Their fire, balls and shrapnell, was well directed, but fortunately not
very fatal. Only a few of the men were wounded by splinters of balls.
While this was going on upon the left wing, the conflict on the right
was no less severe. The second, sixth and tenth companies were scattered
as skirmishers, while the seventh was drawn up in company column for
their support. The sixth company had taken position behind a fence. The
Rangers galloped up to them in close line, and commenced firing from
rifles and revolvers. Their fire was steadily returned by the sixth,
which held them in check till a part of them got behind the fence, when
the skirmishers fell back behind the seventh, drawn up in a square. Now
a fearful conflict ensued. A whole battalion of Rangers, fully two
hundred strong, bore down upon the little band of not more than fifty.
Upon the front and left flank of the square they rushed, with a fierce
attempt to trample down the squad before them.
Captain Welschbellich allowed them to come within a distance of seventy
yards, then fired a volley, which staggered and sent them back. But
immediately afterward they reformed and again rushed fiercely upon the
front and both flanks of the square. They seemed frantic with rage over
the successful resistance offered to them, and this time many of their
band rode up to the points of the bayonets. But another well-aimed
volley emptied a number of saddles, and sent back the whole mass which a
moment before had threatened certain destruction to Captain
Welschbellich’s company. A few bayonet thrusts and scattering shots
brought down those who had ventured to the front. This second repulse
had a marked effect. Yet a third attack was made, much less determined
and fierce than the two first, though it was more disastrous to the
enemy. During this third attack it was that Colonel Terry, the commander
of the Rangers, was killed. Upon his fall, the whole column broke and
fled in wild dismay.
But in place of the Rangers, a whole regiment of infantry, accompanied
by their band of music, now marched against the “invincible square.”
Before this overpowering force Captain Welschbellich deemed it prudent
to retire, and united with the second, sixth and tenth companies again.
About this time it was that Colonel Willich, with his battle horse in a
foam, arrived upon the field. He saw the right wing retiring, and the
entire infantry of the enemy, two regiments, coming on, thus endangering
the retreat of the left wing. He therefore ordered the signal for
“retiring slowly” to be given, and collected the companies. The second
company, under Captain Glass, and the seventh, under Captain
Welschbellich, were the first who took their places in the line of
battle of the regiment.
About this time a manœuvre was executed by the first company, under
Captain Erdemeyer, which decided the day. When the battle commenced, and
the impression prevailed that the Unionists were fighting cavalry alone,
Lieutenant-Colonel Treba had detached this company to take a position
and attack the flank of the enemy. When the first company arrived at the
place of destination, Captain Erdemeyer found that the enemy had
likewise a large force of infantry and artillery, to attack which would
have been certain destruction to his company. He therefore kept his
covered position until the time mentioned. Then, finding the larger part
of the infantry drawn to another part of the field, he ordered an
advance. His appearance was the signal of a general retreat of the
enemy. The rest of the cavalry fled, the artillery retired in haste, and
the infantry followed as quickly.
The Union loss was eleven killed, twenty wounded, and five missing. The
enemy left a large number of killed on the field, and among their dead
was the body of Colonel Terry. The rebel loss was thirty-three killed
and sixty wounded.
CAPTURE OF REBEL RECRUITS AT MILFORD, MO.
On the eighteenth of December, Brigadier-General Pope, commanding the
Federal troops in the central district of Missouri, made a brilliant and
successful movement, which resulted in the capture of a considerable
number of the enemy.
[Illustration: _H. W. Halleck_]
It will be recollected that the withdrawal of the Federal troops from
Springfield and the leading points of both central and southern
Missouri, had given free scope to the action of the enemy. Seditious
proclamations had been issued by Ex-Governor Jackson and General Price,
and had been thoroughly circulated. Enlisting agents, also, had been
very active, and some two thousand recruits, mostly drawn from the
northern counties, were proceeding by slow stages southward, to unite
with the main body under General Price.
A well laid plan was matured by Generals Halleck and Pope to capture
these reinforcements; and two brigades of General Pope’s division were
dispatched without exciting any suspicion as to their destination, to
intercept the enemy on their march. The brigades were constituted as
follows:
First Brigade, Acting Brigadier-General Steele.—Twenty-seventh regiment
Ohio Volunteers, Colonel Kennett; Twenty-second regiment Indiana
Volunteers, Colonel Hendricks; First regiment Kansas Volunteers, Colonel
Thayer; one battery First Missouri Volunteers, Lieutenant Marr; four
companies regular cavalry, Colonel Amory.
Second Brigade, Acting Brigadier-General Jeff. C. Davis.—Eighteenth
regiment Indiana Volunteers, Colonel Patterson; Eighth regiment Indiana
Volunteers, Colonel Benton; Twenty-fourth regiment Indiana Volunteers,
Lieutenant ——; one battery First Missouri Artillery, Lieutenant Klaus;
one squadron First Iowa Cavalry, Major Torrence.
The whole was under the immediate command of General Pope. The four
companies of regular cavalry were the fragments of the original
companies, B, C, D, and E, and numbered but a little over a hundred men.
They were under the command of Captain Crittenden, of the regular army,
son of Hon. John J. Crittenden.
The command started from Sedalia on Sunday, the 15th, and encamped at
night eleven miles distant on the road to Clinton. The next day they
marched twenty-six miles, and at sunset arrived at Shawnee Mound, in
Henry county. Here reports of various companies of rebels began to come
in from residents and from Union scouts. One company of near five
hundred was heard of at a point about twelve miles north-west, and
several smaller bodies directly south, from Clinton to Butler. General
Pope then dispatched his whole available force of cavalry, nearly seven
hundred, before they had secured three hours’ rest, after the five
hundred near Morristown. The cavalry under Lieutenant-Colonel Brown, of
the Seventh Missouri Volunteers, pushed on all night, and arriving at
the rebel camp they found it vacated. The enemy had received warning and
fled precipitately, leaving numerous evidences of haste. The cavalry,
notwithstanding their forty miles’ continuous march, pushed on after the
fleeing rebels till they reached Rose Hill, picking up some twenty or
thirty stragglers on the road. At Rose Hill the rebels separated into
several squads, some taking the road west, others taking the south route
to Butler, and Colonel Brown had no other alternative than to rest his
exhausted horses, and finally to make his way back to the main column
next day, near Warrensburg. He brought in nearly one hundred prisoners.
General Pope in the meantime kept advancing in a direction west of north
to Chilhowee, a most important point, being the centre of numerous
cross-roads. This was near the site of the rebel camp just referred to,
and here the pickets brought in some few straggling men who were bound
for Price’s army. At Chilhowee they heard of a rebel force of 1,800 from
the north, and of the scouring of the country south of Clinton by Major
Hubbard, of the First Missouri Cavalry. The direction of the Union
forces was at once east, toward Warrenburg. That night (Wednesday) they
encamped two and a half miles west of Warrenburg. The reports were
confirmed by a loyal man, who was on his way to give the information. He
gave their location as at Kilpatrick’s mill, on the Clear fork of
Blackwater Creek. (Milford is the post-office name.) Early on Thursday
morning they started in the direction of Knob Noster, being directly
south of the enemy. Colonel Merrill’s Horse was ordered to take the
direct road running parallel with the course of the Blackwater, so as to
intercept them in case they took a western course.
The brigade of Colonel Davis was placed in the advance, with orders to
keep well up to the cavalry, a section of artillery being ready to
support the cavalry upon a minute’s warning. General Pope, with the main
body, kept due west for Knob Noster, ready to come up if necessary.
Colonel Davis, finding that the enemy was still in camp at Milford,
diverged to the left, and put the regular cavalry, under Lieutenant
Amory, in the advance, the four companies of the First Iowa Cavalry,
under Major Torrence, being next. On approaching the mill, the men
discovered that the rebels were posted on the opposite side of the
bridge, across the dam. Finding that it would be dangerous to charge the
bridge mounted, Lieutenant Amory ordered the men to dismount and
skirmish with pistols and sabres, as infantry, the fourth man holding
the horses of the other three. This they instantly did, and advanced
under the lead of Lieutenant Gordon, of Company D. Some ineffectual
skirmishing took place between the regulars, who were sheltered behind a
barn on the south of the creek, and the rebels, who were on the north
side. During this interval the Iowa Cavalry filed off to the left, in
the attempt to cross the stream higher up, but after vainly traversing
its steep sides and muddy bottom for a mile, returned to find Lieutenant
Amory charging across the bridge, the rebels having deserted it upon
seeing Colonel Davis, with the artillery advancing. Lieutenant Amory
followed the road, thinking that the rebels might flee to the north.
Lieutenant Gordon immediately dashed after some of the scattering
fugitives through the wood, and after penetrating a few rods, received a
volley from the enemy, whom he just then discovered formed in line. He
instantly formed in line, and ordered his men to fire.
The cavalry, under Major Torrence, and the regulars, under Lieutenant
Amory, had in the mean time reached the flank and rear of another body
of the enemy, who was thus enclosed on one side by a long marsh, on the
other by a deep and muddy mill-pond, and on the third by our cavalry.
Colonel Davis had by this time come up in the rear. A white flag was
displayed, and Colonel Alexander, a young man, came forward and asked if
thirty minutes would be allowed them for consultation. Colonel Davis’s
answer was “that as night was closing in, that was too long.” Colonel A.
then asked if he would be allowed to go to headquarters and bring back
the answer of the commander of the corps, Colonel Robinson. Permission
being granted, he returned in about five minutes, with the response that
“they would be obliged to surrender as prisoners of war.” The arms were
stacked, and the men formed in line and marched between two files of
infantry, the Eighteenth and Twenty-fourth Illinois, with all the honors
of war. Colonel Davis immediately sent dispatches to General Pope
announcing his success, and as night was closing around, the arms were
hastily stowed in wagons, and the Federal troops commenced the march for
camp. One thousand guns of all kinds were captured, with a full supply
of clothing and provision. One of the enemy was killed, and several
wounded. Two Federals were killed and eight wounded.
Dispatches were received Thursday evening from General Halleck ordering
the Union troops to fall back to Sedalia. General Pope, therefore,
accompanied with the victors as an escort, and the wounded men, started
and made the journey (twenty miles) by two o’clock.
Following close upon them was the brigade of Colonel Hovey, of the
Twenty-fourth Indiana, who had been dispatched with two regiments, a
battery, and two squadrons of the First Missouri Cavalry, on the Clinton
road some twelve miles from Sedalia, where the cavalry, under Major
Hubbard, some two hundred and fifty in number, made a reconnoissance of
the country extending westward and southward, as far as the Grand river,
beyond Clinton. Here they came upon the pickets of General Rains, who,
with an advanced cavalry force was guarding the Grand river. The pickets
were driven in, one shot, about sixty prisoners taken within the lines
of General Rains, and a mill near Clinton burned.
The detachment of cavalry under Lieutenant-Colonel Brown also burned a
mill near Johnstown, on the borders of Bates county. His force travelled
two hundred and fifty miles in six days.
Colonel Hovey, of the Twenty-fourth Indiana, effected a successful ruse,
whereby he succeeded in making a capture of six prisoners and two
hundred bushels of corn meal. He was ordered by General Turner to
reconnoitre with about a hundred men on the road to Clinton. He left on
Monday morning, taking Fairview and Siseonville on his route. Learning
on Tuesday that a party of the enemy was encamped at a mill near Chapel
Hill, he adopted a scheme for capturing the whole of them next day.
He ordered his men into the wagons, and had them drawn, with the
exception of a small guard, resembling a provision train. As they
approached Hall’s store the rebels appeared in the brush ready to seize
the train. One of his officers rode around a hill to see the whereabouts
of the party, when he encountered a mounted rebel, who raised his
shot-gun, when he was brought to the ground by a revolver. Colonel Hovey
then ordered his men to emerge from their concealment, and a search was
made for the enemy. One of them was wounded in the fray, and one killed,
two balls lodging in his neck. A few horses and mules were captured,
some of which were branded U. S. The mill was afterward burned, and the
meal put in Hovey’s wagons.
The total number of prisoners taken exceeded sixteen hundred. The march
was accomplished in exceeding cold weather, and many of the troops
suffered severely.
BATTLE OF DRANESVILLE, VA.
DECEMBER 20, 1861.
In the month of December, the Pennsylvania reserve regiments, under the
command of Major-General McCall, constituted the right wing of the great
Potomac army. The division occupied an extensive range of country,
beyond Langley’s church and tavern, the encampments stretching toward
Lewinsville. Beyond this, north-westwardly, an open country extended, in
the direction of Leesburg, some twelve or fifteen miles, unoccupied by
hostile forces. Midway was the village of Dranesville, a small town,
almost deserted.
It having been determined to send a foraging party to take possession of
a quantity of hay, oats and provender known to be in this neighborhood,
the brigade of General E. O. C. Ord, the third of McCall’s division, was
assigned to the duty.
The force consisted of the Sixth regiment, Colonel W. W. Rickets; Ninth,
Colonel C. F. Jackson; Tenth, Colonel John S. McCalmont; Twelfth,
Colonel John H. Taggart. The regiment of riflemen known as the
Bucktails, Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas L. Kane; a battery of two
twenty-four-pounders and two twelve-pounders, commanded by Captain
Easton, and a detachment of cavalry from Colonel Bayard’s regiment, also
accompanied the expedition. Each regiment was strongly represented, and
there were about four thousand men in the expedition. The order for
march was received on Thursday evening, the men being directed to take
with them one day’s rations. The morning was clear, and rather cold,
with a slight mist around the sun, and a thin layer of frost whitening
the road and coating the grass. The Bucktails were assigned the advance
of the infantry column, the cavalry preceding as scouts, and battery
being in reserve. Colonel Taggart’s regiment brought up the rear. A
number of teams were also in company. Each regiment had two companies of
flankers thrown out, on either side of the column, to scour the woods,
search the thickets, and prevent the column from falling into an
ambuscade. They halted at Difficult Creek, a narrow stream, with a heavy
stone bridge. The stream is fordable, the average width being thirty
feet.
The march continued. The day became warm, the sky soft and clear, as the
soldiers approached Dranesville. About noon the flanking companies of
the Twelfth regiment came in and reported that a large body of rebels
could be seen from a neighboring hill. At another part of the line shots
were exchanged between the hidden enemy and the Union flanking
companies. Instantly a line of battle was formed, but no enemy appeared,
and the firing ceased.
The delay was that of a few minutes. The Union men were anxious,
expectant, and enthusiastic. Suddenly a fire was opened upon our line
from a wood or thicket nearly a mile distant. The enemy’s battery
contained six guns, and was placed in a road skirting the wood, and
sheltered by it. Their guns were of large calibre, and they fired
shells. At first they passed over the column and exploded beyond. The
rebel artillerymen discovered this, altered their range, and their
shells fell short. In the mean time, Easton’s battery was brought into
position on the side of an elevation in front of the Twelfth regiment,
which was in line of battle. General Ord himself sighted the guns, and a
sharp fire was opened upon the enemy.
The Union infantry laid down on their arms, awaiting the orders of their
superior officers. At length the fire of the enemy began to be irregular
and uncertain, proving that they either intended to retreat or change
position. At this time Colonel Kane, who was on the right of the column,
discovered the infantry of the enemy passing through an open clearing
near the wood, evidently intending a flank movement, or designing to
occupy a brick house within a hundred yards of his regiment. He sent a
detachment of twenty men, under command of Lieutenant Rice, to take the
house, which they did, and, under shelter of its walls, opened fire upon
the advancing regiments. Having bestowed the family found in this house
safely in the cellar, the small garrison demolished the windows and
attacked the enemy, which was afterwards discovered to be an Alabama
regiment, under command of Colonel John H. Forney; a Kentucky regiment,
commanded by Colonel Tom Taylor; and a South Carolina regiment. They
took the shelter of underbrush, and, under the supposition that the
house was filled by Union troops, opened a heavy fire upon it, supported
by two small guns, which threw shot and shell upon it. They advanced
nearer and nearer every volley, the brave Union riflemen firing rapidly
and with great effect. Colonel Kane was among them all the time,
inspiring them with his example. They fell on the ground, they loaded
their pieces, rising suddenly, taking deliberate aim, and lying down to
load again. The burden of the enemy’s fire was directed at the house,
and it was shattered and pierced, the roof being broken, and some of the
walls giving way.
The Federal fire was so terrific that the enemy fell back from the
advanced position they had assumed, abandoned their flanking manœuvre,
and retreated to the woods under cover of their battery, which kept up
an irregular and uncertain fire. The Bucktails advanced in pursuit. As
they rose to follow, Colonel Kane, who was leading them, was wounded. He
fell, but instantly arose, and continued to advance. In the mean time
General Ord ordered the line to charge and take the battery. The order
was given to the Twelfth regiment, Colonel John H. Taggart commanding.
It was received with a cheer by the men, and they advanced in the
direction of the unseen battery. They proceeded to the edge of the wood
and entered, keeping the line as straight and precise as on dress
parade. The wood was dense, and so impenetrable that the men found it
difficult to proceed. Colonel Taggart threw his scabbard away and
preceded his men with his drawn sword in one hand and his pistol in the
other.
They came into an open clearing, only to find that the rebels had
retreated in the most precipitate manner. While the Union troops were
crowding through the woods, the enemy had started along the Leesburg
road, taking their cannon, but leaving their dead and wounded, and large
quantities of arms and ammunition. A single caisson remained. Their
magazine had been struck by a shell, and exploded with appalling effect.
Around it the dead and dying were heaped in masses—fifteen men and five
horses being killed. The Union men were wild with the enthusiasm of
victory, and having placed the wounded in the houses near by, and
chopped the gun-carriages to splinters, they started in pursuit of the
retreating foe.
This was about three o’clock. General McCall, with his staff, had
arrived on the ground only to hear of a victory won. Knowing that an
advance would be fatal, he ordered a recall, and with the wounded and
dead, and the trophies of war, the troops returned from the field.
The brave and victorious band arrived at Langley’s about nine o’clock in
the evening, where they were met by thousands of their shouting and
exultant comrades.
The rebel troops engaged in this battle were on the same errand. Two
hundred wagons had been sent out by General Stuart, their commander,
under the care of a foraging party, escorted by the Eleventh Virginia,
Colonel Garland; the Sixth South Carolina, under Lieutenant-Colonel A.
J. Secrest; the Tenth Alabama, Colonel John H. Forney; the First
Kentucky, Colonel Sam. Taylor; the Sumter Flying Artillery, Captain
Cutts, and detachments from Ransom’s and Radford’s Cavalry. The rebel
troops fought well, and did honor to themselves as soldiers, whose nerve
and bravery would have been worthy of triumph in a sacred cause. Their
loss was seventy-five killed, one hundred and fifty wounded, and thirty
prisoners. Of the Federals, seven were killed and sixty-one wounded.
EXPEDITION TO SHIP ISLAND.
DECEMBER, 1861.
General B. F. Butler, after having been stationed for a short time at
Fortress Monroe, was assigned to the North-Eastern Department, and
located his headquarters at Boston, where he superintended the
organization of the New England troops, and the fitting out of an
expedition intended to make a demonstration at some point on the
Southern coast. A portion of his troops sailed from Boston on the 23d of
November, in the steam transport Constitution, which arrived at Fortress
Monroe on the 26th, with the Twenty-sixth Massachusetts, and the Ninth
Connecticut regiments, and Captain Manning’s battery—making a total of
one thousand nine hundred men. Brigadier-General J. W. Phelps here took
the command, and reached Ship Island harbor, in Mississippi Sound,
December 3.
On the west end of this island there was a partly-finished fort,
occupied by Lieutenant Buchanan and one hundred and seventy sailors and
marines, with several ship guns in position. The rebels had evacuated
the island in September, destroying what they could not carry away with
them.
General Phelps, on assuming the command of Ship Island, published a
proclamation “To the loyal citizens of the South-west,” in which he
defined the political “motives and principles” by which his command
would be governed. He then at the very opening of his address, declared
that every slave State admitted into the Union since the adoption of the
Constitution, had been admitted in direct violation of that instrument.
That every slave State that existed as such at the adoption of the
Constitution, was by that act placed under the “highest obligation of
honor and morality to abolish slavery.” The rest of the “proclamation”
was in harmony with these statements. General Phelps made an official
report of his expedition to General Butler, who reported the facts to
the Adjutant-General of the United States. General Phelps was commended
for the successful manner in which he had performed his military duties,
but his proclamation was pronounced superfluous and uncalled for.