, and without the use of

my stirrup, had given me a severe pain in my breast. And then while we laid at

Monticello it rained almost all the time, and I took a very heavy cold. So when

they did at last go to look for the JONNIES, I was not able to go along, but stayed

with a few others in the camp. Soon after that we went back to our old camp at

SOMERSET, KY. After laying there a few days, I went out with a party to the

country on a foraging trip, and when I got back I had to be helped off of my horse

and into my tent.

The next morning I was CARRIED to the HOSPITAL. There the Drs. said

that I had a bad case of DOUBLE TYPHOID PNEUMONIA. I kept getting

worse for several days, so that the Drs. said that I had no show for pulling

through.⁹ But after a big storm came along, and blowed the side wall of the tent

in over me, and left me laying in the water, with the rain pouring down on me,

and I heard the Drs. say that would finish SMITH UP, I began to improve. And

a few days later, when some of our boys were brought in wounded, I was able to

give up my bed and go out and bunk under a fly tent along side of the big HOS-

PITAL TENT.

 

9. Although Smith did indeed pull through this and other serious illnesses, he was not a well man

for the rest of his life. At the age of forty-seven he filed a formal request for an invalid pension. The

accompanying medical report stated that he was suffering from "Pleuretic adhesion of the breast.

Shortness of breath. Vertigo. Rheumatism. Piles. Kidney and liver disease. General debility and in-

ability to perform manual labor." The pension was granted. See Smith's Military Service Record,

Records of the Department of War, National Archives.

• 8
 

2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                  109

 

Shortly after that the Regiment got MARCHING orders, and a lot of us were

loaded into ambulances and Army wagons and started for Camp Nelson, near

Hickman Bridge, eighteen miles south of Lexington, K-y. (Only the worst

wounded cases had ambulances, the rest rode in big jolt wagons on straw.)

I was in the hospital there until along in August. Part of the time they had me

nursing, and then they had me in the DRUG DEPARTMENT awhile. I wanted

to go to my Reg't. but couldn't get to, until I kicked up so much of a disturbance

that the old Dr. was glad to get rid of me, and sent me over to the Convalescent

Camp. There I found men who had been there for months, and wanted to go to

their regiments but could not get to. Some of them began to hollow FRESH

FISH, and say that I would get to serve out the balance of my time there. But I

told them that if a few of them would help me we would get out of there inside of

three weeks. They said they would stay with me, but couldn't see how I was going

to get away. Well the next day we started in by cleaning out pie pedlers &c. Next

came sutler shanties and everything of that sort. Wagon loads of water melons

would roll down the hill from the pike into camp. One morning it was found that

the props had given away from against a Commissary SHED, and let barrels of

pork and boxes of crackers &c roll down the hill. Then there came a kind of a

LULL in BUSINESS, the boys couldn't find anything to do.

Then one evening, a heavy rain storm came our way, a regular POUR DOWN,

and the boys all huddled in their tents, very DISCONSOLATE. I told them to

not go to sleep, as that was the night that would send us to our Regiments. They

couldn't see how such a night could help us.

It was a terrible night, and the WIND? well it JUST SIMPLY JUST HOWLED.

It got so strong that it took the tent CLEAN AWAY from over MAJOR?? WIL-

LIAMS, Capt. of Co. I, of our Regt. who had command of the camp, and was

having a soft job. (He RESIGNED and WENT HOME when he was relieved

and ordered to report to his Reg't. at the front.)10

Well, the MAJOR? gathered up his clothes and run into the next tent with his

Adjutant. But the WIND STILL BLOWED, and soon the Adjutant's tent

BLOWED AWAY?

THEN they both run into the Drs. tent, where all went well for a short time.

But when the Drs. tent went and BLOWED DOWN, they all three ran for the

Quartermaster's BUILDING which WOULDN'T BLOW DOWN. The next

morning, when they were putting up the tents again, I heard one of them say, he

had known a good many strong winds, but that was the first time he ever came

across a wind sharp enough to cut ropes, like that did.

After that all was quiet for a few days. Then a Serg't. came down the line, and

began to call out names and tell us to fall in. When six or eight first called all be-

longed to OUR GANG, some of them began to GET NERVES, and said SMITH

THEY HAVE CAUGHT ON. I told them if they did they would know who to

send TO THE FRONT, as that was about all they could do, and just what we

wanted.

But he went on calling names until he had forty men in line. Then we were

ordered to count off by two's. Then No. One's were told to step two paces to the

front. Then No. Two's were told to break ranks and pack up their own and No.

ones' traps. Then we in the front line were taken to the Quartermaster's and each

given a bridle and a halter. Then marched out through a woods to a CORRAL

and told to each pick out two horses. When we got back to the Quartermaster's

we were given saddles, then went to camp where each turned over a horse to his

 

 

 

10. Captain Williams resigned from the Army on November 1, 1863. Official Roster, XI, 94.

• 9
 

110                                                          OHIO HISTORY

 

 

pardner. We were then marched to the Q. M. Dept. again and given a few days

RATIONS and REVOLVERS, but instead of giving us CARBINES they gave

each a BLACK SNAKE WHIP.

Then after a short LECTURE by the MAJOR about the trouble in camp ever

since certain persons came in, and hoping they would have some peace--BUT

the LECTURE came to a sudden stop when CLARK DITTO called out Major,

Oh 'Major' Aint you going to give us no AMMUNITION for these (holding up

his WHIP)?

The rest took it up, even the Lieut. and the Major?? gave it up and started for

his tent, followed by hoots from the BOYS. Then we started out on the pike

leading south. I had been there only TWO WEEKS.

After going a few miles we camped for the night. And the next morning after a

few miles march we came to a big herd of cattle, about three thousand head. We

got them out into the road and headed south. We had to go along slowly and let

them GRAZE along, as we had no other feed for them. When we were near

CRAB ORCHARD, we were given about two thousand HOGS, to drive with

them.

After a few days out, six men, including myself, were detailed to take out about

twenty-five head of cattle and drop back with a Brigade of Infantry who were

following us. Each evening their butchers would kill what cattle they wanted for

the next days meat. When they were about all gone we would go to the drove and

get more. In that way we worked along until we reached BLUE SPRINGS, EAST

TENN. on Oct. 10, 1863. We were then ordered to turn our stock over to some

Infantry, and each man to report to his own Company. Each one was allowed to

take some fresh PORK with him. I got half of a small hog.

During our last days drive, for quite awhile before we got to the Army, we

could hear heavy firing. And when we got to our Companies, we learned that

they had been in a hard fight. Our Company had lost three men, one (MORGAN

BARKER) was killed, and ROGER HANNAFORD and ABE STRUBLE

wounded. THE REBS had been driven back leaving many dead and wounded on

the field.

 

Campaign in East Tennessee

Most of the action in the closing months of 1863 centered around Chattanooga

and Knoxville. In the latter part of September, the Union Army moved into the

vicinity of Chattanooga and took up position. General Grant was sent to take

overall command. Although there were attacks and counterattacks over a period

of several weeks, the battle for Chattanooga lasted just three days (November

23-25). The victory gained here by the Union Army was an important one, for it

made possible Sherman's march through Georgia.

In early November 1863, General James Longstreet was sent to attack the

Union Army under General Burnside at Knoxville. Arriving around mid-Novem-

ber and believing that he could starve out Burnside and force his surrender, Long-

street laid siege to the city for several days. When Grant's victory at Chattanooga

made his position critical, Longstreet decided to assault the fort in which the

Union troops were located. The Confederates, who became trapped in a ditch

and barbed wire barrier in front of the fort, suffered a resounding defeat. Because

he failed to pursue Longstreet, thus allowing him to join up with Lee for the 1864

campaign, Burnside was relieved of his command at his own request.11

 

 

11. For the Battle of Chattanooga see Grant, Personal Memoirs, II, 76-82 and 88; Sheridan, Per-

sonal Memoirs, I, 290-320. For the relief of Knoxville see Grant, Personal Memoirs, 11, 89-99; Sheri-

dan, Personal Memoirs, 1, 326-336.

• 10
 

2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                   111

 

Smith's account continued

The next day [October 11] we met them again, at RHEATOWN, where we

again put them to flight, after a sharp fight lasting some hours. From then on up

to the time we left East Tenn. fights were a common occurrence. In fact, from

Aug. 30th to Dec. 27th there were 39 days on which our Regt. heard BULLETS

whistling around our heads, making a total of over 60 during 1863.

Those battles in which I had a small part were

 

BLUE SPRINGS ..............Oct. 10

RHEATOWN .................Oct. 11

BLOUNTSVILLE ..............Oct. 14 & Dec. 29 & 30

SIEGE OF KNOXVILLE .......Nov. 17 to Dec. 4; 18 days

CLINCH FORD ............... Dec. 5

WALKER'S FORD ............Dec. 6 & 2nd

THORN HILL ................ Dec. 7

MORRISTOWN ............... Dec. 10

CHEEK'S CROSS ROADS .....Dec. 12

BEAN'S STATION         ............Dec. 13

BEAN'S STATION         ............Dec. 14

RUTLEDGE .................. Dec. 15

RUTLEDGE .................. Dec. 16

BLAIN'S CROSS ROADS ......Dec. 17

BLAIN'S CROSS ROADS ......Dec. 18

DANDRIDGE ................ Dec. 24

DANDRIDGE ................. Dec. 25

MOSSY CREEK ...............Dec. 27

 

Our Reg't. lost heavily during the campaign in killed, wounded and captured,

but the closest they got to me was at Blountsville, Oct. 14th when some little

something in the air bruised the side of my head and blistered the top of my ear.

Quite a good deal of the time while in East Tenn. I was on detached duty with

the Telegraph Dept. at Gen'l. BURNSIDES Head Quarters. My duty there was

carrying dispatches, or orders to the different Divisions. Either in camp or on the

line of battle, we had a PORTABLE instrument, which we had to keep just in the

rear of the line, when in an engagement, and had to be moved from time to time,

as the line changed position. Then we had to carry messages to different parts of

the line. The instrument had to be set so the operator could lay behind a log, a

tree or something, for protection. Sometimes the SKEETERS and BLUE BOT-

TLE FLIES would BUZ around pretty thick as we went up or down the line, or

went up a pole to change the wires.

On the night of Dec. 31st and Jan. 1st 1864, known as the cold New Years, we

were laying near Mossy Creek, Tenn. Early in the evening the Colonel of our

Regt. which was on picket, gave orders to change the guard every hour, instead

of every two hours. Then about eight o'clock he ordered them changed every half

hour, and soon after that he told them to build fires and all three reliefs to stay by

them. The three reliefs were then on outpost all night, but by fires. Not being on

duty that night I was LOCATED by a big rail fire, built against a big log. I had

the fire in front, and a wind break up behind me, so that I stood it pretty well.

A few days later I was talking to a prisoner when he asked me how we stood

that cold night. I said, Oh, we are used to that kind of weather up north. He said

that we made a BIG mistake by not attacking them that night. He said all they

would have asked of us would have been to let them stay by the fire, and they

would have all SURRENDERED, rather than leave the fire. They were not used

• 11
 

112                                                             OHIO HISTORY

 

 

to any cold weather and were VERY POORLY and THINLY DRESSED, so

could not stand as much cold as we could.

From there we moved to STRAWBERRY PLAINS. While there the call came

for VETERAN RE-ENLISTMENT. Almost all of our Reg't. re-enlisted, and

were given thirty-day furloughs, and transportation home. Those who didn't re-

enlist were transferred to some other Regiment.¹²

On our way home, after turning in our horses at Strawberry Plains, we came

by rail to the Tenn. River, where the Loudon bridge had been burned. Then by

small boats to Chattanooga, where we laid for three or four days, waiting for

transportation. That gave us a chance to see Lookout Mountain, and Missionary

Ridge, and other works around Chattanooga. Then we came by the Railroad (in

box cars) by way of Nashville, Louisville, and Cincinnati to Columbus, where we

got our furloughs.

At that time we were told to report at Cleveland, Ohio at the end of the thirty

days. From Cleveland we started for the south, but when we got to Cincinnati

there was a change made in the orders, and we were sent back by way of Colum-

bus, and Bellaire, to Annapolis M-d. We laid there for two or three weeks (living

mostly on oysters and fresh fish). From there we went by rail to Washington,

D. C. and went into Camp Stoneman, some three or four miles below the city.

There we were given new guns, SPENCER CARBINES (seven shooters) and

revolvers, with all new equipments, and fresh horses. After drilling our horses

for a few days, we were started out for OLD VERGINNIA.13

We learned afterward that Gen'l. BURNSIDE had been ordered from East

Tenn. with the Ninth Army Corps, and had asked that the Second Ohio Cav.

might go with him. We were attached to the Ninth Corps for a short time after

going to V-a. before the Cavalry was all put into a separate corps and placed

under the Command of Gen'l. PHIL SHERIDAN.14

The Wilderness Campaign

In March 1864 Ulysses S. Grant was commissioned lieutenant-general by Pres-

ident Lincoln and given general command of the Union Armies. He was charged

with the task of bringing the war to an end as soon as possible by whatever means

necessary.

In his first major campaign in his new capacity, Grant, leading Meade's army,

crossed the Rapidan River on May 3 and 4 into the Wilderness, a wild and tangled

woodland about ten miles west of Fredericksburg, Virginia. What he thought

would be merely a prelude to his confrontation later with Robert E. Lee's Army

of Northern Virginia was in effect the beginning of a military campaign that

would last throughout May and June, with both sides suffering sizable losses.

The nature of the terrain made the two-day battle of the Wilderness (May 5-6,

1864) a bloody affair devoid of military tactics. Grant and his men managed to

push ahead, though claiming no victory, in the direction of Spotsylvania Court

House, about twelve miles to the southeast. Lee, anticipating the move, was al-

ready there. Another series of bloody battles ensued which lasted several days

(May 8-21) and which resulted in heavy losses for both sides.

 

12. Strawberry Plains, Virginia (Deep Bottom Run) was the site of two major confrontations be-

tween Union and Confederate forces between the dates of July 27-29 and August 13-20, 1864. Boat-

ner, Dictionary, 229-231.

13. Christopher M. Spencer of Connecticut patented the first successful breech-loading repeating

carbine in 1860. The federal cavalry and infantry were both making extensive use of it by 1864. Boat-

ner, Dictionary, 782.

14. Philip H. Sheridan (1831-1888) was born in Albany, New York on March 6, 1831. His family

moved to Somerset, Perry County, Ohio in 1832. He led a number of successful campaigns, culminat-

ing his Civil War experience at Appomattox. Sheridan, Personal Memoirs, 1, 2.

• 12
 

2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                     113

 

Some of the severest fighting of the war took place when Grant and Lee met

again a few days later, this time at Cold Harbor, Virginia on June 3, 1864. Ignor-

ing the advice of his military advisors, Grant attacked Lee and his men in what

turned out to be an almost suicidal effort. Reports of the battle indicate that the

Union lost over 7000 men in a few hours of terrible fighting. In the entire Wilder-

ness Campaign, which for all intents and purposes ended in a series of fierce at-

tacks and counterattacks at Cold Harbor, the Union Army lost approximately

55,000 men in killed and wounded, almost as many as in Lee's entire Army of

Northern Virginia. ¹⁵

Smith's account continued

We got into Virginia just in time to help open the BATTLE OF THE WIL-

DERNESS, May 1864. In the opening of the battle, the Cavalry had the advance.

We first met the Rebel Cavalry outposts, drove in the pickets, then Cavalry re-

serves, then struck the main body of Cavalry, and after driving them for some

distance, we ran against a heavy body of Infantry, in a THICKET, where it was

simply IMPOSSIBLE for Cavalry to get through. Then our Infantry came up and

formed in front of them, and made an attack.

When they pushed their way into the thicket, the UNDERBRUSH was so

thick they couldn't see a man ten feet in front of them. That gave the Reb's quite

an advantage, as they could tell when our line was advancing. But our men kept

moving forward while our Artillery kept RAKING the THICKET with SHOT

AND SHELL AND GRAPE AND CANNISTER.

They kept that up for two days and nights before they got the Reb's out of the

thicket. For forty-eight hours the firing was so heavy and CONTINUOUS that

you couldn't begin to count the reports of the Artillery, to say nothing of the

Musketry, which was just a CONTINUAL ROAR. When the Infantry took our

place at the front we went to the left, to work on their FLANK.

That placed us near the old CHANCELLORSVILLE HOTEL and in the timber

between that and United States Ford, and along the Fredericksburg road. During

the first days fight we were engaged almost all the time. That night we lay in the

woods on the left and listened to the MUSIC, which kept up all night. The next

day we moved around their right flank to TODD'S TAVERN. There we got into

it pretty HOT for several hours. And again on the 8th at ALSOP'S FARM we had

several hours HOT WORK.

For the next three days we were guarding the left flank, while our Infantry was

driving them along toward RICHMOND. Then again on the 12th we got into it

RED HOT at SPOTSYLVANIA. On the 15th we had quite a mix up at PINEY

BRANCH CHURCH. I had been sent out to investigate the condition of a hos-

pital where a lot of wounded men were reported to be badly in need of supplies.

I had found them, and had a talk with the surgeon in charge. I learned that they

needed help BADLY, and I was about ready to start back, when a squad of Rebel

Cavalry came in. By playing the BADLY WOUNDED GAG I fooled them until

they got off to the upper end of the camp. Then I slipped into a little thicket just

below the camp, where I had left my horse. I mounted, and was trying to widen

the space between myself and them when they spied me, and gave chase. I didn't

tarry.

 

15. For the Battle of the Wilderness see Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign, 18-56; Grant, Per-

sonal Memoirs, II, 193-203; Sheridan, Personal Memoirs, I, 357-365; Early, Autobiographical Sketch,

343-351. For the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House see Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign, 57-

118; Grant, Personal Memoirs, II, 217-225; Sheridan, Personal Memoirs, 1, 365-367; Early, Auto-

biographical Sketch, 352-358. For the Battle of Cold Harbor see Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign,

169-193; Grant, Personal Memoirs, 11, 270-278; Sheridan, Personal Memoirs, I, 402-407; Early, Auto-

biographical Sketch, 361-365.

• 13
 

114                                                         OHIO HISTORY

 

I had a good horse, and used my spurs, and after about a four mile spurt got

away. Oh NO, I DIDN'T RUN FROM THEM, that might be called cowardly,

I JUST FLEW. I got back to the Regt. just at noon. I made my report to the

Colonel, then went to my Company, where my pals had dinner ready. (Two other

Boys sent out on the same errand landed in Andersonville [a Confederate prison

in Georgia]. We had taken different routes on the same case.) Without waiting to

unsaddle, I sat down to EAT A BITE. And just as I got done there was a rattling

heard on the picket line.

There were seven Companies of us. (Four miles from the plank road, and

about eight miles from Chancellorsville, was the nearest place where we could

get help.) There was one Company on picket across the creek from the camp, and

another Company saddled up, ready to go on duty to relieve them, when they

were attacked by a division of Rebel Cavalry and a Battery of Artillery. The bot-

tom of the creek was a regular MIRE HOLE. The only place it could be crossed

was at the road, where there had been a ford made by filling it up with stone. As

soon as the pickets were fired on, the Co. that was saddled up dashed across to

help those on the other side hold them back, and the five Companies left in camp

divided, half grabbing their guns and running to the creek to help them back

over, while the rest saddled up. My horse being all ready saddled, I was soon in

line. By the time our boys all got over, the horses were all saddled, and we were

in action. As soon as the attack came, the Colonel had sent an orderly back for

help, sending word that we must have help when we got back to the plank road

(four miles).

The road from where we were to the plank road was through an almost im-

penetrable woods, and VERY crooked, and the CROOKS helped us out. At a

bend in the road we would form, three or four deep across the road, and as the

Rebs would come around the next corner, we would empty our SEVEN SHOOT-

ERS, then fall back, when they got to the next corner, another VOLLEY awaited

them. We moved back slowly, thus giving time for help to come.

When we got to the plank road, we were out on open ground, and surely needed

help. But as we got out of the woods and formed in the open field, casting our

eyes off to the right, we saw a VERY DARK CLOUD. It was Gen. FERRERO'S

Division of COLORED TROOPS. And they were certainly COMING SOME.

When the Gen. got the word, he had the long roll sounded, and told his men that

the BULL DOGS (a name given us by the darkies) were in trouble, and must

have help soon or all be butchered. The man who had went after them told me

afterward that they did not wait to form ranks, but all grabbed their guns and

cartridge boxes and started, and came the four miles on a run. When I first saw

them, there was some Artillery in the lead, but as they came out of some timber

and saw that we were out in the open, although the drivers were wearing out

whips fast, the Infantry passed them. They RUN along in front of us, faced to

the right, and moved toward the woods. About that time a few of the Rebs were

coming out of the woods, and the DARKIES gave them a VOLLEY. And the

Artillery began to SHELL THE WOODS.¹⁶

The Rebs didn't wait to say goodby, but got a move on them. We followed

them for six or eight miles, but didn't catch them, but found about twenty DEAD,

and twice as many wounded, and learned that they had taken many wounded

away.

We next met them on the 19th at Harris' Farm, on the 21st at United States

 

 

16. General Edward Ferrero (1831-1899) was born in Spain. His command, the 4th Division, IX

Corps, Army of the Potomac, was the first Negro unit to serve with the Union forces in Virginia.

Boatner, Dictionary, 277, 585.

• 14
 

2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                   115

Ford, and on the 27th at NEWTOWN. Then again on the 31st we met them at MECHUMPS CREEK, where we took our morning exercise. Then, not having had much exercise during the MERRY MONTH OF MAY, we finished up the month by giving them another DOSE in the afternoon at HANOVER COURT HOUSE. On June 1st we had a HOT TIME at ASHLAND, where we ran up against a heavy force and got rather the worst of it, and had to RETIRE. There we were facing their Infantry. On June 3rd quite a SCRAP at HAW'S SHOP, and in the afternoon another at COLD HARBOR. On June 4th at OLD SALEM CHURCH. There we went in to relieve Infantry, who had run out of ammunition. I guess it was warm weather, but we got there all the same. On June 11th we CALLED on them again at SHAD'S GROVE. And on the 12th at WHITE HOUSE LAND- ING. And on the 15th at St. MARY'S CHURCH. Richmond Campaign The final campaign against Richmond, begun in May 1864, was led by General Grant. After suffering repeated setbacks in his attempt to take the city, he changed his strategy in mid-June, crossing with his troops to the south side of the James River. He hoped to capture Petersburg first, an important communi-

• 15
 

116                                                        OHIO HISTORY

 

cations link, and then move on to take Richmond. He then began joint siege

operations against the two cities which lasted until April 2, 1865, when Peters-

burg fell to the Union forces. Richmond was occupied the following day.17

Smith's account continued

During all this time our Infantry was PUSHING THEM ALONG. In fact,

there was no day that we could not hear FIRING some place on the line. And by

that time we had them BOTTLED UP IN RICHMOND, where for three years

they had been building HEAVY FORTIFICATIONS, a large part of the work

being done by SLAVES. When they had CRAWLED INTO THEIR HOLES, our

Infantry under General U. S. Grant, took a position around the city and began a

long SIEGE, which lasted for almost a year.

While the Infantry and Heavy Artillery were in front of Richmond, spending

much of their time in ROLLING LOGS and SHOVELING DIRT, in building

FORTS, the Cavalry, under General PHIL SHERIDAN were not IDLE, but

were kept on the GO, always looking for SOMETHING, SOMEPLACE. After

the Infantry had gotten settled down around Richmond and Petersburg, we

crossed the river below the city. We crossed on a PONTOON bridge, which had

been put down by the Infantry. It was made by placing flatboats side by side

across the river, with anchors to hold them in place. Then timbers were laid from

boat to boat, and planks on the timbers. It made a pretty shaky kind of bridge for

heavy wagons, Artillery and Cavalry to cross on, but we got over. The Infantry

had to take ROUTE STEP, and the CAVALRY had to dismount and lead their

horses, and then sometimes the bridge would shake so as to throw a horse off.

Early in the war the boats were all made of wood, and were very heavy, and it

took a wagon and team for each boat, but later they used a frame made of light

wood, which was bolted together, then set on a canvas, which was drawn up and

tied around the top. In that way one wagon could carry several boats. This was

much better and handier, especially for Cavalry on forced marches.

Wilson's Petersburg Raid

In a continuing effort to extend their lines to the west and further to cut Con-

federate communications with Petersburg, the Union Army undertook an oper-

ation known as Globe Tavern or, more commonly, Weldon Railroad. On June

21, 1864, as a supporting move in this operation, Union General James H. Wilson

received orders to take General Augustus V. Kautz and their two divisions to the

Southside Railroad, near Petersburg, and to destroy as much as possible of that

and, subsequently, the Danville Railroad.

Wilson, Kautz, and their mounted troops moved out on June 22 with their

destination the Southside Railroad. Shortly after splitting up to destroy separate

sections of the railroad, they were attacked and separated by a Confederate

cavalry division. They were reunited on June 24 at the Danville Railroad. Al-

though the mission was not entirely successful, Wilson and Kautz decided to move

on. They followed different routes, each meeting strong opposition along the way.

They met again at Ream's Station, only to find it occupied by three Confederate

cavalry divisions and an infantry division. Before an organized escape plan could

be implemented, Wilson and Kautz were again separated by enemy forces. Kautz

managed to get away with most of his command intact and eventually joined up

with Federal infantry. Wilson, following a circuitous route, eluded a large Con-

federate force in reaching safety, although losing some men along the way.

 

 

17. Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign, 137-159, 268-307, 322-371.

• 16
 

2nd O. V. Cavalry                                                   117

 

The raid, which ended on July 1, 1864, cost Wilson some 1500 men in killed,

wounded, and missing. It did succeed, however, in disrupting Lee's communica-

tions with Petersburg.18

Smith's account continued

After crossing the river, we laid in the rear of the left wing of our Infantry for

a few days, then started out on what was known as the Wilson Raid, which proved

rather DISASTROUS, especially to our Regiment.

Our Division, under Gen. James H. Wilson, with a Brigade of the 2nd Division,

under Gen. A. V. KAUTZ, who was formerly our Colonel, were sent around

LEE'S right flank, to destroy his lines of supplies from that direction. After tear-

ing up quite a lot of the WELDON and SOUTHSIDE railroads, we moved on

toward the southwest. At NOTTAWAY COURT HOUSE on June 23rd we had

a pretty sharp fight, but got the best of them, and went on.

On the 25th we struck them again at ROANOKE STATION. There they had

a fort, built to protect a railroad bridge, and when we got there we found quite a

force of Infantry, which had been thrown out across the river to meet us.

A part of our forces were dismounted, and sent out to TACKLE them, while

the rest were lined up to support our Artillery, or to charge mounted if necessary.

Our Artillery was placed on a ridge, about a half a mile from the river. The fort

was on the opposite bank, at the far end of the bridge. As soon as our line started

across the field, the Artillery in the fort OPENED on them. But our GUNS (Bat-

tery B, 2nd U. S. Art.) soon silenced them. (They had one BIG and three or four

smaller guns.) Then our guns paid their RESPECTS to the bridge.

In firing at the fort, one shell went into a PORT HOLE, and looked to us as

though it went into the end of their BIG GUN, hitting a big shell, and exploding

it, and BURSTING the GUN. At any rate there were pieces of SOMETHING

flying in all directions, and we heard no more from the BIG GUN.

When our guns OPENED on the bridge, the first SHOT took a corner off of it.

The next shell exploded in the bridge, and set fire to straw which the Rebs had

put there to burn the bridge if we got too friendly. Men from the other side ran in

with water, and put the fire out. Then I heard our Serg't. say, Oh, ho is that your

game, WELL we'll see what we can do about it.

He then had three guns loaded. Ranged them himself, and when all were

ready, he said, No. 1, FIRE! LOAD. That shell went into the bridge, and again

set it on fire. Then, as he saw men again running in with buckets to put it out, he

said, No. 2, fire! LOAD. That shell struck the bridge and exploded. Then he said,

No. 3, fire, load. And he kept it up until there was no chance left to save the

bridge. Of some eight or ten shells sent that way, all except two or three BUSTED

in the bridge.

When the Infantry saw the bridge GOING, they seemed to think it time for

them to GO, so made a break. When they saw that they couldn't get over the

bridge, they went for the RIVER, and over the bank. From where we were we

could not tell, but it did not look as if nearly as many men got out at the other side

as jumped in. None of our men went to look after them. We then started back a

different route toward PETERSBURG.

We didn't find much opposition until we reached STONY CREEK STATION,

June 28th. There we encountered a large FORCE of Rebel Infantry, which had

apparently come out to meet us. We had three or four hours hard fighting, and

then had to withdraw and hunt another route, leaving many dead and wounded

 

18. Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign, 235-242; McClellan, Grant versus the Record, 227-230;

Grant, Personal Memoirs, II, 303; Sheridan, Personal Memoirs, I, 438-445.

• 17
 

118                                                                   OHIO HISTORY

 

on the field. Gen'l. WILSON then headed north, directly toward Petersburg, and

instead of going around to the right of LEE'S army came in their rear, apparently

having LOST either his WAY or HIS HEAD.

Then instead of using his whole force to cut his way out, he sent KAUTZ'S

Brigade and our Regt. ahead on June 29th to REAM'S STATION, apparently to

be SACRIFICED while he took the rest of the Division to ESCORT him out of

the HOLE.

We were having it pretty HOT. I WAS ordered up a telegraph pole to cut wires.

While I was up the pole, one of WILSON'S aides came with a white handkerchief,

tied on a stick. Our Colonel asked what he was doing with that. He said that Gen.

WILSON had sent him to SURRENDER our Regiment, thinking that might check

the Rebels, so the rest could get away.

The Colonel said, GIVE ME THAT RAG. He took it and tore it into RIB-

BONS, and told the aide-de-camp to never try that trick again, on anybody's

orders or it would cost him his LIFE. For he would shoot him down LIKE A DOG.

Then a dash was made to get out of there. He soon got with Gen. KAUTZ, and

together they soon cut their way out and got into GRANT'S LINES, but not with-

out losing HEAVILY, in KILLED WOUNDED and CAPTURED. Our Reg't.

had one whole Company and a number of men from other Companies CAP-

TURED.

It was while I was UP THE POLE that our Reg't. made the dash to get out. I

slid down, and I and two other men who were with me started to go with them,

but found ourselves cut off. So we had to CUT OFF in another direction, and

after going through a HOT PLACE in the woods, I and one of the others got to

Wilson's Forces. But the other man had his horse shot. As luck would have it he

got onto a swamp, and after working his way across got out on the other side,

traded clothes with a DARKEY, BLACKED his FACE and HANDS with a piece

of burnt wood, and after DODGING around for three or four days got into

GRANT'S lines, and back to the Regiment.

The other man and I got to Wilson's CROWD which was on the SKEDADDLE

and BADLY demoralized, and after two days and nights of very hard riding and

several very narrow escapes we got back to our Regiment. On that trip I saw Gen.

Wilson draw his sword on a wounded man, and order him back to the line when

Wilson himself was behind a big tree. The man's arm was BROKEN and hanging

at his side. The line was composed of a lot of men who were TRYING to hold the

Rebs back, without any Co. or Regimental formation, or Commanding Officers

while WILSON himself was trying to get away. I heard him call a man a ------

Coward for going to the rear when BADLY wounded, and he himself, trying to

get away.19

After getting in off of that trip we laid on the left of GRANT'S line in front of

 

19. Sergeant Isaac Gause, Four Years with Five Armies, in his account of the Wilson Raid, seems

to concur with Smith's appraisal of it as an exercise in futility: "[It was] the memorable raid that

proved so disastrous to friend and foe, and no conclusion has yet been reached as to who suffered the

greater loss" (p. 275). Lieutenant Tenney, also a participant in this action, was of the same opinion. His

account of it suggests poor judgment on the part of the officers involved as one of the contributing

factors. On p. 123 of his War Diary he points an accusing finger, saying, "Sorry that we could not get

out without so much loss. Blame Wilson."

Kautz, who shared the command with Wilson on this raid, acknowledged in his "Report" that some

military blunders were made which resulted in rather heavy losses on both sides as well as to the

civilian population. He claimed, however, that the mission was accomplished (p. 13).

General Sheridan, in his Personal Memoirs, stated that Wilson erred in interpreting General

Meade's instructions regarding the operation to mean that he (Sheridan) would be on hand to lend

assistance if necessary. Sheridan claimed that he received no orders to this effect (I, 437-445). He was

later sent in relief of Wilson, but only after matters were already out of hand. While he commended

Wilson for being able to retreat in the face of overwhelming odds, he suggested that the mission car-

ried out by Wilson was not worth the losses suffered.

• 18
 

2nd O. V. Cavalry                                                            119

 

Petersburg for some time. There we had an occasional SKIRMISH, but there

was no very heavy fighting on that end of the line.

But I was in sight of the BIG mine explosion on July 30, 1864, when BURN-

SIDE'S men touched off TWO THOUSAND pounds of powder under a Rebel

fort (which was called FORT HELL). It was certainly HOT STUFF with a BIG

H. They had tunneled through underground, from in the rear of one of our forts,

and placed the powder in three places under the Rebel fort. It tore the fort all to

pieces, throwing men, cannon, logs &c high in the air, and in all directions.

I heard it claimed that out of more than a hundred men in the fort, but one

came out SAFE. He was thrown so far that none of the OTHER RUBBISH got

to him, as it came back to the earth. As soon as things QUIT flying THROUGH

THE AIR, a Brigade of COLORED TROOPS charged into the OPENING. But

were met by a heavy force of REBS who poured in from either side, and were not

SUPPORTED by white troops who were to have followed them. They were

driven back, with a VERY HEAVY LOSS.²⁰

Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley Campaign

In early June 1864, Lee ordered General Jubal Early to undertake an offensive

in the Shenandoah Valley to drive out as many Union troops as possible and,

ultimately, at least to threaten Washington. When Early's advance carried him

across the Potomac on July 5, the Union generals began to take his operation

seriously. Reaching the outskirts of Washington on July 11, Early and his men

found the defenses reinforced. After some probing attacks, he decided that he did

not have the strength for a successful assault and retraced his steps across the

Potomac. As he retreated through the Shenandoah, Early caused the Union forces

considerable trouble.

Grant became annoyed at having constantly to deploy men in the Valley, and

gave orders that it should be laid waste so that neither army could use it. Sheri-

dan proceeded to carry out Grant's instructions. In a series of attacks, counter-

attacks and feints, Sheridan and Early's forces alternately assumed the offensive

as they moved through the valley. After a series of sharp encounters at Charles-

town and Berryville, Sheridan crossed Opequon Creek on the morning of Sep-

tember 19 and defeated Early in a hard-fought battle at Winchester. Sheridan

now took up pursuit and kept the pressure on Early. After several more late-

September and early-October clashes, the Confederates suffered decisive defeats

at Tom's Brook on October 9 and Cedar Creek on October 10. Although more

raids and cavalry encounters followed, the battle at Cedar Creek brought to an

end the major military actions in the valley.

During the winter of 1864-65, Early was left with only a small force of infantry

and cavalry when many of his troops were sent to Lee at Petersburg. At Waynes-

boro, Virginia, on March 2, 1865, General George A. Custer administered Early's

last defeat. General Sheridan thus concluded one of the major campaigns of the

war and with it the devastation of the Shenandoah Valley.²¹

 

20..The Petersburg Mine Assault was one of the major incidents of the Petersburg-Richmond

siege which lasted from the spring of 1864 to the spring of 1865. Although the Confederates knew the

mine was being constructed, they were unable to countermine. The explosion, which resulted in the

deaths of many Confederate soldiers, left an enormous crater. In the desperate battle which followed,

much of the fighting was at close range. Conflicting orders concerning the use of both white and

Negro soldiers (Ferrero's 4th Division) caused a great deal of confusion among the Union troops. The

Confederates took advantage of the confusion and, aided by artillery, repulsed the attack. The oper-

ation, which cost heavy casualties on both sides, was a failure. Humphreys, The Virginia Campaign,

250-266; Grant, Personal Memoirs, II, 307-315.

21. For a good study of military activity in the Shenandoah Valley see Pond, The Shenandoah Val-

ley; also see Sheridan, Personal Memoirs, I, 457-500 and II, 1-123; Early, Autobiographical Sketch,

366-458.

• 19
 

120                                                         OHIO HISTORY

 

Smith's account continued

Shortly after that we were ordered to the SHENANDOAH VALLEY. We

turned in all horses not fit for a hard CAMPAIGN. (The one I had on my hard

RUN on the Wilson RAID was knocked out. He was a fine big IRON GRAY

that I had CAPTURED from a REBEL DOCTOR.) We then loaded the rest,

with our equipments, and ourselves onto boats at CITY POINT, and went down

the JAMES RIVER. We stopped a few hours at FORTRESS MONROE, then

around on CHESAPEAKE BAY to the POTOMAC River, then up the river to

Camp Stoneman.

While out on the BAY, when most of the boys had curled down for the night,

we were struck by a storm that certainly made things look dark for awhile. I

heard the Captain of the boat tell the PILOT to steer away from shore and into

deep water, to keep from being dashed onto the rocks. Also heard him order

LIFE PRESERVERS and SMALL BOATS got ready. I had a good life preserver

strapped on me for quite awhile. But it all blowed over, without any damage to

us, and we got into the river all right. We then ran up the river to Camp Stone-

man four miles below WASHINGTON. On the way up the river we passed MT.

VERNON, Geo. Washington's old home. But only got the view of it from the

river.

We laid at Camp Stoneman long enough to draw fresh horses and drill them

A LITTLE. And some of them certainly needed some BREAKING. For instance,

I got one that it took four of us to put a saddle on, and three men to hold while

I got into the saddle. And then was all over the country before I got him to the

Regiment, a mile away. It was a week before I could saddle him without help.

But when I got him EDUCATED he was the best horse I had while I was in the

service. But while he was tough as whalebone, and a DANDY riding horse, he

was not LEAD PROOF. He was shot from under me while in the Shenandoah

Valley.

When we left Camp Stoneman, we marched through WASHINGTON, and up

the river to HARPERS FERRY, and soon after getting there we got to SEE A

BATTLE. It is not often that a SOLDIER gets to see a battle. That time we were

not ordered in, but laid in RESERVE on a hill supporting the Artillery where we

had a good VIEW of the whole field, and could see the WHOLE SHOW.

Our Infantry and some Rebel Infantry were having a DRILL?? on an open

field, when it could be seen that the Rebs were DRIVING our men back. Then

General CUSTER, who at that time commanded the Michigan Brigade, rushed

his Brigade up, keeping behind a hill out of sight of the Rebs, until he got in be-

hind our Infantry. Then he formed for a CHARGE.22

Our Infantry opened the way for them to pass through. After passing our In-

fantry, they EMPTIED their GUNS (Spencer Seven Shooters) then drew their

SABORS, and CUT THEIR WAY THROUGH. They went on some distance be-

yond the Rebs, then turned, re-formed, and CUT THEIR WAY BACK. By that

time what Rebels were left, concluded to RETIRE.

General Custer was in the lead, using his SABOR freely. He could handle it

O. K. We followed them up, and tried giving them another whirl at WINCHES-

TER on Aug. 17th. We drove them out of the town and for quite a distance be-

yond, capturing quite a number of prisoners without our having much loss. We

 

 

22. General George A. Custer (1839-1876) was born in New Rumley, Harrison County, Ohio. A

brigadier general of Union volunteers at age twenty-three, his first command was the Michigan Bri-

gade of the 3rd Cavalry Division. After assuming command of the entire 3rd Cavalry Division, he led

it from the Shenandoah Valley to Appomattox. Boatner, Dictionary, 216; Reid, Ohio in the War, I,

778.

• 20
 

2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                     121

 

next met them at SUMMIT POINT on Aug. 21st where we had quite a SCRAP

with their Cavalry, when they again RETIRED.

Then we met them again the next day, Aug. 22nd at CHARLESTOWN (the

place where OLD JOHN BROWN was HUNG). We got the best of them again

there and they got out of there. As we passed through the town, I saw what was

said to be the TIMBERS of the scaffold on which John Brown was hung. The

platform was still there, but the upper timbers were down.²³

On Aug. 25th our Reg't. had a little skirmish with their outpost. We were just

feeling to find out where they were at, and didn't stir up the main nest. They

were at Kearneysville, W. Va.

We next struck them at BERRYVILLE, on Aug. 31st. We again CLEANED

THEM UP, capturing most of their Artillery and quite a lot of prisoners. They

skipped, and we camped down for a rest. After laying there a couple of days,

living on a diet of ROASTING EARS AND BACON, we started out again and

found them at WHITE POST, where we had it pretty WARM for two or three

hours before they bid us GOOD-BY, on Sept. 3rd.

On Sept. 13th while on a reconnoitering trip we again had quite a TILT with

their Cavalry at ABRAHAM'S CREEK.

Our next JOB was at WINCHESTER on SEPT. 19th where we had it RED

HOT from early in the morning until after dark. Our Division went in on the

BERRYVILLE road, and struck their Cavalry at OPEQUON CREEK east of

Winchester. After driving them a couple of miles we found, about a mile east of

the town a heavy line of Infantry, behind a line of BREASTWORKS, with quite

a lot of Artillery just in their rear. Then our Infantry came up and we moved off

to the left, and DISMOUNTED, and as the Infantry CHARGED the center, we

struck their right wing. And while that was going on, another force of our men

were coming in on another road to our right and playing the same kind of a JOKE.

While we were trying to drive them out of the breastworks, they had several

HEAVY GUNS in a fort on the top of a hill, throwing BIG PILLS over among us,

besides quite a lot of field pieces along behind the works. So they made it VERY

HOT for us for several hours before we got them GOING. We had to charge

them a number of times before they TOOK THE HINT and moved out. But we

at last got them started and drove them quite a distance beyond the town that

night. The loss was heavy on both sides. While we were charging the WORKS

our loss was MUCH the heaviest, but when we got them started I think we more

than balanced it up.

That night, pretty near the whole town was turned into a HOSPITAL. The

Rebels had left many of their wounded behind, to be taken care of, and quite a

number of their Surgeons came in to help look after them, and worked right

along with our Surgeons, until all were cared for. That evening I was ordered to

report to our Drs. at a hotel which was being used as a hospital. Lieut. JAMES

M. LOUGH of our Co. had been BADLY wounded, and I was ordered to stay

with, and care for him until further orders. When not busy with the Lieut. I was

helping the Drs. with other wounded men.

The largest hospitals in the town were the big three-story hotel, and a couple

of large storerooms close by. After two days I was relieved by Serg't. Frank Davis

 

 

 

23. John Brown (1800-1859), an active abolitionist to the point of fanaticism, kept a station of the

Underground Railroad in Ohio. He became involved in antislavery movements in other states. Wanted

for his part in the murder of five pro-slavery men in Kansas, he nevertheless remained active and led

several guerrilla-type attacks on the pro-slavery forces. His plans for a massed invasion of the South

to free the slaves did not materialize. He was captured by Robert E. Lee and the U. S. Marines and

was hanged at Charlestown, Virginia on December 2, 1859. Boatner, Dictionary, 91.

• 21
 

122                                                         OHIO HISTORY

 

of our Co. and I reported to the Co. Davis and the Lieut. had been boys together,

were schoolmates, and CHUMS, and were together attending College at Ox-

ford, Ohio when they enlisted. Davis stayed with him until he died, Nov. 12, 1864,

and sent his body home.

While I was on duty at the hospital, the Cav. were following the Rebels up and

keeping them awake. On Sept. 20th they drove them from CEDARVILLE. The

next day they again struck them at FRONT ROYAL. There the Rebs had quite

an advantage in the lay of the ground, having stopped where they had BIG ad-

vantages in the way the LAND LAID. They put up a pretty hard fight but had to

retire, leaving their wounded and several CANNON.

The next day (the day I got back to the Company) we again drove them at

MILFORD, Sept. 22nd. About that time Gen. Wilson was relieved, and Gen.

CUSTER took command of our Division. We followed up slowly, and caught

them again at WAYNESBORO, where they TRIED to make another stand. But

we captured quite a number of them with several pieces of Artillery, and the rest

scattered to the hills. Quite a lot of them went through a R. R. tunnel UNDER

the hill. There, at one time they had me a prisoner for a short time, but I man-

aged to escape and get back to my Regiment.

From there we started back down the valley. At BRIDGEWATER, on Oct. 2nd

our Regiment, which was bringing up the rear, were attacked by a force of Cav-

alry that were following us up, and had quite a BRUSH before we drove them

back. At Columbia Furnace, Oct. 7th and again at Tom's Brook on the 9th after

our Infantry had fallen back to Winchester, we had pretty sharp fights with their

Cavalry, but got through all right without calling for help.

On Oct. 19th at CEDAR CREEK, we had one of the hottest fights in which our

Division had yet taken a part. The Third Division was then COMMANDED or

rather LED by General Geo. A. Custer, who had succeeded Gen. Wilson, a few

days before the 19th. General SHERIDAN, who was in Command of the entire

force in the valley, had been called to Washington City on business.

The Infantry was laying in camp on the north bank of CEDAR CREEK, with

the Cavalry on the flanks, when on the morning of the 19th just at daybreak, the

Rebels, who had in some MISTERIOUS WAY gotten past the Infantry pickets

made a RUSH into their camp. Taking them by SURPRISE, and DRIVING

them like a flock of sheep, capturing several pieces of Artillery, all of their tents,

and cooking utensils, and much of their clothing, and completely DEMORALIZ-

ING the whole right wing of the Infantry.

Our Division, being on the extreme right, Gen. CUSTER soon saw that the

Division of Cavalry on the left were having TOO BIG a job on their hand and

made a DASH to their ASSISTANCE. The Cavalry, by hard work (MAKING

SEVERAL HARD CHARGES), kept the Rebels from getting on the flank and

rear of what Infantry were trying to hold them back, when they were having a

hard fight to hold their own.

Many of the Infantry, who had been driven from their camp in the morning,

were going DOWN THE PIKE toward Winchester on a regular stampede when

ALL OF A SUDDEN a cloud of dust was seen COMING up the valley. Soon

Gen. SHERIDAN was seen COMING TO THE FRONT. As he came up the

pike from Winchester (where he had spent the night on his way back from Wash-

ington, and from where he had heard the FIRING, TWENTY MILES AWAY),

he was waving his hat and CALLING to the men to COME BACK AND WE

WILL WHIP THEM YET.

The men had so much confidence in him that almost every man turned and

followed him. In a very short time they formed in line and, without any regard to

Regimental or Company formation, started in with a YELL, and soon had the

• 22
 

2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                           123

 

tide turned the other way. They kept going until soon all the ground lost in the

morning had been regained. About the time they reached their OLD CAMP, a

Division of Rebel Cavalry was seen to be working around to the extreme right, to

get a FLANK FIRE on our Infantry. Our Division was RUSHED to meet them.

We CHARGED and drove them back, then turned to the left flank and paid our

RESPECTS to their Infantry and Artillery.

By tickling them pretty hard in the flank, we soon had them GOING. As we

drove them to the narrow part of the valley their Infantry, Artillery, Cavalry, and

wagon trains all tried to GO UP THE PIKE at once. We certainly did GO after

them. We recaptured all the CANNON they had taken in the morning, got almost

all theirs, several hundred prisoners, and about all of their WAGGONS. But a

Congratulatory Order issued by Gen. Custer will give a better idea of our work

than I can, so I will copy it.24 It is as follows:

Head Quarters Third Division Cavalry Corps, Oct. 21, 1864

 

Soldiers of the Third Cavalry Division. With pride and Gratification your Commanding

General congratulates you upon your brilliant Achievements of the past few days.

On the 9th of the present month you attacked a vastly superior force of the enemy's

Cavalry, strongly posted with Artillery in position, and Commanded by that Famous

Savior of the Valley, Gen. ROSSER.²⁵

Notwithstanding the enemy's superiority in numbers and position you drove him twenty

miles, capturing his Artillery (six pieces in all) also his entire train of wagons and Ambu-

lances, and a large number of prisoners.

Again during that memorable engagement of the 19th instant, your conduct throughout

'was sublimely Heroic, and without a parallel in the annals of warfare.

In the early part of the day, when disaster and defeat seemed to threaten our noble army

upon all sides, your calm and determined bearing, while exposed to a terrible fire from

the enemy's guns added not a little to restore confidence to that portion of our army al-

ready broken and driven back on the right.

Afterwards, rapidly transferred from the right flank to the extreme left, you materially

and successfully assisted in defeating the enemy in his attempt to turn the left flank of our

army.

Again ordered to the right flank, you attacked and defeated a Division of the enemy's

Cavalry, driving him in confusion across Cedar Creek.

Then changing your front to the left at a gallop, you charged and turned the left flank of

the enemy's line of battle and pursued his broken and demoralized army a distance of five

miles. Night alone put an end to your pursuit.

Among the substantial fruits of this great victory, you can boast of having captured

five battle flags, a large number of prisoners, including Major General RAMSEUR, and

45 of the 48 pieces of Artillery taken from the enemy on that day. Thus making 51 pieces

of Artillery which you have captured from the enemy within the short period of ten days.²⁶

This is a record of which you may well be proud. A record won and established by your

gallantry and perseverance.

You have surrounded the name of the Third Cavalry Division with a Hallow of Glory as

enduring as time.

The history of this war, when truthfully written will contain no brighter page than that

upon which is recorded the Chivalrous deeds of the Third Cavalry Division.

(Signed)

Official,                              (Signed)

Geo. A. CUSTER

LOUIS SIEBERT,                                                     Brigadier General

Capt. & A. A. Gen.                                                   Commanding.

24. A copy of the original of this congratulatory order may be found in Official Records of the

Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Vol. XLIII Part 1, 527-528. Although Smith has made a few

editorial changes in the wording, the substance has not been altered.

25. General Thomas L. Rosser (1836-1910), CSA, and Custer, good friends and classmates before

the war, led their troops against each other several times during the conflict. They were later recon-

ciled. Rosser acquired his nickname, "Savior of the Valley," during the Shenandoah campaign. Boat-

ner, Dictionary, 709.

26. General Stephen D. Ramseur (1837-1864), CSA, was mortally wounded in this battle and died

the next day at Sheridan's headquarters in Winchester, Virginia. Boatner, Dictionary, 677.

• 23
 

124                                                          OHIO HISTORY

After we had cleaned them up at Cedar Creek, they pulled on up the valley. Some of the citizens said that General EARLY went to Richmond to get more CANNONS for CUSTER.27 One Old Citizen told me that it got to be a common saying along there, when they saw Artillery going north, that there goes MORE CANNON FOR CUSTER. During the rest of the fall we had no more HEAVY FIGHTING in the VAL- LEY. We would occasionally run across a small force of Cavalry, but the Infantry seemed to have WITHDRAWN. Their Cavalry were kept out FORAGING through the valley. One of their Infantry that I helped to capture the next spring, told me that their REGULAR RATION that winter was a pound of meat and a pint of cornmeal a day, PROVIDING the FORAGERS brought it in. On Nov. 12th we had a fight at MT. ZION CHURCH or NEWTOWN. And we met them   27. General Jubal A. Early (1816-1894), CSA, took part in a number of major operations, including his famous raid on Washington in the summer of 1864 and the Shenandoah Valley campaign. He was relieved of his command by Lee after a defeat at Waynesboro, Virginia, in March 1865. Early, Auto- biographical Sketch, v, xvii, 466-469.

• 24
 

2nd 0. V. Cavalry                                                  125

 

again on the 22nd at MT. JACKSON, but they didn't put up much of a fight at

either place. We then went back to Winchester and laid there for some time. On

Nov. 30th we had another LITTLE scrap at MOOREFIELD, W. V-a.

It had been reported that there was a Rebel recruiting camp there, and our

Regt. was sent over the Hills to INSPECT IT. We found the place, all right, had

a little skirmish, captured the CAMP, with its outfit, and most of the men (some

thirty or forty). We then went back to Winchester.

On that trip we went through the famous LOST RIVER GAP, where the river

runs through a gap in the hills. The gap is just wide enough for the river and a

wagon road on one side. The walls on either side stand up perpendicularly on

both sides, for more than a hundred feet. In fact it looks as if they overhung,

seeming to be closer together at top than bottom. Just before we came to the

GAP we were marching on a road on the bank, with the river on our Right Hand.

Then we came to a place where there was no water to be seen. There we crossed

over on the VERY rocky bed of the river, which, higher than the top of the water,

seemed to act as a bridge, the water passing under it. It looked as if HIGH

waters went over it. Then after going along the other bank for a short distance,

we saw the river on our left instead of the right hand.

On Dec. 21st we had another little mix up with their Cavalry at LUCY

SPRINGS, about a couple of miles north of HARRISONBURG. Our Division

had been sent up the valley to see what we could find. The evening of the second

day out, after we had driven in some Rebel pickets, and learned that EARLY'S

force was camped two or three miles farther up the valley, we went into camp for

the night. Our Brigade was in the advance, and camped on a piece of raised

ground to the left of the road a short distance south of a big road tavern and back

a little way from the road, a small field sloping toward the road in front of us.

The 3rd New Jersey Cav. was sent on some distance ahead to form a picket

line. The 2nd & 3rd Brigades and wagon train camped on the other side of the

road, and farther north Gen. CUSTER and staff made their headquarters at the

house. We didn't unsaddle till quite late, and then it was SNOWING. We laid

down with our heads on our saddles, with our rubber blankets spread over us to

cover ourselves and our traps, and went to sleep.

About four o'clock in the morning the Officers came around and called us and

told us to saddle up, QUIETLY. When we got out we found about SIX inches of

SNOW on top of our BUNKS. We saddled up, and then started fires and went

to getting some breakfast. (Some of the boys crawled back into their nest.) I had

just finished my breakfast of coffee, bacon and hardtack (many were not through

yet), when firing was heard over where our wagons were laying.

One of the teamsters had seen Rebs coming in from some bushes on a hill-

side, and as the best and quickest way to give an alarm he began FIRING his

REVOLVER. The Rebs had gotten around our PICKETS and came around over

a hill and were in camp before they were seen.

When the firing commenced, our Colonel, instead of trying to form the Regt.

(regular style) SUNG OUT, SECOND OHIO, MOUNT, FOURS RIGHT,

MARCH, ON LEFT FRONT INTO LINE GALLOP, MARCH. And as a few men

got into line, he again called out. First Co. on the right forward and DEPLOY

SKIRMISH LINE. As the line moved out, they had only gone a short distance,

when they met a line of Rebs CHARGING up the hill. The Rebs were MANY

TOO MANY for them, and they were driven back. At that the Colonel ordered

SECOND CO., FORWARD AND STRENGTHEN SKIRMISH LINE. That

sent our Co. to the front. We moved out and soon had emptied our guns. By that

time the Rebs and us were right together, and we drew our SABORS, and the

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126                                                        OHIO HISTORY

 

rest of the Regiment came in. BUSINESS was LIVELY for a short time. But we

soon got them turned, and started back down the hill.

As they came in across the pike they had felt so sure of surprising us and clean-

ing us up, that they had made no arrangements for getting out of the field. When

they tried to get out, the gap was only wide enough for about four to go out at a

time. As they crowded to get out, we strung around them and PUMPED LEAD

into them. When the BALL WAS OVER we found they had left more than fifty

men behind, a few as prisoners but mostly dead and wounded. One of the party,

who worked with me some years later at AULTMAN'S shop at Mansfield, Ohio,

told me that more than half who got away, were WOUNDED.

In the charge it happened that I met a man who was much taller than I, on a

horse taller than mine, so it gave him quite an advantage over me. For some time

all I could do was to parry his licks, but after a while I got in a head cut, which

seemed to stun him, as well as bring the red freely. Then I had to PARRY for

awhile again. But at last got in another HEAD CUT, which he parried enough so

that it got him in the right shoulder and his arm dropped. Then I tried a POINT.

He reined back and went away hanging over his horse's neck, so that I never

knew how badly he was hurt. But as I had came out with only a small GASH on

my head I thought myself LUCKEY.

While we were having our FUN there, the other Brigades were having it in a

similar way across the pike, but had fared worse than we did. While we had but

two wounded (myself, and one other, who was shot in the arm), they had several

wounded, and (I think) one or two killed. In the first charge the Rebs had cap-

tured several over there, mostly teamsters. But before it was over they had all

been recaptured, and we took about sixty prisoners back down, the pike with us.

When the firing commenced, Gen. Custer was still in bed. He jumped up, and

got out without coat, hat or boots, jumped on the first horse he came to (which

happened to be a band boy's) without saddle or bridle, and GOT BIZZY. The

fight was pretty near over when his orderly brought him his horse, hat, boots and

coat.

Then having found out where the Rebs were, which was our mission up there,

we headed back down the valley, taking with us about sixty prisoners and about

as many of their horses. We then camped, some two or three miles west of Win-

chester, where we soon after got orders to build winter quarters, which we got

onto a little after New Years, 1865.

Our quarters, built of poles and boards and covered with our DOG TENTS,

had a door and a big FIRE PLACE in one end, and bunks in the other end, and

were quite comfortable. But we didn't get to enjoy them very long, for after we

had been in them about five or six weeks (part of that time out on the PICKET

LINE), we got orders to BREAK CAMP.

 

[The conclusion of Smith's Memoirs will appear next issue.]

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