CHAPTER I._History of the Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry

Transcriber's Note:

Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note.

Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have been

retained as printed.

Words printed in italics are marked with underscores: _italics_.

[Illustration: WM. HEWITT 1860]

[Illustration: WM. HEWITT, FIRST LIEUT. 1868]

[Illustration: WM. B. CURTIS, COLONEL]

HISTORY OF THE

Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry

The Part It Took in the War of the Rebellion

1861-1865

_By_

_WILLIAM HEWITT_

_Published by the Twelfth West Virginia Infantry Association_

To the Surviving Comrades and the Families of

the Fallen of the Old Twelfth this work is

Respectfully Dedicated

PREFACE

COMRADES:

You conferred upon me at our reunion, held at New Cumberland, in 1889,

the honor of selecting me to compile a history of the Twelfth. The

matter was taken into consideration afterward by me, and owing in part

to the magnitude, burden and difficulty of the proposed task, my

inexperience in this kind of undertaking, and because I believed that

there were other survivors of the regiment much better qualified to

write the history, it was concluded to forego the undertaking. But at

our next reunion, because Col. Curtis was disappointed that nothing

had been done in the matter of the history, and was anxious that it be

written, and for the reason that the comrades present again expressed

a desire that I should undertake the work, I promised to attempt it

and do the best I could. Laboring under the unavoidable difficulties

that it has been thirty years since the old Twelfth was making its

history in the field, the almost total lack of official records

pertaining exclusively to the regiment, and the uncertainty of memory

at this late day, I have tried with reasonable fidelity to fulfill my

promise. In reason more should not be expected.

If you, the survivors of the Twelfth, be pleased with the history,

this fact will be a sufficient reward for my labors; but, on the other

hand, if it shall not come up to your expectations, you should be

charitable to its faults and short comings, remembering that however

great its imperfections you, yourselves, are largely responsible, for

the task was not one of my own seeking, but was rather thrust upon me.

The plan aimed at in writing the history is to not go outside of our

own organization in what is related, except to give a brief account of

the operations of the various armies to which we belonged, and to

intersperse the work with incidents, anecdotes, and matters mainly

personal to the members of the regiment.

Whatever possible merit may be found in the history is largely due to

the assistance of comrades in furnishing valuable data. Some of them

were quite liberal in their contributions. And where there is failure

to make mention of incidents worthy of record, or of daring deeds of

individuals or detachments, it is because they were not known, or are

not remembered by the compiler. Reasonable effort was made to get all

such details. A card was inserted in various newspapers, and letters

were written to different comrades asking that they be furnished. If

comrades shall fail to find, as no doubt they shall, a record herein

of certain incidents worthy of mention, they will be forbearing toward

the historian when they consider that there is a number of such

matters herein given that they did not know of or have forgotten.

The comrades will all feel like thanking Mrs. McCaffrey, formerly Mrs.

Bengough, wife of the late Lieut. Bengough of the Twelfth, for the

vivid and stirring story of the capture, detention and final release

of herself and sister-in-law as prisoners by the Rebels, kindly

furnished for this history.

Surviving Comrades, this attempted record of the history of the old

Twelfth is now submitted to your charitable consideration, and may

your days be long, peaceful, pleasant and prosperous.

WILLIAM HEWITT.

June 20th, 1892.

INDEX

CHAPTER I.

The Circumstances Under Which the Twelfth Was Organized--The Character

of the Men Composing it--The Organization.

CHAPTER II.

March to Clarksburg--Marches and Operations in West Virginia in the

Fall of '62--Incidents.

CHAPTER III.

The Movement into the Shenandoah Valley--Stationed at Winchester Under

Gen. Milroy--Moved to Berryville--The Capture of Capt. Lapole--Joke on

Sergt. Porter--From Berryville to Clarksburg--The March Through

Charlestown.

CHAPTER IV.

The Battle of Winchester--The Retreat--The North Mountain Girl--

Halted at Bloody Run, Pa.--Marched to Bedford--Left Bedford for

Loudon--Milroy's Men Capture One of Lee's Trains and Many Prisoners--

Marched to Hagerstown--Anecdotes--Marched to Sharpsburg--Thence to

Martinsburg.

CHAPTER V.

Col. Klunk's Resignation Accepted--Troops Pass from the Army of the

Potomac to Grant--An Incident about Van and Tom--Capt. Bristor's

Capture of Spy--Capt. Moffatt's Capture of Gilmore's Men--Lieut.

Blaney's Observation--An Incident Concerning Adjt. Caldwell--Mrs.

Bengough a Prisoner--Her Story.

CHAPTER VI.

An Attack Expected--March to Maryland Heights--Incidents--Brigaded

with the Thirty-fourth Mass.--A Move up the Valley--Incidents--The

Return--Incidents--Followed by Early-Threatened Attack at Harper's

Ferry--Moved to Cumberland, Md.--Comrade Haney's Story--Gens. Kelly

and Crook Captured.

CHAPTER VII.

Under Gen. Sigel--March to Beverly, via Webster--March back to

Webster--The Story of the Camp on the Rebel Farm--The March up the

Valley--Two of Company C Captured--The Battle of New Market--Gen.

Sigel's Letter--Corpl. De Bee's Scout--An Incident--Comrades Miller

and W. C. Mahan as Prisoners--Their Stories.

CHAPTER VIII.

Sigel Relieved--Hunter in Command--The Lynchburg Campaign--The Battle

of Piedmont--List of Killed and Wounded--Marched to Lynchburg--

Anecdote--The Battle--The Retreat to the Kanawha--Hunter's Loss of

Artillery on Way--The Men Hard Pressed for Food.

CHAPTER IX.

Back in the Valley--Threatening Early on His Retreat from Washington

--Battle of Snicker's Ferry--Marched to Winchester--Battle of

Kearnstown--Our Retreat via. Martinsburg and Sharpsburg to

Halltown--An Incident--R. W. Mahan's Prison Trials--A Large Army

Concentrates at Halltown--The Wild-goose Chase Into Maryland.

CHAPTER X.

Sheridan in Command--The Move up the Valley--The Twelfth Charges Rebel

Skirmishers--Sheridan Retreats to Halltown--Early Demonstrates Against

Him--Early Withdraws--Sheridan Moves to Charlestown--The Fight at

Berryville--Grant's Visit to Sheridan--The Battle of the Opeguon

--Anecdote of Sheridan--Battle of Fisher's Hill--Pursuit of the

Enemy up the Valley--Destruction by Sheridan--He Falls Back to

Strasburg--Battle of Tom's Brook--Our Brigade Starts for Martinsburg

--Mosby Attacks an Ambulance Guard--The Twelfth Starts for the

Front--Early Shells Thoburn's Camp--The Battle of Cedar Creek--The

Twelfth on the Way to the Front--Sheridan on His Ride--Col. Thoburn

Killed--Capt. Phil Bier Killed--The Twelfth Marches to Cedar

Creek--Thence to Newtown.

CHAPTER XI.

The Army Moves Back to Kearnstown--Early Follows Far as Middletown

--Sheridan's Cavalry Drives the Rebel Cavalry--Early Returns to New

Market--Anecdotes--The Twelfth Moves to Stephenson's Depot--Salutes

for Gen. Thomas's Victories--The Twelfth Sent to the Army of the

James--Put into the Twenty-fourth Corps--The Opposing Pickets--Lieut.

Col. Northcott's Resignation--The Sinking of Rebel Gun Boats--Rebel

Deserters--The Peace Commission--Grant Reviews Our Corps--Gen. Turner

Commands the Division--It Moves to Aid Sheridan--Asst. Surg. Neil's

Lecture.

CHAPTER XII.

Part of Our Army Crosses the James--The Second Division at Hatcher's

Run--The Capture of Fort Gregg--The Enemy Evacuates Richmond and

Petersburg--The Pursuit--The March to Cut off Lee's Retreat--An

Incident--The Second Division and One Other Were the Infantry Forces

Cutting off the Retreat--The Surrender--Both Armies Cheer--Lieut.

McCord--The Col. and Citizen McLean Talk--An Incident--Marched to

Lynchburg and Back--Thence to Richmond--Some of the Boys Presented

with Medals--Mustered Out--Sent Home--Memorial--Conclusion.

CHAPTER I.

(1) The great War of the Rebellion had gone on for more than a year,

and had assumed proportions of a grand scale, dwarfing any other ever

fought on this continent, so far as there is any history; in fact,

making all other wars on this side of the ocean appear, by comparison,

to be Lilliputian in character; and so far as the magnitude of its

theater or geographical extent was concerned, the greatest war in the

history of the world.

(2) Previous to our great war it had been supposed that modern times

had only one man surely--possibly others--capable of efficiently

handling a hundred thousand men--Napoleon Bonaparte. But this mighty

conflict was developing more than one man fully able to command that

number of men in action; and at least one man capable of having a

general supervision over fully a million of men in the field. We were

exhibiting to the world new methods of warfare both on land and sea,

and showing it that we had the most effective and intelligent soldiers

in the world.

(3) Several hundred thousand men had been called into the field, armed

and equipped. Men and money had been lavishly expended. There was a

willingness on the part of the loyal people to spend the last dollar

and furnish the last man, if they could see any evidence of progress

on the part of our arms, or have any assurance of final success in the

suppression of the Rebellion.

(4) The war on the part of the Government, however, had been begun

with an entirely inadequate idea of the magnitude of the undertaking.

It is well known that one[1] high in the councils of the nation had

predicted before hostilities actually began that there would be peace

in sixty days, and even the good President seemed to think that all

the threatening aspect of affairs would pass away if a little time

were allowed for the passions of the people to cool. There seemed to

be a want of comprehension on the part of the loyal people generally,

and not less so on the part of those holding the reins of government,

of the terrible earnestness and deadly determination of those who had

taken up arms to disrupt the Government.

[1] Secretary Seward.

(5) Hence the first call for troops to cope with what was to prove to

be the most determined and formidable rebellion recorded in history,

was for only seventy-five thousand men, and what was worse, for only

the short terms of three months, as though the suppression of the

Rebellion was comparatively a trivial affair.

(6) There was some reason, however, aside from the supposed

sufficiency of the first call for troops, for not calling out a

greater force, namely, the lack of arms and other munitions of war;

but this excuse could not be offered for the deplorable blunder, which

all now can see, of making the term of the first enlistment only three

months, many regiments' time expiring when they were sorely needed.

(7) In the outset of hostilities and actual conflict of arms, there

was a remarkable lack of earnestness and the customary severity, which

is generally supposed to characterize grim-visaged war, shown by some

of our generals in the field. In some instances the first prisoners

were merely sworn to not take up arms again against the Government and

then let go--"a process," says Greeley in his _American Conflict_,

"about as imposing and significant, in their view, as the taking of a

glass of cider." This treatment of prisoners soon became a by-word and

jeering jest among the soldiers. It is related that during the Three

Months' service, when a comrade had captured a snake and was holding

it up by the tail, a fellow soldier called out to him to swear him and

let him go.

(8) There was great tenderness, too, in the beginning of the war,

shown by professed friends of the Union, for the people of those

States which assumed to be out of the Union; and for the people of the

States which were nominally within the Union, yet whose loyalty was of

an exceedingly questionable kind, as was manifested by their objecting

to the soldiers of our country marching under our common flag, setting

foot upon their soil. It was alleged by these professed friends that,

by treating the Rebels with severity, the people of the seceded States

would be so exasperated thereby that all hope of restoring the Union

would be forever destroyed. Just as though they were not already

inflamed to the highest pitch, and enraged to the last degree, when a

timid, halting policy of being afraid of hurting them, was only

bringing the Government into disrespect, encouraging the enemy, and

making more Rebels every day; and when a decided, vigorous course

toward the traitors was needed to sharply draw the line between the

enemies and friends of the Government.

(9) There was also a halting, half-hearted policy shown in the

disposition and handling of the eastern army--a dissipation of its

strength which resulted in bringing only little more, if any force, on

the Union side, than about one-half of the available strength in the

first battle of Bull Run, fought July 21st, 1861, and resulting in a

humiliating defeat, which defeat had the effect of stimulating and

vitalizing the Rebellion into tremendous vigor, and giving it high

hope and great energy.

(10) This defeat at the time was universally regarded as a great

calamity, though it is now seen, in view of the fact that it

necessitated the prolonging of the war, thereby compelling more

extreme and radical measures for the suppression of the Rebellion, and

consequently making a more substantial and durable peace, that that

reverse to our arms was a blessing in disguise.

(11) It was followed by the calling out of five hundred thousand more

troops, and the next spring, by General McClellan's dilatory, sluggish

and worse than abortive attempt to take Richmond with the Grand Army

of the Potomac. And this failure of this magnificent army tended to

still further encourage the Rebellion. At the end of that campaign the

Rebels were as full of the spirit of determination and as sanguine as

ever. And although some substantial progress had been made by our arms

in the Southwest, yet the results of the war so far were not

satisfactory, nor at all equal to the great expenditure of men and

money.

(12) Under this condition of affairs, and in this exigency, "Father

Abraham" called on July 1st, 1862, not for "three hundred thousand

more," but for six hundred thousand additional soldiers. And it was in

response to this call for more defenders of the Union that the Twelfth

West Virginia enlisted and was mustered into service along with the

other reinforcements, to do what it might to keep the Old Flag aloft,

and "that government of the people, by the people, and for the people

might not perish from the earth."

(13) The Twelfth was made up of exceptionally good material. The men

were mainly American born and native Virginians. They were a hardy,

robust, vigorous, self-reliant class of men, mainly from the farming

districts, of more than average size, many of them mountaineers. They

enlisted under trying and embarrassing circumstances, and in great

measure from patriotic impulses, their surroundings and circumstances

in many cases tending to lead them to join their fortunes with the

Rebel cause. It was a common thing for a West Virginia Union soldier

to have friends and relatives in the Rebel army, and in some cases for

brother to fight against brother.

(14) One of our faithful and efficient surgeons, of the Twelfth, F. H.

Patton, now having the important and responsible position of being in

charge of the Soldiers' Home at Dayton, Ohio, at a reunion at Wheeling

in 1886 paid the boys of the Twelfth the compliment of relating that

he was sometimes asked why it was that there were so few West Virginia

soldiers found in the Soldiers' Home at Dayton, and said that he

replied to that question, that the boys of West Virginia were a

self-reliant class of men, used to and feeling themselves fully

capable of looking after and taking care of themselves during the war,

and that he thought the same trait, characterizing them yet, of

looking out for themselves, accounted for so few West Virginia

soldiers being found in soldiers' homes.

(15) Another incident will further illustrate the character of the men

of this regiment. During the winter of 1864-5, the Tenth, Eleventh,

Twelfth and Fifteenth West Virginia regiments, along with some other

regiments, were sent from the Valley of Virginia to the Army of the

James, and organized into a small division, General T. M. Harris,

commander. This division was afterward known as the Independent

Division. It so happened that members of some of the regiments of the

corps to which our division was assigned were so inclined to desert to

the enemy when on the picket line, that it was not considered safe to

put those regiments on picket. Shortly after arrival, General Harris

was asked by his commanding officer if he would be responsible for his

men's deserting from the picket line. Harris replied that he would

guarantee that not a man of his would desert. His confidence was not

misplaced. The men were put on picket and not a man of the Twelfth

deserted. The same is true, it is believed, of the other regiments of

Harris's command. Of course the Twelfth, like other regiments, had its

deserters; but that class was long since weeded out, and those left,

the men in general, were determined to stand by the old flag to the

end of their enlistment. They would rather die than desert.

(16) The Regiment was made up from the counties named below, as

follows: Cos. A, B and C, in Marshall; Co. D, in Ohio County; Cos. E

and G, in Harrison; Co. F, in Marion; Co. H, in Taylor; Co. I, in

Hancock, and Co. K, in Brooke County.

(17) The Twelfth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry was mustered into

the United States Service August 30th, 1862, at Camp Willey on

Wheeling Island, and the organization completed as follows:

FIELD AND STAFF.

(Mustered in August 30th.)

Colonel--JOHN B. KLUNK Grafton

Lieut. Colonel--R. S. NORTHCOTT Clarksburg

Major--F. P. PIERPONT Harrisville

Adjutant--GEO. B. CALDWELL Wheeling

Quartermaster--N. U. THURBER Moundsville

Surgeon--JOHN FRIZZELL Wheeling

Asst. Surgeons {DWIGHT RUGGLES Moundsville

{S. P. BRYAN Limestone

Chaplain--THOMAS H. TRAINER Moundsville

NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF.

Sergeant Major--JAS. W. DUNNINGTON Fairmont

Q. M. Sergeant--DAVID B. FLEMING Independence

Com. Sergeant--WM. A. SCOTT Fairview

Hospital Steward--CHARLES H. ODBERT Wheeling

Principal Musician--GEORGE HAMMOND Grafton

COMPANY A.

(Mustered in August 16th.)

Captain--HAGER TOMLINSON Moundsville

First Lieut.--T. S. MAGRUDER Moundsville

Second Lieut.--WILLIAM BURLEY Moundsville