The following September General Kilpatrick, having become commander of a
division in July previous, applied to have me ordered to my regiment in
his division in order that I might be detailed for duty at his
headquarters. General Gregg wrote a letter to General Pleasanton, the
corps commander, requesting a "suspension of the order," because of the
absence, by reason of illness, of his adjutant-general, Captain Weir, in
which he stated substantially that he had no staff-officers familiar
with the adjutant-general's duties and that my services were then
"invaluable to him."[2] The order was thereupon suspended until Captain
Weir's return, when I reported to General Kilpatrick. About this time,
Captain Weir recommended me for a commission, which recommendation was
endorsed by General Gregg.[2] I was very sorry to leave General Gregg's
headquarters, for I had come to have great admiration for him and
Captain Weir, both as soldiers and high-toned, patriotic men.
[Footnote 2: See Appendix B.]
[Illustration: BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL E. W. WHITAKER]
At General Kilpatrick's headquarters I performed the same duties as
at General Gregg's, acting largely in the capacity of private secretary
to him when in camp, and doing a staff-officer's duty in the field,
until the following February. I was present with him at all the
engagements the division took part in during that period; the most
important of which that I recall was on the retreat from Culpeper, and
later at Buckland's Mills near Warrenton, about October 20th. The former
was on the occasion of the retirement from Culpeper and Brandy Station.
After leaving Culpeper General Custer's brigade had the advance and
General H. E. Davies, Jr., was covering the rear. General Pleasanton,
the corps commander, and his staff and escort happened to be riding near
General Kilpatrick and his staff, and Custer with three regiments was, I
think, in column of squadrons moving on the open plain between Culpeper
and Brandy Station and to the left of the railroad. The wagons of the
two brigades were in the advance, as we were retiring. It was a bright
October afternoon and one could see for a considerable distance ahead. A
stream called Mountain Run had to be crossed and we noticed confusion at
it, though it was probably a mile ahead. Presently some one appeared and
reported that the enemy were in position directly across our line of
march on the opposite side of the run. To their left they had a battery
which had the range of the little bridge over which our entire column
must pass to cross Mountain Run. It thus seemed that we were likely to
be cut off and the only alternative was to charge right through this
force directly in our front. Kilpatrick gave orders to Custer to charge
with his entire command and we then advanced in practically five
columns. This was a fine sight and a thrilling moment. Pleasanton's
staff and escort, Kilpatrick's staff and escort, and Custer's three or
four regiments. When we arrived within a reasonable charging distance of
the enemy posted as I have described, Custer ordered his band to strike
up _Yankee Doodle_; the men on hearing this began cheering when the
bugle sounded the charge. The five columns rushed forward and the enemy
broke before we reached them, moving into the woods on their left and
our right, across the railroad. I remember one gallant Confederate
riding out in an effort to rally their men, standing in plain sight with
his battle-flag stuck in the ground, holding it off from his horse at
arm's length, but it was of no use, and he finally was obliged to
retire.
Meanwhile the enemy appeared on our left and rear, and part of our force
had to turn and meet them, Davies, who was covering our rear, being also
strongly pressed as he was retiring from Culpeper. Repeated charges were
made and the enemy held back until our wagons, ambulances, and artillery
were gotten over the little bridge previously referred to at Mountain
Run. Ultimately the entire command crossed at this point. The enemy had
such an accurate range of this crossing-place that they dropped their
shells on and in the immediate vicinity of the bridge during the
crossing of our men. Just as I passed it, the man who was riding ahead
of me, whose horse mine could touch, had his head taken off by a shell
just as though it had been severed by an axe; the remarkable fact was
that his headless body remained straight in the saddle for an instant or
two, finally toppling over. When we reached Brandy Station we made a
junction with Buford's command, which we found had been coming up in
rear of the line that was drawn up to cut us off. This doubtless had
something to do with their breaking before we reached them in the charge
I have described. We then crossed the Rappahannock and camped for the
night. This was the third engagement that I had been in at Brandy
Station.
On October 19th occurred the engagement at Buckland's Mills, near
Warrenton. In this Kilpatrick's command was defeated. In the advance
toward Warrenton there was an interval of about two miles between
General Davies's brigade, which had the advance, and General Custer's.
We had been driving the enemy during the morning toward Warrenton, and
had halted to feed when a force of the enemy came unexpectedly in
between Custer's and Davies's brigades, overwhelmed General Custer's
command, and drove it back across Broad Run; and by taking possession
of the bridge and the Warrenton pike, had cut off General Davies's
command, which was then vigorously attacked by Hampton's force, which
Davies had been pushing toward Warrenton up to this time.
Kilpatrick, when he found Custer was thus attacked, had sent one or two
staff-officers to Davies with orders for him to fall back and make a
junction with Custer. These apparently were unable to reach him, and
Kilpatrick, when he found that Custer could not hold his position,
became very anxious that word should be gotten to Davies of the real
situation and the danger that his brigade might be cut off and a large
portion of them captured. As he crossed the bridge with the rear of
Custer's command he turned to me, as I was riding near him, no
staff-officer being at the moment about, and remarked: "Meyer, somebody
must get to Davies and let him know that Custer has been driven across
Broad Run and that the enemy have got this bridge." On turning my horse
to go back, he called out: "Tell him to make his way the best he can to
Haymarket where he will find General Newton's corps."
[Illustration: CAPTAIN THEODORE F. NORTHROP]
I was unable to return across the bridge, as the enemy had the other end
of it and were moving up the stream so as to intercept Davies, whom they
knew was being driven back on them. Riding until beyond their line I saw
some of Custer's men, who had been cut off, come out of the woods at
that point and cross the stream to escape, when I took advantage of the
confusion to cross to the west side, trusting I would not be noticed and
that the woods at that point would screen me from observation. Being
familiar with the country I made my way around their flank and rear,
having the sound of Davies's firing to direct me to his whereabouts. I
soon reached him and found him hard pressed. When I reported the
situation, his men were rallied for another charge, which was led by
Captain J. F. B. Mitchell, so as to gain time to permit a withdrawal, as
directed. We then galloped across the country, the forces opposing
following on our flanks, until we crossed Broad Run farther up towards
Haymarket. Davies's artillery had meanwhile been conducted away in
safety under the guidance of Doctor Capehart, of the First West Virginia
cavalry, who knew the country well. The brigade was thus saved from
serious loss; indeed, none other than the casualties in fighting.
Custer's and Davies's brigades formed a junction when they reached the
First Corps commanded by General Newton, and the enemy withdrew.
General Kilpatrick was quite chagrined that evening over the surprise
his command had been subjected to and the defeat it met, and claimed
that he never would have separated Davies's and Custer's brigades and
given the enemy a chance to get in between them by means of the road
from Auburn through the woods, had he not supposed that this road was
being looked after by some one else, whose name I do not now recall.
Custer's command, which was feeding when attacked, made a gallant fight
under very great disadvantages. The remarkably accurate firing by
Pennington's battery, however, checked the enemy's advance and Custer's
personal efforts saved his brigade from much greater losses. Stuart, the
Confederate commander, in his report, claimed that it was "the greatest
rout that any cavalry had suffered during the war," and the Richmond
papers described the fight as the "Buckland Races." This I think is an
exaggerated statement. Of course we were defeated, but as soon as Custer
got across the stream his men were rallied and as fit to take the
offensive as they were in the morning. Davies's brigade fought gallantly
to resist Hampton's assaults, which began as soon as the firing on
Custer in the rear was heard. It was only after I gave Davies the
information that Custer had been driven across Broad Run and that the
enemy had the bridge and were in his rear, moving towards Haymarket to
intercept him, that he started his command on the gallop across the
country to that village. When he had made a junction with Custer, both
brigades were ready to take the offensive; at any rate the enemy
withdrew.
An amusing incident that occurred after Custer's men had gotten over
Broad Run and were being rallied was told me, to the effect that an
Irishman rode up to Kilpatrick, who was riding his horse called "Spot,"
a speckled roan with a white rump, saying: "I say, 'Kil,' stop here, and
the boys will see your horse and they will rally round you, so they
will." This the General did, resulting as the Irishman had predicted.
In December General Custer was temporarily in command of the division,
and on his recommendation I was allowed a furlough of ten days. During
that ten days I dined one evening with Admiral Hiram Paulding, then in
command of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. (His son had been a schoolmate and
the Admiral had known me before the war.) He questioned me as to my
position in the field, and expressed considerable surprise when I told
him I was not a commissioned officer, and quite embarrassed me, as there
were a number of prominent officers at the table, by slapping me on the
back and in a loud voice, to attract the attention of all present,
stating that he was proud to sit alongside of a private soldier of the
United States Army, and a gentleman. He then asked me to call upon him
the next morning, when he gave me a letter addressed to the Hon. John
Potts, the chief clerk of the War Department and an old friend of his,
which recommended me for a commission. I never presented this
letter,[3] however. He subsequently wrote letters[3] to Governor
Seymour, and Adjutant-General D. Townsend, U. S. A., copies of which he
gave me, and to General Kilpatrick. General Kilpatrick later gave me a
copy of the one he received.[3]
About this time, General Kilpatrick, hearing that my friends at home had
interested themselves in the matter of procuring me a commission, wrote
a letter to the Hon. George T. Cobb, an influential member of Congress
from New Jersey, a copy of which Captain L. G. Estes, his
adjutant-general, gave me.[3] In February an order from the War
Department discharging me as a private from the Harris Light Cavalry to
accept a commission in the Twenty-fourth New York cavalry was received
at General Kilpatrick's headquarters at Stevensburg. I did not care to
leave the General and went to him for advice; yet the idea of going home
on a furlough with promotion was quite attractive, and the General told
me that he thought, on the whole, promotion in a new regiment was more
apt to be rapid since there would be a good many changes during the
first campaign, and, "in any event," he remarked, "if your regiment
comes anywhere near where I am I will have you detailed on my staff."
Thanking the General and bidding him and my friends good-bye, I left his
headquarters for my new field of duty.
[Footnote 3: See Appendix B.]
[Illustration: BREVET BRIGADIER GENERAL L. G. ESTES]