ORGANIZATION OF A CAVALRY CORPS.
1863.--General Hooker assumes Command of the Army of the Potomac.
--Demoralization.--Reorganization.--A Cavalry Corps.--General
George D. Stoneman in Command.--Death of Sergeant May.--Forests of
the Old Dominion.--The Cavalryman and his Faithful Horse.--Scenes
in Winter Quarters.--Kilpatrick.--His Character.--Qualifications
of the True Soldier.--A New Horse.--A Mulish Mule.--Kilpatrick's
Colored Servants in Trouble.--Terrific Hail-Storm.--Major E. F.
Cooke Honored.--Colonel Clarence Buel.
On the twenty-sixth of January, General Joseph Hooker assumed command of
the Army of the Potomac, whose vicissitudes and defeats have well-nigh
broken its spirit and wiped out its efficiency. The patriotic fire is
burning dimly in shrines where it has blazed brightly before. The tide
of military life has possibly reached its lowest ebb, and the signs of
the times are ominous of ill. Desertions are reported to be fearfully
large. For this many of our friends at the North are responsible. Not
only do their letters speak discouraging words to the soldier, but many
of them sent by express citizens' clothes, with which many of the boys
quickly invest themselves, throwing away the blue, and thus disguised
find their way to their false friends at home. I esteem him false to me
who would thus rob me of my honor. I would rather say, "despoil me of my
life, but my integrity never." Discouraging as all this depression of
mind and dispersion of comrades may be, many still remain steadfast at
their trust and unflinchingly go ahead in the discharge of their duty.
General Hooker's first work seems to be in the direction of checking
this loosening of discipline, and in reorganizing and strengthening the
bands of military order. As the infantry needed but little further
solidification, the commander-in-chief turned his attention to the
cavalry. In the possible efficiency of this arm of the service the
general seems to have full faith. But it is currently reported that the
general has said "that he has yet failed to see or hear of a dead
cavalryman." Of course this cannot be strictly true, for we could cite
him multitudes, including our noble Bayard, whose bravery and sacrifice
of themselves upon their country's altar, are worthy of recognition at
the hand of their commander. But it is quite evident that the cavalry
has not yet come up to the beau-ideal of the general. And, indeed, it
has been a source of wonderment to us, that while the efficiency of the
infantry is known to depend largely upon its organization into brigades,
divisions, and corps, with their general commander, the same may not be
true of the cavalry.
General Bayard, the great cavalry chief of the Army of the Potomac
during General Burnside's administration, made several efforts at
consolidation, resulting, however, in no very permanent changes. It was
reserved for General Hooker to bring about the desired result; and, at
last, the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac is organized, with
General George D. Stoneman for its commanding officer. By this change
regiments which have been scattered here and there on detached service
are brought together, and made to feel the enthusiasm which numbers
generally inspire, especially when those numbers are united into a
system, with a living head, whose intelligence and authority control the
whole.
Under this new _regime_ some very beneficial changes have been wrought.
Schools or camps of instruction have been established, with a more rigid
discipline than before, and boards of examination, with all the
experience of the past before their eyes, have been organized. Old and
incompetent officers have been dismissed, or have slunk away before this
incisive catechism, giving way generally to intelligent, young, and
efficient men, who, placed at the heads of regiments and brigades, give
promise of success in the struggles that await us.
The Rebel cavalry under Stuart has long been organized into an efficient
body, which, at times, has sneered at our attempts to match them; and
yet they have been made to feel, on some occasions, that we are a
growing power, which time and experience may develop into something
formidable. But the general successes of the Rebel army have made them
all very insolent, in the hope that final victory is already in their
grasp.
_February 11._--My old friend and comrade, Sergeant Theodore May, of
Pittstown, New York, died this afternoon at two o'clock, after a brief
illness, of typhoid fever, which is a great scourge throughout the army.
The death of this valiant fellow-soldier casts a deep gloom over the
entire command, in which he has so faithfully served. When we entered
the army together at the organization of the regiment, he came a perfect
stranger, but his gentle manners and soldierly deportment soon made for
him hosts of warm friends. By his gallantry on the field of battle, as
well as by the gentleness of his manners and his unblemished conduct in
camp, he has won the respect, and even admiration, of all who knew him.
The patriotic motives which induced Sergeant May to quit his pleasant
home in the beautiful valley of the Tomhannock, for the privations,
hardships, and dangers of military life, have always proved him to be a
true and warm sympathizer in his country's cause. It was evidently not
the mere love of adventure, or the mere pageantry or glory of war, that
led him to make the great sacrifice. He has been with us in every
conflict, and shared with us the varied fortunes of the Harris Light.
His death, which he would rather have met on the field of strife,
battling manfully against traitors, was reserved for the calm and quiet
of the camp, where he spent his last moments urging his comrades to
"cheer up and fight on," offering as his dying reason, that "our cause
is just, and must triumph." Such a death is a rich legacy to a command.
"He being dead, yet speaketh." We would emulate his virtues.
_February 12._--On recommendation of Lieutenant Frederick C. Lord, I was
to-day appointed by Colonel Kilpatrick First Sergeant of Company E, vice
Henry Temple, promoted to Sergeant Major. My appointment is to date from
the first of January, making me a very desirable New Year's gift, which
I shall strive to honor.
_February 22._--Snow has been falling uninterruptedly the livelong day,
and yet the boys have been unusually merry, as they were wont to be on
this anniversary before the war. Our celebration has been on a scanty
scale, and yet we have felt the patriotic stimulus which comes from the
great men and days of the past. And truly, the birth of the great
Washington gives birth to many interesting thoughts, especially at this
period of our history. A national salute has been fired from our
fortifications on the Potomac, and the whole country round about us has
been made to reverberate with the sound that welcomes in the day.
But all these patriotic manifestations have not prevented the snow-storm
and the cold. When we left our home in the North for what was termed
"the sunny South," we little expected to find such storms as this here.
While the summers are much cooler than we expected to find them, the
days being generally fanned by a beautiful sea-breeze, the winters
exceed for cold our highest expectation. The cold is not continuous, but
very severe. We have seen the soft ground and water-puddles freeze
sufficiently in one night to bear a horse; and in several days and
nights the frost has penetrated the earth several inches deep. The
snow-storm of to-day is as severe as most storms experienced in the
North. The wind has howled from the north-west, burdened with its cold,
feathery flakes, which to-night lie at least twelve inches deep in
places undisturbed. It is such a storm as our suffering pickets, and
indeed our entire army, cannot soon forget.
It may be that the vast forests of Virginia have much to do with its
peculiar temperature. As we travel from place to place we are strongly
impressed with the vastness of the wilderness, which covers thousands of
acres of as fine arable soil as can be found on the continent. How
different is this from the notions we had formed of the _Old_ Dominion,
while reading of its early settlements, and of its great agricultural
advantages. But when we look into its system of land-owning, and find
that one individual monopolizes a territory sufficient for a dozen
farms, and consequently neglects eleven twelfths of his acres; and then
look into its even worse system of labor, we need search no farther for
the causes of this backwardness in agricultural pursuits. The implements
made use of here on the plantations are such as were rejected by New
England farmers over half a century ago; and the _methods_ of
cultivation are a century behind the times. Slavery and land-monopoly
are the incubus.
Who does not sincerely hope that the time is not far distant, when the
rich acres of this great State shall be properly shared by its
inhabitants, and when, freed from a burden and curse which have long
paralyzed their energies, instinct with new life and enterprise, the
people will realize the dignity of labor? Then will the almost
interminable forests disappear, and in their stead the industrious
yeoman will behold his rich fields of waving grain. Then, too, along the
now comparatively useless streams and swift water-courses, will spring
up the factory and the mill, whose rolling wheels and buzzing spindles
will bring wealth and prosperity to the nation. We are convinced, from
what we have seen, that Virginia has water-power enough to turn the
machinery of the world. With these changes the school-house will be
found by the side of every church, and intelligence and virtue will
bless the home of the Presidents.
We have also many times been led to think, while lying in these chilly
woods, that a greater warmth would be imparted to the atmosphere if the
forest-trees were felled and the land put under cultivation,--a change
sufficiently great to be appreciable throughout the State.
"UNCHRONICLED HEROES."
_Sunday, March 1._--The usual Sunday morning inspection was omitted on
account of rain. Rain, rain had fallen for many days almost incessantly.
The regiment has been earnestly at work throughout the day in building
stables for the horses, which have suffered greatly from being kept
standing too long in the mud. Under these circumstances our horses are
afflicted with the scratches, many of them so badly as to render them
unserviceable, and occasionally they lose their lives.
By this cause and through hard work my little black mare, which I drew
by lot at Camp Sussex in the autumn of 1861, has at last succumbed, and,
with a grief akin to that which is felt at the loss of a dear human
friend, I have performed the last rite of honor to the dead. The Indian
may love his faithful dog, but his attachments cannot surpass the
cavalryman's for his horse. They have learned to love one another in the
most trying vicissitudes of life, and the animal manifests affection and
confidence quite as evidently as a human being could.
The cavalier, it is true, is often compelled to drive at a most fearful
rate, as when bearing hurried despatches, or making a charge, frequently
causing almost immediate blindness to the animal. Or, may be, he
continues on a march for many days and nights in succession, as on a
raid, averaging at least sixty-five miles in twenty-four hours, with
little water and less forage; unable to remove the saddle, which has to
be tightly bound, until the animal is so badly galled that the hair
comes off with the blanket at its first removal.
Sufferings like these often cause the death of a large proportion of a
command; and to a careless looker-on these things would appear to be
mere neglects. But these cruel military necessities only develop more
perfectly the rider's sympathy for his suffering beast, and bind them in
closer and more endearing bonds.
Some men had rather injure themselves than have their horses harmed, and
the utmost pains are taken to heal them in case they are wounded. Each
regiment has its veterinary surgeon, whose skill is taxed to the utmost
in his branch of the healing art.
Among the most touching scenes we have witnessed, are those in which the
mortally wounded horse has to be abandoned on the field of carnage.
With tearful eyes the rider and perhaps owner turns to take a last look
of the "unchronicled hero," his fellow-sufferer, that now lies weltering
in his blood, and yet makes every possible effort to follow the
advancing column. The parting is deeply affecting.
Often the cavalryman finds no object to which he may hitch his horse for
the night save his own hand; and thus with the halter fast bound to his
grasp he lies down with a stone, or perhaps his saddle, for a pillow,
his faithful horse standing as a watchful guardian by his side. At times
the animal will walk around him, eating the grass as far as he can
reach, and frequently arousing him by trying to gain the grass on which
he lies; yet it is worthy of note, that an instance can scarcely be
found where the horse has been known to step upon or in anywise injure
his sleeping lord. Such a scene the poet undoubtedly had in his mind
when he sang:
"The murmuring wind, the moving leaves
Lull'd him at length to sleep,
With mingled lullabies of sight and sound."
Such experiences as these had taught me to love my faithful and true
friend. But I found I was not the only man in the command who was
bereaved of his _first_ love. Only a few horses of the original number
which we drew still remain, and several of them are either partially or
totally blind, though yet serviceable. The hardships of the camp and the
campaign are more destructive of animal than human flesh. Men are often
sheltered from the storm when the horses are exposed, and the men are
sometimes fed when the horses have to go hungry.
In battle the horse is a larger mark than the man, and hence is more
frequently hit, so that more than twice the number of horses fall in
every engagement than men. The cavalryman is more shielded from the
deadly missile than the infantryman. The horse's head and shoulders will
often receive the bullet which was intended for the rider's body. This
is true also of the elevated portions of the saddle, with the rolls of
blankets and coats and bag of forage. A difference has also been noticed
between the casualties in cavalry and infantry regiments under equal
exposure. This difference is wholly explained when we consider the
jolting and swift motion of the man as his horse leaps forward in the
fray, making him a very uncertain mark for the enemy.
BRIGHT DAYS.
_March 3._--This is the first bright day we have seen in more than three
weeks. The mud around our camps, especially in the neighborhood where we
water our horses, is terrible, and the roads are almost bottomless.
However, long trains of forage and commissary-wagons may be seen passing
to and fro, with horses and mules in mud from "stem to stern."
Cavalcades of mudded horses and riders traverse the camps and adjoining
fields in various directions.
Large flocks of crows--the most soldier-like bird in the world--with
their high-perched vedettes when alighted, and their military line of
march when on the wing, afford some lessons of diversion and
instruction. It would seem as if all the ravens of the United States had
congregated here, having been attracted by the carrion of battle-fields
and the refuse of camps. Turkey buzzards, birds which are always on the
wing, and that none of us ever yet saw alighted, wheel through the air
like eagles, gazing down upon us with seeming defiance. The sights are
of daily occurrence.
KILPATRICK.
To-day several details were made from the regiment for brigade
headquarters, where Kilpatrick, the senior colonel in the brigade, now
commands. In the afternoon we raised the "stars and stripes" in front of
his tent, after which three cheers were given for the flag and three for
the Union. Kilpatrick was then called upon for a speech, and responded
in his usually felicitous style. He is certainly an orator as well as a
warrior. He speaks, too, as he fights, with dash and daring. What he has
to say he says with such perspicuity that no one doubts his meaning.
Frequently there are flashes of eloquence worthy of a Demosthenes. His
voice and diction seem to be well-nigh faultless. His speech to-day
elicited frequent outbursts of applause, and the men cheered him
enthusiastically at the close, and left his quarters with a deeper
affection for him than before. Strict as he is to enforce discipline,
and thorough, yet he is not severe; and the men love him for his
personal attention to their wants, and for his appreciation of their
labors. If he gives us hard work to do in march or battle, he endures or
shares with us the hardship. If by the losses of men he has sustained he
is truly entitled to the nickname of "Kill Cavalry," which has been
quite generally accorded to him, his men know that these casualties
have fallen out in the line of duty, in bold enterprises that cost the
enemy dearly, the wisdom of which will ever exculpate our loved
commander from the imputation of rashness with which, by uninformed
parties, he is sometimes charged.
In preparation for, and during, a battle, none can excel him. His plans
are quickly made and executed, while all possible contingencies seem to
have been foreseen. His selection of positions and disposition of forces
always exhibits great sagacity and military genius. He generally holds
his men under perfect control. His clarion voice rings like magic
through the ranks, while his busy form, always in the thickest of the
fight, elicits the warmest enthusiasm. His equanimity of mind seems
never to be overcome by his celerity of motion, but are equally
balanced. Rarely is so great prudence found blended with so undaunted
courage. He has an indomitable will that cannot brook defeat. The word
_impossible_ he never knows, whatever difficulties intervene between him
and duty. He feels like Napoleon, "that _impossible_ is the adjective of
fools."
Added to all these mental qualifications, is that perfect _physique_,
which makes Kilpatrick the model soldier. As an equestrian we have never
seen his superior. He rides as though he had been made for a saddle.
Rocks, stumps, fallen trees, brooks, and fences are nothing before him.
His well-trained steeds understand him perfectly, and are never at a
loss to know what is meant by the sharp spurs on their sides, whatever
obstacles stand in their path. We have seen him leap over barriers
where only few could follow him. To accomplish such feats the horse must
have confidence in the rider as well as the rider in the horse. While in
a charge, Kilpatrick has more the appearance of an eagle pouncing upon
his prey, than that of a man pouncing upon a man. Then, too, he has a
wonderful power of endurance. Though somewhat slender in form and
delicate in mould, with complexion and eyes as light as a maiden's, yet
it would seem as though his bones were iron and his sinews steel, while
the whole is overlaid with gold. He is certainly compactly built. He has
undoubtedly his faults, but his men fail to see them, so that to them he
is as good as perfect.
What so young a champion of the right may yet achieve for his country,
is a matter of much hopeful conjecture among us. He is now only
twenty-five years of age, having had his birth in the beautiful valley
of the Clove, in Northern New Jersey, in 1838. He entered the Military
Academy at West Point on the twentieth of June, 1856, and graduated with
honors in 1860, just in time to be ready for the great conflict then
impending. He was present at Baltimore when the mob endeavored to stop
the trains for Washington, and the blood of Massachusetts men was spilt
upon the streets. He there exhibited that bold intrepidity which has
ever characterized his actions. He was wounded at the battle of Big
Bethel, one of the first engagements of the war, where as a lieutenant
he commanded Duryea's Zouaves, June eleventh, 1861. He had just
recovered from his wound when he entered upon the organization of the
Harris Light, and became its lieutenant-colonel.
_March 5._--We had regimental drill at the usual time this morning. I
rode my black pony recently drawn in place of my little black mare,
deceased. This was his first experience in cavalry discipline; and I
infer that the men in the front rank of the platoon, which I commanded,
hoped it might be his last entry; for it must have been most
emphatically evident to those who followed him that he was determined to
introduce a new system of tactics, in which heels were to go up in no
gentle manner at every change of movement. He is certainly the most
ungovernable horse on drill I ever mounted; and nothing but long marches
and raids can effectually subdue his kicking propensities. I am
encouraged, however, with the consideration that such fiery metal, when
properly controlled and moulded, is usually very valuable.
The rain fell so fast on the sixth, that we were prevented from drill,
and recall was sounded immediately after drill-call.
_Sunday, March 8._--Details from the regiment were ordered out on
picket. The night had been stormy, but the day has been lovely. At such
times, were it not for the mud, we would feel that we are very
comfortably circumstanced.
On the eleventh, in the morning, the ground was covered with snow which
had fallen in the night. A brilliant sun soon dissolved the pure mantle
and left us in much mire. But our attention was diverted from the going
by a novel scene which we were called to witness in camp. The regiment
was instructed in the best method of packing a mule, by one who has had
experience in the business. The most mulish mule in the whole braying
family was selected for the operation, and if we did not have some tall
fun I will admit that I am no judge. A hog on ice or a bristling
porcupine are bad enough, but an ugly mule outstrips them all. It seems
as if the irascible animal tried to do his prettiest, flouncing around
in a most laughable manner, pawing and kicking at times furiously. But
the desperate Yankee teacher was not to be outwitted, and conquered him
at last, when the pack was satisfactorily poised, and the ornamented
mule was promenaded about camp as in triumph.
We are informed that it is the intention of the authorities to have
pack-mules used in the cavalry corps henceforward in place of army
wagons. The reason of this change seems to be to facilitate rapid
movements or forced marches. It is the prevailing opinion, however, that
the experiment will prove a failure. Too many mules would be required
for this purpose, and our forage and rations would be very insecure,
especially from the storms. But we will see how the thing works. At
times it may be expedient.
_March 12._--I had the misfortune to have my quarters burned this
morning while getting out a detail for picket. All my extra clothing,
equipments, and some little mementoes or valuables were speedily
converted into ashes. But I immediately went to work, and with some kind
assistance, which every brother-soldier is so ready to bestow, I put up
a new establishment which in every respect is superior to the old. Our
homes, it is true, are easily destroyed, but they are as easily
replaced.
_March 13._--Details from the regiment, with pack-mules, were sent out
to the Rappahannock, to carry rations and forage to our pickets. The
mule-train looks oddly enough, and yet through these muddy roads it
seems to be a necessity.
_March 14._--To-day I am doing regimental guard duty. The guard has been
not a little amused by the arrest of Kilpatrick's colored servants. It
was their misfortune to be discovered by Captain Southard, the officer
of the day, while engaged in a fierce contest, in which their heads were
used as the chief weapons of attack and defence. The blows they dealt
upon each other were most terrible, reminding one of the battering-rams
of old, used for demolishing the walls of forts or cities. Such ancient
modes of warfare, of course, could not be tolerated here, especially as
no order for battle had been promulgated from headquarters, and the
captain arrested the offenders and brought them to the guard-house,
where they were placed in my charge. I immediately ordered them out
under guard to police camp as a punishment for their bad conduct.
While thus engaged, Kilpatrick happened to see them, and, not wishing to
have his faithful servants subjected to such humiliating labor, issued
an order for their immediate release from durance vile, asserting that
he would be responsible for their fighting in the future, if at least
they did not put their heads together more than half a dozen times a
day.
The day following this laughable farce, in the afternoon, we experienced
one of the most terrific storms ever known in this part of the country.
The day had been quite pleasant until about two o'clock, when dark
clouds began to obscure the sky, and the wind shifted from the south to
the north-west. At four o'clock the elements were ready for battle, and
a fierce engagement commenced. Gleaming and forked lightnings cleft the
canopy, while booming thunder shook the trembling earth. The artillery
of Heaven had not long been opened before the musketry commenced, and
down poured a shower of hail, which came near demolishing our tents, and
brought suffering and sorrow upon all unsheltered heads. Mules brayed
horribly, vying with the hoarse, muttering thunder, making the camp most
hideous and lonely. The wind and cold increased with every passing hour,
the hail fell faster and more heavily, and night came suddenly down to
hide, though not to prevent, the storm. The night was one of great
suffering, especially on the lines of picket--it was bad enough
anywhere.
_March 23._--A beautiful sabre was presented to Major E. F. Cooke this
afternoon, by the members of his old company, for his gallantry and
soldierly character, which have earned his promotion. Captain O. J.
Downing, of company B, made the presentation speech, in which he
beautifully alluded to the happy relation which always exists between a
faithful commander and his men. As a token that such relation existed
between the major and those whom he had often led through perilous
scenes and conflicts, their gift was presented. An appropriate response
was made by the major, in which he very humbly attributed his military
success thus far to the bravery of the noble men who had always stood by
him, and whose gift he accepted not only as a mark of their appreciation
of himself as a man, but of their devotion to the cause which he hoped,
by the edge of the sabre and trust in Providence, we may yet win.
_March 24._--Kilpatrick's brigade was reviewed this morning by General
Gregg, who commands the Second division of the cavalry corps. Kilpatrick
commands the First brigade, which is composed of the First Maine, the
Tenth New York, and Harris Light. On the twenty-fifth General Gregg
again reviewed us. We were ordered to turn out in "heavy marching
orders," that is, with all our clothing, rations, forage or grain, and
fully equipped. For some reason inspections and reviews are frequent of
late. The Harris Light maintains its established reputation, as being
second to none in the corps, for its efficiency in drill and discipline,
and in its general appearance. The men take pride in keeping up the
_morale_ of the regiment.
_March 28._--Colonel Clarence Buel is paying us a visit to-day. This
gallant and noble officer, who organized and formerly commanded the Troy
company of the Harris Light, has recently been promoted to the colonelcy
of the Hundred and Sixty-ninth New York Infantry. The colonel has taken
a temporary leave of absence from his new command for the purpose of
making us a friendly call; and he is again surrounded by his old tried
friends and comrades. Company E hails with pleasure its former loved
captain, and though sad at his loss, still rejoices in his well-earned
and merited promotion. All the men of the company showed their respect
and admiration for him by falling into line upon the announcement of his
arrival in camp, and thus greeted the Christian soldier. It was a very
delightful and enjoyable occasion.
As a soldier, Colonel Buel stands among the bravest and the best. Always
attentive to the wants of his command, his men are always the last to be
out of supplies of rations or clothing. He generally exercised that
fatherly care over us which called forth in return a filial love. He is
dignified, and yet perfectly affable. As a commander, he is intrepid and
cool, and manages his troops with admirable skill. He possesses a
naturally well-balanced mind, thoroughly cultivated, and a heart always
full of Christian hopefulness and benevolence. We wish him great success
in his new field of labor and responsibility.