Oxford Times, September 23, 1863
Letter from the 10th N.Y. Cavalry
Headquarters 10th N.Y. Cavalry, Near Sulphur Springs, Va., Sept. 12, 1863
Friend Times: Thinking that some of the people in and around Oxford, who have friends in the 10th Cavalry would like to hear of the whereabouts of the Regiment, I will give them through the columns of your paper a short, but correct account of our doings since leaving winter quarters at Acquia Creek, in April last. At the commencement of the summer campaign, most of the cavalry force of the army of the Potomac under command of the brave and efficient Gen. Stoneman, were ordered to cross the Rappahannock and march around in the rear of the rebel army and destroy the Railroads, bridges, &c., and cut off their communication with Richmond, while Gen. Hooker engaged them in front at Fredericksburg. The expedition of Gen. Stoneman was successful, and after destroying the railroads and bridges and going almost to the very gates of the rebel capitol, returned and recrossed the Rappahannock after an absence inside the enemy's lines of nine days, with only the loss of a very few men. During the raid all the sleep we got in nine days was twenty-eight hours, except what we slept in the saddle. A private of one of the Penn. Regiments fell from his horse while sleeping on the march and died the next day from the effects of the fall. After the Stoneman riad, we were mostly scouting and doing picket duty North of the Rappahannock without anything worthy of note except occasionally skirmishing with and capturing a few guerillas, until the 9th of June when our Division commanded by Gen. D.M. Gregg, and the Regular Cavalry, Gen. Buford commanding, crossed the Rappahannock at Kelley's and Breverly's fords, and attacked the rebel cavalry under Gen. Stuart and after a hard fought battle drove him back to his Infantry support beyond Brandy Station, some four miles.
\This is admitted by the most intelligent army officers to have been the hardest fought cavalry battle that ever took place on this continent, and only equaled by one in Europe, and the question that our cavalry is more than a match for that of the rebels, was fully demonstrated on that day. This was the severest engagement the 10th ever had, and the Regiment lost heavily in killed, wounded and prisoners. Our Brigade charged with sabers and drove back with great slaughter the celebrated Hampden's Legion, a brigade of almost exclusively South Carolina troops, and considered the flower of the confederate army. It was in this charge that a young man by the name of Holdridge of Smithville, was slain. The advantages gained by this cavalry battle cannot be too highly estimated as it exposed the plans of the rebel Gen. Lee of invading Pennsylvania, and gave the army of the Potomac time to prepare and aided greatly in defeating and routing the rebel army at Gettysburg. The next place where the Regiment attracted especial attention and obtained the praise of the Commanding General of the division was at Aldie and Middleburg, Va., June 18th, 19th and 20th. At the latter place Lieutenant Beardsley of Coventry, as brave and efficient an officer as ever drew a sword in defense of his country, was mortally wounded, from the effects of which he has since died.
The loss of the Regiment there was considerable, being four officers killed and several non-commissioned officers and privates killed and wounded. From Aldie we marched via Leesburg crossing the Potomac at Edward's Ferry into Maryland, keeping between Washington and the rebel army, and arrived on the bloody field of Gettysburg, July 2d at 11 o'clock A.M. and engaged the enemy on the right flank. It was in the battle of the 2d that Captain Lownsburg was taken prisoner. He was on the advance with his company as skirmishers when they were charged by a Regiment of rebels, and before the support could get to his assistance, quite a number of them were taken prisoners, but our artillery soon sent the rebels howling back behind the hill that they charged over. We held the position through repeated attacks during the remainder of the battle, July 3d, and on the 5th, our brigade commenced moving on the rear of the routed and broken-hearted rebel army as they retreated toward Hagertown, Md. We followed on his rear four days through the passes of the Blue Ridge and captured two thousand and eight hundred prisoners with the loss of only one man from the brigade. On the 14th July we recrossed the Potomac into Va. at Harper's Ferry, and came up with the rebel cavalry again at Shepardstown, but finding the whole rebel army was within supporting distance, we fell back to Harper's Ferry. We are now encamped on the south bank of the Rappahannock near Sulphur Springs, and shall have to use that hackneyed phrase "All is quiet in the army of the Potomac," by which the people at home understand there is no great battle going on; that the wide mouthed cannons are once more silenced, and the heavy tramp of squadrons of cavalry sweeping everything in their reckless and headlong charges has once more ceased.
But all is not quiet in the army of the Potomac, for there is not a day but what some small detachment of cavalry skirmish with the enemy's pickets or scouting parties. This is practiced by both armies, and is called "teasing the enemy" in military phrase, and is hardly ever noticed outside of the army. Six o'clock P.M., we have just received orders to prepare four day's rations and be ready to move tomorrow morning at daylight toward the enemy at Culpepper Court House. This looks like an advance again towards Richmond, but we shall see, and I will assure the people of Chenango that whatever happens, whether defeat or victory, they will hear a good account of the 10th Regt. N.Y. Cavalry.
Yours Truly, D.E.L.
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