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A. LincolnCavalry Battles |
Published in The Cavalier, at Yorktown, Virginia, July 7, 1863
A despatch published in the Northern papers, dated Columbia, July 1 st , says: The 5th New York, the 1st Vermont, the 1st Virginia and the 18th Pennsylvania cavalry regiments left Frederick on Saturday and moved forward to Hanover. They arrived there on Tuesday morning, when they were charged upon in the rear by the rebel cavalry of Stuart. The national forces numbered about 1,800 and the rebel force was nearly or quite 6,000. The battle commenced at 9 o'clock in the morning, and continued until 7 o'clock in the evening. The contest was a succession of charges, recharges, advances and repulses. Our troops fought with desperate gallantry and daring, and gained a brilliant triumph. We captured all the 1st South Carolina regiment except thirteen. The rebels in return took but sixty prisoners. A piece of artillery belonging to the 1st South Carolina is among our trophies. The rebels lost, besides, one field piece and one breach-loading steel rifled piece. Our cavalry had no artillery. Mr. W. Young telegraphed to the New York Herlad from the Cavalry of the Susquehanna, June 30th, as follows: Gen. Killpatrick, having recently been promoted from colonelcy, has more recently been placed in command of Staehl's division of cavalry, comprising Ingall's under Brigadier General Farnsworth, and Brigadier General Custer's, both of whom have served on General Pleasonton's staff, and other brigades, besides artillery from the regulars. The cavalry has been steadily winning fame since it has been demonstrated that it is worthy a good name, and that division of it under General Killpatrick will keep its laurels always green. On our advance into the Keystone State, at a late hour last evening, the boys were almost frantic with joy, and they made the welkin ring with cheers as soon as the State line was crossed. The head of the column reached Littletown, Pennsylvania at 11 o'clock, being the first of the Union troops that had marched from Virginia to protect the Keystone of the arch from being broken by rebel lands. [sic] The hotels, stores and private dwellings were brilliant with flashing lights, and cheers were given for the "deliverers of Pennsylvania" more than three times three. The ladies of the village baked bread for the soldiers during the whole night, not once closing their eyes in sleep, and the excitement of seeing for the first time even the advance column of an army kept them awake in the morning. General Killpatrick and his staff, as they rode through Hanover on the way to Abbottstown, were most enthusiastically welcomed by the ladies particularly and the citizens generally. The ladies showered bouquets on the division commander and his staff officers, and gray haired men manifested unbounded enthusiasm. The boys of the cavalry and artillery were bountifully supplied with bread, pies and milk, and the weary ambulance patients were revived by homemade wines and sanitary supplies. When near Abbottstown where Gen. Washington encamped his army in 1781, a caisson of battery M, Second United States artillery, exploded, tearing a leg off the driver, named Mariah, killing two horses and alarming the people, who had before heard no sound of war. Little children, fearing the rebels were coming, wept piteously, and older people apprehended that the town would be "bombshelled." Hardly had three rebels captured at Berlin, belonging to the 8th Louisiana infantry, who straggled from Gen. Ewell's command, been disposed of, when intelligence came, at 10 A.M., that Stuart's cavalry were at work on our rear. Where they were this morning is not precisely known; but the following note, written by Fitzhugh Lee, undoubtedly to Gen. Stuart, explains why they began to operate so early on the advancing column of Union cavalry: On March, 9 A.M. -- General: -- A citizen direct from Littletown informs me that Gen. Killpatrick, with four regiments--of which the 1st Virginia, 5th Vermont, and 5th New York are three, and six pieces of artillery--left that place this morning for Hanover. The road that I am on strikes the Littletown and Hanover road at McSherryville road, one and a half mile from Hanover. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, FITZHUGH LEE, Brigadier General Commanding. The attack was made near the intersection of those roads, and in the vicinity of Plum creek, on the road entering Hanover, upon the right flank of our rear, the rebels capturing a few prisoners and two or three ambulances. A charge was made on the three brigades of rebel cavalry -- Fitzhugh Lee's, Hampton's and Robinson's -- led by the 1st Virginia. the ambulances were recaptured, and the 5th New York captured the battle flag of the 42d North Carolina. Lieut Col. Payne, of the 4th Virginia cavalry, and a rebel lieutenant were also captured, together with some thirty-five prisoners. Capt. Jas. Dickerson, (formerly of Baltimore,) of the 10th Virginia cavalry, and several other rebels were killed. A rebel battery; stationed in the outskirts of the town, opened on our cavalry, and skirmishing was kept up in the town, the rebel battery playing into the streets, without, however, doing much damage. Hastily moving the remainder of his command and his batteries from Abbottstown to Hanover, Gen. Kilpatrick directed Ewell's regular battery to open upon the rebels from the north side of the town, they then holding the road to Littletown and Westminster, and forming in line of battle in the skirts of densely wooded forests on tho [sic] south and southeast. The enemy failed to reply to our artillery, and seemed unwilling to give battle to our cavalry. Gen. Kilpatrick then ordered two regiments of cavalry to open communication with Littletown, and drove the rebel cavalry back to our infantry approaching from the latter place, piercing their centre and compelling them to move one brigade to the right on the Gettysburg road, and the remaining two brigades to the left on the York road. There was some skirmishing between both commands with slight loss to either. |
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