HAMPTON'S CAVALRY IN THE MARYLAND RAID--THE BATTLE OF
FREDERICKSBURG--DEATH OF GREGG--SOUTH CAROLINIANS AT MARYE'S
HILL--CAVALRY OPERATIONS.
EARLY in October, General Lee, from his camp at Winchester, in the
Virginia valley, directed J. E. B. Stuart to take a picked force of
1,500 cavalry, cross the Potomac above Williamsport, penetrate the
rear of General McClellan's army, damage his railroad communications,
and gain such information of his positions, strength, etc., as
this opportunity would afford. He was to return by such route as
circumstances would determine. In this expedition, Hampton's brigade
was in advance, and crossed at McCoy's ford by the dawn of day on
October 10th. A section of Hart's South Carolina battery, and 175
picked men of the Second South Carolina cavalry, under Colonel Butler,
were with Hampton. Lieutenant Phillips, Tenth Virginia, with 25
dismounted men, at the appointed moment waded the river and surprised
the enemy's pickets above the ford, while Butler dashed across with
his troopers and routed the guard, and in five minutes the ford was
secured. Hampton's brigade leading, rode on rapidly, passing through
the narrow strip of Maryland into Pennsylvania, and arrived before
Chambersburg at night. Placing Hart's guns in position, the town
surrendered upon demand (made through Lieut. T. C. Lee, Second South
Carolina), and General Hampton moved his little brigade into it at 10
o'clock at night and established a rigid provost guard, with Capt.
J. P. Macfie, Second cavalry, in command. The night was spent in
Chambersburg, and on the morning of the 11th, Hampton was ordered to
destroy the depot and such storehouses as contained munitions of war.
This was promptly done, and as rear guard General Hampton took up his
march behind Stuart's column. The march was continued through the day
and night of the 11th, and the early morning of the 12th found the rear
guard at Barnesville, on the Potomac, with the enemy's advance pressing.
Hampton sent part of his command and one of Hart's guns down the
Poolesville road on his left, and with the other and the Second
South Carolina and Phillips' legion, he defended the crossing of the
wagons, led horses and the two other brigades of Stuart. This being
successfully accomplished, he crossed most of his brigade under cover
of one of Hart's pieces, then sent the gun over, and brought his last
regiment to the Virginia shore, without losing a man or a horse. The
brigade brought over 260 horses captured on the raid. General Hampton
mentioned in terms of praise the conduct of his whole brigade, and
especially commended the service rendered by Captain Macfie, Second
South Carolina; Capt. W. H. H. Cowles, First North Carolina; Capt. T.
G. Barker, adjutant-general of the brigade, and Lieutenants Hamilton
and Phillips.
Early in November, the Federal army, under McClellan, was concentrated
about Warrenton, Va., and General Lee had thrown Longstreet in its
front, at Culpeper Court House. McClellan's plan was to move directly
upon Culpeper and Gordonsville. President Lincoln thought his movements
too slow and cautious, losing much time after the battle of Sharpsburg,
and had written him to this effect under date of October 13th. In this
letter Mr. Lincoln revealed the insight of an experienced soldier and
admirable common sense, incidentally paying the Confederate army and
its chief so many tributes that we quote the paragraphs: "Are you not
overcautious [he asked McClellan], when you assume that you cannot do
what the enemy is constantly doing? Should you not claim to be at least
his equal in prowess and act upon the claim?" McClellan had called
for the rebuilding of the road from Harper's Ferry to Winchester, in
order to supply his army if he moved against Lee, then at Winchester.
Mr. Lincoln reminded him that Lee was subsisting his army without a
railroad, hauling his supplies twice the distance from Harper's Ferry
to Winchester. The President rallied his general for not operating on
Lee's communications and for being so anxious about his own, and said:
"Change positions with the enemy, and think you not he would break your
communication with Richmond in the next twenty-four hours?... You are
now nearer Richmond than the enemy is, by the route that you can and
he must take. Why can you not reach there before him, unless you admit
that he is more than your equal on a march? His route is the arc of a
circle, while yours is the chord. The roads are as good on yours as on
his." The President was for aggressive action, and urged his general
to strike at Lee directly, through the gaps in the mountains, on his
communications, in any way, so he fought and beat him. "I would press
closely to him; fight him if a favorable opportunity should present,
and at least try to beat him to Richmond on the inside track. I say
'try;' if we never 'try,' we shall never succeed.... We should not so
operate as merely to drive him away. As we must beat him somewhere, or
fail finally, we can do it, if at all, easier near to us than far away.
If we cannot beat the enemy where he now is [at or about Winchester],
we never can, he again being within the intrenchments of Richmond."
This letter, written on the 13th of October, did not have the effect
of either breaking up General Lee's wagon communications, or beating
him in direct battle. The first week of November found the Federal army
cautiously concentrating about Warrenton, and on the 5th of November,
President Lincoln issued an order relieving McClellan from command and
giving the army to General Burnside. The new commander took charge on
the 9th, and on the 15th began his march on the "chord," while Lee took
the "arc." Burnside's plan was to "beat" Lee to Fredericksburg, cross
the river on pontoons and seize the heights, and "move upon Richmond
from that point."
The advance of Burnside's army reached Falmouth on the 17th. Colonel
Ball, with a regiment of Virginia cavalry, a regiment of infantry and
two batteries of artillery, prevented a crossing and held the city of
Fredericksburg.
On the 22d, at 8 p. m., General Lee informed President Davis by
telegram from Fredericksburg, that General Burnside's whole army was on
the left bank of the river opposite Fredericksburg; that he was on the
heights with four divisions of Longstreet's corps, Pendleton's reserve
artillery, and two brigades of Stuart; that the Fifth division of
Longstreet would be up on the 23d, and that he would resist an attempt
to cross the river.
On the 23d, Lee ordered Jackson, in the Valley, to move east of the
mountains and put his corps in position at Warrenton, or Culpeper,
on the flank of Burnside, where he would be in calling distance when
needed. On the 25th he again wrote Jackson, that as far as he could
judge, Burnside was repairing the railroad to the Potomac, getting up
supplies, and making ready for a move on Richmond. "To delay him,"
said General Lee, "and throw him into the winter, I have determined to
resist him from the beginning. From the circumstances which surround
you, if you see that no good can be obtained from a flank movement
on Culpeper or Warrenton, you can march directly to this point."
Accordingly, on December 1st, Jackson was in position on Longstreet's
right, and General Lee's army was united.
General Burnside's army was arranged in three grand divisions--right,
center and left--commanded by Generals Sumner, Hooker and Franklin.
In each grand division there were six divisions, with cavalry and
numerous batteries attached. According to General Burnside's report,
he had in battle line in Lee's front, December 13th, an army 113,000
strong. There were four brigades of cavalry on his immediate flanks,
and twenty-three batteries with Franklin's wing and nineteen with
Sumner's and Hooker's. In the battle, as reported by the chief of
artillery, all of Franklin's batteries were engaged on the field (116
guns), and only seven batteries of Sumner's and Hooker's. To cover the
crossing of the river on the 12th, General Hunt reported 147 guns in
battery along the Stafford hills.
Confronting this magnificent array of guns and infantry, Lee's army
was drawn up on the hills behind Fredericksburg, "with a view to
resist the enemy's advance after crossing," as General Lee expressed
it. Longstreet's corps, five divisions, was the left, and Jackson's,
four divisions, the right wing of Lee's army. From Longstreet's left,
resting on the river at Taylor hill, to Jackson's right on the wooded
height at Hamilton, the divisions stood as follows: Anderson's,
McLaws', Pickett's and Hood's, of Longstreet's wing; and A. P. Hill's,
of Jackson's wing. Ransom's division was in support of the guns on
Marye's and Willis' hills. Behind A. P. Hill were the divisions of
Early, Taliaferro and D. H. Hill in columns of division. A. P. Hill's
division was in two lines, the brigades of Archer, Lane and Pender in
front, and Gregg and Thomas behind them. There was a gap between Archer
and Lane, and Gregg was some distance behind this gap. The woods hid
the front line of A. P. Hill from its supports. Jackson had fourteen
guns on his right and twenty-one on his left, posted in good positions
to sweep his front and flank. Walton's and Alexander's battalions of
artillery occupied the Marye's height and the hills to right and left,
on which were also posted the batteries of the divisions of Anderson,
Ransom and McLaws.
In this disposition of the troops the South Carolina commands were
posted as follows: Gregg's brigade on the right, as has been noted;
McIntosh's battery, with Lieut.-Col. R. L. Walker's guns, on the
extreme right of A. P. Hill; Jenkins' brigade with Pickett's division;
Bachman's and Garden's batteries on Hood's line; Rhett's battery in
Alexander's battalion; Kershaw's brigade in McLaws' line, with the left
of the brigade resting on Hazel run. The brigade of Gen. N. G. Evans,
with Boyce's battery, had been ordered to South Carolina early in
November.
The part which fell to the South Carolina commands in the battle of
Fredericksburg will now be related. That allotted to Gregg's brigade
is sad to relate, for it involved the death of the gallant commander.
The first attack of the day was made on Walker's guns and A. P. Hill's
division, on the extreme right. The enemy's batteries, from the plain
and from the Stafford hills, had been raking Hill's front for hours.
Stuart had held the Federal infantry advance in check, with Pelham's
enfilade fire, as long as he could maintain his exposed position in
front of Jackson's right, and had been forced to retire. At noon, the
division of General Meade, supported on its right by that of General
Gibbon and on its left by that of General Doubleday, advanced to the
assault of the position at Hamilton's, held by A. P. Hill. Meade
received the fire of McIntosh's and Pegram's, Crenshaw's and Latham's
guns, which checked, then broke, and finally drove back his advance.
Promptly reforming, Meade and Gibbon marched steadily on through the
artillery fire, and rushed against Hill. Archer and Lane and Pender met
the assault, and the battle was sternly contested. Meade and Gibbon
pressed their attack and entered the woods in the unfortunate interval
between Archer and Lane. Lane and Archer were flanked right and left.
Lane gave away slowly, and Archer's left was overwhelmed.
Thomas came to Lane's help in answer to his call, and they held Gibbon
back, but Meade pressed on through the woods and took Gregg by
surprise. Gregg was fully persuaded that the time had not come for his
advance, and being without orders from Hill, unaware of the interval
between Archer and Lane, unable to see in the thick woods, and not
believing the enemy near him, he had resisted the request of his men
to fire for fear of damaging Lane and Archer. Suddenly Meade's troops
came in sight of Orr's rifles on his right and opened a fire upon them
before they could return it. This threw the rifles into confusion, and
but for the firmness of the First regiment, immediately on the left,
and the conduct of the left company of the rifles, under Lieut. J. D.
Charles, the whole brigade would have been routed, for General Gregg,
who had promptly ridden to his right, was immediately shot from his
horse, and at the critical moment the brigade was without its head.
Col. D. H. Hamilton, of the First, senior officer, quickly grasping
the situation, changed his front on his tenth company, to the rear,
and opened on the mass of the enemy at close quarters, the left
company of the rifles, under Lieutenant Charles, taking post on his
right. Holding his position, Hamilton was immediately supported by
the other regiments of the brigade, the Twelfth coming up on his left
and the Thirteenth and Fourteenth, under McGowan, on his right, and
they stood firmly against Meade's attack, delivering their fire at
close quarters, without giving a foot. Driven from their guns, Orr's
rifles were helpless, but every man who survived hailed the moment of
his ability to regain his place in the front. Some of them, seizing
their guns from the stacks, fought in the ranks of the First regiment.
Sergeant Pratt, of Company B, rallied a number of the men, and took his
place on the right of Lieutenant Charles' company. The Fifth Alabama
battalion, the Twenty-second Virginia battalion, and the Forty-seventh
Virginia regiment, from Archer's and Brockenbrough's brigades, came up
to Hamilton's assistance, and together the Carolinians, Alabamians and
Virginians charged and drove back the bold assault of Meade. Jackson
sent Early forward, and a sweeping charge of his division drove Meade
and Gibbon back and beyond the railroad. The attack on Gregg was wholly
unexpected by that brave and gallant soldier, who had exerted himself
to keep his brigade quiet, particularly cautioning them that their
friends were in front.
The casualties of the brigade were reported as follows: Orr's Rifles,
21 killed, 149 wounded; First South Carolina, 15 killed, 58 wounded;
Twelfth South Carolina, 1 killed, 7 wounded; Thirteenth South Carolina,
3 killed, 52 wounded; Fourteenth South Carolina, 28 wounded; aggregate,
336. The main loss was sustained by Orr's rifles, who were attacked
lying down behind their stacks, and 170 of them killed and wounded and
their general slain, before they could grasp their arms in defense. In
the First regiment Capt. T. H. Lyles was killed. Capt. T. P. Alston,
Lieutenant Armstrong, Lieut. Thomas McCrady, and Lieut. W. J. Delph
were wounded. Captain Alston returned to the field, after his wound
was dressed, despite the remonstrances of the surgeon. Adjt.-Gen. A.
C. Haskell, severely wounded, refused to leave the field until he sank
fainting from loss of blood.
General Gregg was shot through the spine, and died the day after the
battle. Seeing he must die, he sent his respects to the governor of
his State, and assured him that he "gave his life cheerfully for South
Carolina." General Hill said of him, in his official report, "A more
chivalrous gentleman and gallant soldier never adorned the service
which he so loved." General Jackson, in his report, deplored the loss
of "a brave and accomplished officer, full of heroic sentiment and
chivalrous honor." General Lee wrote to Governor Pickens to claim a
share in South Carolina's sorrow, and to express his appreciation of
her loss and the loss to his army. "He has always been at the post of
duty and of danger," said General Lee. "His services in this army have
been of inestimable value, and his loss is deeply lamented. In its
greatest triumphs and bloodiest battles he has borne a distinguished
part.... The death of such a man is a costly sacrifice, for it is to
men of his high integrity and commanding intellect that the country
must look to give character to her councils, that she may be respected
and honored by all nations." Mr. Caldwell, the brigade historian, pays
his general a worthy tribute, and speaks of his high character, his
heroic courage, his careful, unswerving, unselfish equity. He was a Ney
on the battlefield and a Rhadamanthus in giving judgment.
The distinguished part borne by Kershaw's brigade at Fredericksburg
will now be referred to. As already stated, Kershaw was in McLaws'
line, to the right of Marye's hill. His brigade included, besides the
Second, Third, Seventh and Eighth, the Fifteenth, transferred from
Drayton's brigade, and the Third battalion, known as James' battalion.
These transfers were made by General Lee on November 26th, and the
policy adopted, as far as possible, of brigading troops of the same
State together.
On the morning of the 11th, being called on to reinforce General
Barksdale's pickets on the river, at Deep run, General Kershaw sent
the Fifteenth, Colonel De Saussure, upon this duty. During the night,
so bitterly cold was the weather, one of De Saussure's men was
frozen to death, and others so badly as to be temporarily disabled
for service. Under such circumstances of suffering the fortitude and
courage required of the soldier on picket are as great and as noble
as when displayed in charging the batteries of the enemy. The brigade
was at work on the line strengthening the position, until the hour of
its battle. At 10 o'clock on the 13th, while Meade and Gibbon were
assaulting A. P. Hill, and Sumner and Hooker were throwing their
divisions against Marye's hill, Kershaw was ordered to reinforce
the position held by General Cobb at the foot of the hill. The
Second regiment, Col. A. D. Kennedy, and the Eighth, Capt. E. T.
Stackhouse, were sent forward. Before these regiments could reach their
destination, Kershaw was directed by General McLaws to go with his
whole brigade and take personal command, as the gallant and noble Cobb
had been mortally wounded, and General Cooke, who supported him from
the crest in rear, was also wounded.
Riding rapidly forward, General Kershaw reached the point with the
Second and Eighth just in time to meet and assist in repulsing a fresh
assault. Kershaw describes the position at the stone wall so clearly
that we quote his report:
Marye's hill, covered with our batteries--then occupied by the
Washington artillery, Colonel Walton commanding--falls off abruptly
toward Fredericksburg to a stone wall, which forms a terrace on the
side of the hill and the outer margin of the Telegraph road, which
winds along the foot of the hill. The road is about 25 feet wide, and
is faced by a stone wall about 4 feet wide on the city side. The road
having been cut out of the side of the hill, in many places this wall
is not visible above the surface of the ground. The ground falls off
rapidly to almost a level surface, which extends about 150 yards,
then, with another abrupt fall of a few feet, to another plain which
extends some 200 yards, and then falls off abruptly to a wide ravine,
which extends along the whole front of the city and discharges into
Hazel run.
The brigade of General Cobb had held the position behind the stone wall
against the attack of the Federal Second corps, the three divisions of
that corps, French's, Hancock's and Howard's, assaulting successively
in the order named. In making his heroic defense, Cobb was supported
by the artillery fire from the hill in his rear, and the infantry fire
from the crest, delivered by the brigade of General Cooke. When Kershaw
arrived, the attack of the Ninth corps was pending, and Sturgis'
division of that corps was moving forward. Throwing his two regiments
behind the wall, in the sunken road, the line of Confederates, four
deep, delivered their fire with such deadly effect that the column
of Sturgis was checked, broken and driven in confusion back on its
supports. Meanwhile the remaining regiments of Kershaw's brigade were
reporting for position as they successively came up. Col. James Nance,
with the Third, formed to the left of the Marye house with his right
at the house, and the Seventh, Lieut.-Col. Elbert Bland, formed on the
right of the house with his left in front of the house and touching the
Fifteenth North Carolina, of Cooke's brigade. Bland's position was not
so exposed as that of Nance, as he was partially protected by an abrupt
rise along his front. Nance was in the open and terribly exposed.
The Fifteenth, Colonel De Saussure, was placed in rear of Walton's
battalion as a support.
These regiments took their position under the enemy's artillery and
infantry fire. De Saussure being under the crest, could not reply, but
Nance and Bland, firing over the troops at the stone wall, delivered
their volleys into Getty's column of attack as it advanced boldly
against Kershaw to make the fifth division assault of the day. Getty
made a gallant charge, but all in vain. Walton's guns, the fire from
the North Carolinians and the volleys of Nance and Bland, all pouring
down on him from the hills, and the steady stream from the Georgians
of Cobb and the Carolinians of Kershaw at the stone wall, broke up his
front and his march, and he, too, went to the rear in confusion.
Three divisions of the Second and two of the Ninth corps had now been
beaten in detail in the attempt to carry the Confederate position.
General Sumner's right grand division had been repulsed by three
brigades and the artillery. General Burnside, bitterly disappointed
that Franklin, with 60,000 troops, had not crushed Jackson and turned
Lee's right, and unwilling to accept General Hooker's assurance that
it was a "hopeless" task to attack the stone wall again, determined
that it must be done, and ordered Hooker forward with his Fifth corps.
Calling all his batteries at his command into service, and ordering
General Butterfield to form Humphreys' and Sykes' divisions of the
Fifth corps for attack, Hooker directed all his guns to open their
fire, with the intention of breaking all "barriers" and clearing the
way for "Butterfield's attacking column to carry the crest."
Seeing these preparations in progress in his front, Kershaw ordered
down the Third, Seventh and Fifteenth regiments to take position in the
road and behind the stone wall. General Kershaw described the artillery
fire of Hooker's batteries as terrific. It was continued until near
sunset, when Humphreys and Sykes advanced to carry the position with
the bayonet. General Hooker says the attack was made with a spirit of
determination "seldom, if ever, equaled in war." He assigns as the
reason for its "almost immediate repulse," that the enemy had the
advantage of an "impregnable position."
General Kershaw reports that the attack was gallant and impetuous,
and assailed his whole front, lasting from 5 to 6 p. m., but that
the columns were shattered and beaten by the time they came within a
hundred paces of the position. Some of the assailants came as near as
thirty paces, but were shot down, or, being unsupported, retreated with
the mass. With this last assault the battle was practically ended, and
the Confederate victory won. General Lee reports that not more than
20,000 of his army were engaged during the day.
At the last assault of General Hooker's, Kershaw had behind the stone
wall and in the sunken road, his own and Cobb's brigades, and a brigade
from General Ransom's division. It is not clear from the reports
whether this last-mentioned brigade was not General Cooke's. If so, it
is certain that Cooke's brigade fought from the hill, and the brigade
from Ransom's division, to which Kershaw refers as being engaged in
defense of the position, was not behind the wall. If this was the case,
then only Cobb's and Kershaw's brigades defended the wall against the
successive attacks of eight divisions and their batteries!
The loss of General Kershaw's brigade was 373 killed and wounded,
distributed as follows: Second South Carolina, 6 killed, 56 wounded;
Third, 25 killed, 138 wounded; Seventh, 4 killed, 57 wounded; Eighth, 2
killed, 29 wounded; Fifteenth, 1 killed, 52 wounded; Third battalion, 1
killed, 1 wounded. The heaviest loss fell on Colonel Nance's regiment.
Taking his position on the crest of the hill to the left of the Marye
house, just as an assault was being made, and being in the open and
in full view of the assaulting column and its supports, the Third was
subjected to a terrible infantry fire, as well as the fire of the
batteries. Seeing the importance of delivering a steady fire on the
advancing column of attack, Colonel Nance held his men in position and
delivered his fire until the attack was repulsed. Meanwhile he fell
wounded, and Lieut.-Col. D. W. Rutherford, Maj. Robert C. Maffett,
Capt. W. W. Hance and Capt. John C. Summer, who in succession took
command, were all shot down. Colonel Nance lay on the field, and
continued to direct his men, and when carried off, ordered up a fresh
supply of ammunition and directed them to move more under cover.
Captain Hance lost a leg, and Capts. J. C. Summer and L. P. Foster and
Lieuts. James Hollingsworth and James C. Hill, all officers of high
character and gallant men, were killed on the field. Capt. R. P. Todd,
the senior captain of the regiment, was among those first wounded. The
three field officers and the three senior captains were wounded or
killed, leaving the fourth captain, John K. G. Nance, in command.
In the Second, Maj. Franklin Gaillard was twice wounded. Lieuts. R.
E. Elliott and R. Fishburne, Jr., of Captain Cuthbert's company, were
wounded. Captain Cuthbert was detailed to skirmish with the enemy's
advance in front of McLaws' division early in the morning, and
remained on that duty all day. The Third battalion was also detailed
for special duty at Howison's mill, on Hazel run, and was not with the
brigade in the engagement. In the Seventh, Capts. Benjamin Roper and T.
A. Hudgens and Lieut. J. C. Lovelace were wounded. In the Eighth most
of the casualties were met while the regiment was taking position and
exposed to the enemy's view. In the Fifteenth, Lieuts. B. P. Barron and
J. A. Derrick were wounded.
Of the general staff, Adjt.-Gen. C. R. Holmes, Lieut. A. E. Doby,
Lieut. J. A. Myers and Lieut. W. M. Dwight were specially mentioned.
Doby's gallant and efficient conduct in directing the posting of
troops under fire is particularly referred to by the regimental
commanders. Dwight, not yet recovered from his injuries on Maryland
heights, was again at his post, and was wounded by a fragment of
shell. The Georgians and Carolinians who defended the stone wall
against the assaults of eight divisions, with their powerful artillery,
throughout the memorable battle of Fredericksburg, made it a veritable
Thermopylæ, and won from their gallant assailants the declaration that
their defense made the position "impregnable," and to attack it was
a "hopeless" task. The name and death of Gen. Thomas R. R. Cobb will
forever be associated with this heroic defense, and the honor and glory
of sustaining the position which he held against such odds, will be the
lasting possession of Kershaw and his brigade.
Jenkins' brigade, though under artillery fire and suffering the loss
of 8 men, was but slightly engaged; Bachman's and Garden's batteries
did effective service against the flank of the Federal attack on
the extreme right. The rifle battery of Captain Rhett, attached to
Alexander's battalion, was posted on an eminence south of the plank
road. From this position Rhett's guns commanded the Stafford hills, a
mile and a half away, and the approach to the stone wall. On the 12th,
Rhett opened on the bridge parties and enfiladed two of the streets of
the city. The rifles of the enemy replied vigorously, but the battery
was so well protected that no harm was done. On the 13th, the battery
shared in the honors of that eventful day, and is associated with other
batteries of Alexander's battalion and the batteries of Colonel Walton
in the immortal defense of Marye's heights.
General Hampton's cavalry brigade, after November 10th, included two
South Carolina regiments, the First, Col. J. L. Black, and Second,
Col. M. C. Butler. While General Lee was concentrating his army at
Fredericksburg, before the battle, Longstreet being already in position
and Jackson halted at Orange Court House, General Hampton crossed
the Rappahannock and made a brilliant dash into the enemy's lines,
capturing an outpost on his immediate right flank. On the morning of
November 27th, with 50 men from the First North Carolina, 50 from
the Cobb legion, 40 from the Jeff Davis legion, 34 from the Phillips
legion, and 34 from the Second South Carolina, a force of 208 men,
Hampton crossed the river at Kelly's mill and moved northeast to
Morrisville. Learning of an outpost stationed at a church 8 miles east
of Falmouth, immediately on Burnside's right flank, and on the road
from Morrisville to Fredericksburg, General Hampton at once determined
upon its capture. The pickets of this outpost were advanced toward
Morrisville as far as Deep run, a tributary of the Rappahannock, and on
the roads leading toward Warrenton. Moving from Morrisville in an arc
through the country, so as to avoid the picket on the Morrisville road
and to get between those on the other roads and the post at the church,
Hampton lay concealed the night of the 27th, within two miles of the
church.
At 4 a. m. of the 28th, he left the Morrisville road, passed through
the woods in a circuit and came into the marsh road a half mile from
the church. The attack was ordered, and Maj. J. H. Whittaker, leading
the detachments of the First North Carolina and the Jeff Davis legion,
dashed into camp, and Hampton coming up with the rest of his command,
the surprise was complete, and the whole Federal squadron captured.
The Cobb legion, sent up the White Ridge road, took the pickets in
rear, and surprised and captured them. Taking his prisoners, except
those too badly wounded to be moved, General Hampton went up the road
toward Morrisville, and swept the picket at Deep run, thus completing
the capture of two squadrons of the enemy's cavalry. The achievement
was completed by 8 o'clock. This was a brilliant morning's work. With a
small force, numbering 208 men, General Hampton had eluded the outpost
pickets on two roads, surprised and captured the outpost, and then, in
turn, swept in his pickets! With 2 captains, 3 lieutenants, 2 stand of
colors, 87 privates, 100 horses and as many carbines as the fruit of
his brilliant dash at the enemy, and without the loss of a man, General
Hampton moved on to Morrisville and to the Rappahannock, and was in
camp again by night of the 28th. To General Stuart he reported in high
terms of praise the conduct of his men and their officers, mentioning
particularly Major Whittaker, Capt. T. G. Barker and Lieut. T. P.
Hampton of his staff.
On December 10th, General Hampton again left his camp at Culpeper Court
House and rode out to capture Dumfries and operate on the Telegraph
road up to the Occoquan. This would bring him on the line between
Alexandria and Fredericksburg. His detachments were from the First
South Carolina, Lieut.-Col. J. D. Twiggs; Second South Carolina, Col.
M. C. Butler; First North Carolina, Lieut.-Col. James B. Gordon; Jeff
Davis legion, Lieutenant-Colonel Martin, and the Cobb legion, Capt.
Jerry Rich, a force of 520 men. Butler commanded the First North
Carolina, Second South Carolina, and Cobb legion; Martin the First
South Carolina and Davis legion. On the night of the 11th, the command
bivouacked within 16 miles of Dumfries, and by daylight on the 12th,
Hampton had his troops on the main approaches immediately at the
town. The surprise was complete, and Butler, dashing in, received the
surrender after firing a few shots. Fifty-odd prisoners, 24 sutler's
wagons and the telegraph operator with his battery, were the only
fruits of this dash. The command was disappointed at not finding the
large garrison they confidently expected, but Hampton proposed to sweep
up the Telegraph road toward the Occoquan.
In this move, however, he was disappointed. General Sigel's corps
was marching to Dumfries by the only road open to General Hampton's
retreat, and he was compelled to retrace his march in order to save his
wagons and prisoners. Marching in retreat on the 12th for 40 miles,
he camped near Morrisville, and on the morning of the 13th, while the
battle of Fredericksburg was in progress, recrossed the Rappahannock at
Kelly's again, without losing a man.
Resting for three days, General Hampton left camp on the 17th for a
third expedition against the enemy's communications, this time aiming
to sweep up the Telegraph road and attack the garrison at Occoquan.
His force, numbering 465 men, was made up of detachments from his
regiments, as in the other expeditions; 100 from the First South
Carolina, Col. J. L. Black; 75 from the First North Carolina, Capts.
J. C. Blain and N. M. Addington; 75 from the Second South Carolina,
Capt. T. H. Clark; 80 from the Phillips legion, Maj. W. B. C. Puckett;
75 from the Cobb legion, Maj. William C. Delony, and 60 from the Davis
legion, Lieutenant-Colonel Martin.
Crossing the river at the railroad on the 17th, the brigade marched to
the wood road and bivouacked at Cole's store at night. Moving rapidly
down this road before day, Hampton by dawn was at Kanky's store, on
the Neabsco creek, 8 miles from Occoquan. At Kanky's a small post was
surprised and captured, with eight wagons. Sweeping up the Telegraph
road Major Deloney in advance, every picket was successively surprised
and captured. Hampton moved on the town of Occoquan in three columns,
commanded by himself, Deloney and Martin. The latter dashed into the
town from the south side, and found a wagon train of Sigel's corps in
the act of crossing the river, by ferry-boat. Dismounting his men, he
deployed them on the south bank as sharpshooters, and compelled the
wagon guard on the opposite bank to surrender. General Hampton entered
the town from the north side, and Deloney came up the Telegraph road
with his prisoners and two captured wagons, loaded with army stores.
A force of 2,500 cavalry, marching from Alexandria, appeared at this
juncture at Selectman's ford, 1½ miles south of Occoquan, and were
about to cross, but General Hampton sent Captain Clark with part of his
own and part of the Phillips legion to hold the ford, while he secured
the wagon train.
Clark successfully disputed the crossing, and the enemy sent part of
his force to recapture the wagons on the north side. In this they were
defeated and driven off, and returned to the ford. Hampton sent word
to Captain Clark to resist the crossing for an hour, and he would save
the train. But the single boat was his only means of crossing the
river, and the banks were high and the passage difficult. After twenty
wagons, loaded with army stores, had been ferried over, General Hampton
sent them off under Colonel Black, with the prisoners, and commenced
his return march, Captain Clark covering his rear. The enemy's cavalry
crossed, but Clark gallantly dashed at the head of their column and
drove them back and across the river. Resuming the retreat, Clark
skirmished with the advance of the enemy for two miles, when he gave up
the pursuit. Marching by Greenwood church and Cole's store, the brigade
camped on Cedar run on the night of the 18th, and on the 19th the
march was promptly resumed, the wagons and prisoners securely crossed
over the Rappahannock, and General Hampton was "safely home without the
loss of a man."
He brought in 157 prisoners, 20 loaded wagons, 30 stand of infantry
arms, and 1 stand of colors. Again he reported to General Stuart the
gallant bearing and spirit of his command, staff, field, line, rank
and file. The wonderful escape from casualties on this expedition is
hard to be accounted for, especially in the operations of Captain
Clark while disputing the passage of Selectman's ford and charging
the enemy's head of column. It seems ungracious to say that the only
explanation is that the enemy were badly demoralized and fired wildly,
for they fired abundantly. At the town and on the Telegraph road, there
was no decided resistance offered. The surprise was complete, and the
show of force and dash compelled almost immediate surrender.
These brilliant achievements of General Hampton's command were
followed by a fourth expedition, led by General Stuart, with "select
detachments" from the brigades of Hampton, Fitzhugh Lee and W. H. F.
Lee. Hampton's command was composed of 175 of the First North Carolina,
under Maj. J. H. Whittaker; 150 of the First South Carolina, Capt.
W. A. Walker; 150 of the Second South Carolina, Col. M. C. Butler;
180 of the Cobb legion, Maj. William G. Delony; 130 of the Phillips
legion, Lieut.-Col. W. W. Rich, and 85 of the Jeff Davis legion,
Lieutenant-Colonel Martin; a force 870 strong. A section of artillery,
under Lieut. F. M. Bamberg, was also with Hampton. General Stuart's
purpose was to operate mainly on the Telegraph road, assured of finding
it at this time well filled with trains moving to General Burnside's
army. Gen. W. H. F. Lee was ordered to move on Dumfries, General
Hampton on Occoquan, and Gen. Fitzhugh Lee on the Telegraph road
between these points, the brigades being in supporting distance.
Gen. W. H. F. Lee found the force at Dumfries too strong for successful
attack. He captured all the pickets he encountered, about 50, and
drove in the outposts, but the infantry and artillery defending the
town were too well posted for his small cavalry brigade. Fitzhugh Lee
was more fortunate. Encountering two regiments of cavalry drawn up in
line of battle, he charged and routed them, following them for 8 miles
and taking over 100 prisoners; captured 8 loaded wagons, and their
guard, on the Telegraph road; crossed the Occoquan at Selectman's ford,
attacked and routed a body of cavalry posted there, and took their
camp and burned the railroad bridge over the Accotink, on the Orange &
Alexandria railroad.
Hampton crossed the Rappahannock with the division, and pushed on
to Cole's store with his brigade, capturing the pickets beyond that
point. Butler, with most of the brigade, moved directly on the
town of Occoquan; Hampton, with Martin's and Delony's detachments,
supporting him. Colonel Butler drove in the pickets, charged into the
place and routed several hundred cavalry, taking 19 prisoners and 8
loaded wagons, with the loss of 1 man wounded, the first casualty in
Hampton's command on his repeated expeditions. Camping for the night
at Cole's store, General Hampton returned toward Occoquan on the 28th.
At Greenwood church, General Stuart sent Butler, with his detachments,
to attack the enemy's force north of that point, at Bacon Race church,
and ordered Hampton, with the other detachments, to follow Fitzhugh Lee
across the Occoquan at Selectman's ford. Crossing in Lee's rear, he
turned up the river, met and routed a small force of the enemy, and was
joined by Butler at night, when the darkness stopped his pursuit of the
enemy.
Colonel Butler, before joining Hampton north of the Occoquan, had
extricated his command on the Bacon Race road in the most skillful
manner. Meeting a force of the enemy within a mile of the church,
Butler's advance, under Lieut. W. H. Perry, charged and drove it back
on its supports. Coming up with his main force, Colonel Butler charged
the squadron in his front, and drove them in precipitous retreat.
Following up their retreat, he came upon General Geary's division of
cavalry, with artillery, on the march from Fairfax to Dumfries. Geary
was in position to meet him, and at once opened with canister. Taking
in the seriousness of his situation, he promptly retired a short
distance, and by the time the enemy had formed column for advance, he
wheeled about and presented a bold front, compelling a halt and the
forming of a new line of battle by this movement. This gave time for
retreat, but a strong force of Geary's division was on the road in his
rear. Before either force of the enemy could attack him, Colonel Butler
moved off on his flank, and by making a circuit of four miles, rejoined
his friends and saved his command, with the loss of several horses and
two of his men wounded. Colonel Butler had understood that his attack
at the church was to be supported by General Hampton, and pushed his
little force against Geary with the expectation of this co-operation.
Finding himself in front of a division and under its artillery fire,
he made the best of the situation, and extricated his command with
admirable tact and the coolest judgment.
Hampton recrossed the Rappahannock on the 29th, with his captured
wagons and 33 prisoners. General Stuart reported over 200 prisoners
captured by his brigade, a large number of horses, mules, wagons,
saddles, sabers, and other valuable property. He was disappointed in
his expectation of finding loaded trains on the Telegraph road, and
ascribed his ill luck to the numerous "descents upon that road by
General Hampton and detachments from his command."
These brilliant achievements of the cavalry were acknowledged and
published in orders to the army by General Lee, as follows:
General Orders, No. 29.
Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia,
February 28, 1863.
The general commanding announces to the army the series of successes
of the cavalry of Northern Virginia during the winter months, in spite
of the obstacles of almost impassable roads, limited forage, swollen
streams and inclement weather.
I. About the 1st of December [November 27th] General Hampton, with a
detachment of his brigade, crossed the upper Rappahannock, surprised
two squadrons of Federal cavalry, captured several commissioned
officers and about 100 men, with their horses, arms, colors and
accouterments, without loss on his part....
III. On the 10th of December, General Hampton crossed the Rappahannock
with a detachment of his brigade, cut the enemy's communications at
Dumfries, entered the town a few hours before Sigel's corps, then
advancing to Fredericksburg, captured 20 wagons with a guard of
about 90 men, and returned safely to his camp. On the 17th of the
same month, he again crossed the river with a small force, proceeded
to Occoquan, surprised the pickets between that place and Dumfries,
captured 50 wagons, bringing many of them across the Occoquan in
a ferry-boat, and beating back a brigade of cavalry sent to their
rescue. He reached the Rappahannock with 30 wagons and 130 prisoners.
IV. On the 25th of December, General Stuart, with detachments of
Hampton's, Fitz Lee's and William H. F. Lee's brigades, under the
command of these officers respectively, made a forced reconnoissance
in rear of the enemy's lines, attacked him at Dumfries, capturing men
and wagons near that place, advanced toward Alexandria, drove his
cavalry with considerable loss across the Occoquan, captured his camp
on that stream, burned the Accotink bridge, on the Orange & Alexandria
railroad, then, passing north of Fairfax Court House, returned to
Culpeper with more than 200 prisoners and 25 wagons, with a loss on
his part of 6 men wounded and Captain Bullock, a most gallant officer,
killed....
IX.... A detachment of 17 men of Hampton's brigade, under the brave
Sergeant Michael, attacked and routed a body of Federals near Wolf Run
shoals, killing and wounding several and bringing off 15 prisoners,
with the loss on our part of Sergeant Sparks, of the Second South
Carolina regiment, who, a few days before, with 2 of his comrades,
attacked, in Brentsville, 6 of the enemy sent to take him, killed 3
and captured the rest.
In announcing these achievements, the commanding general takes
special pleasure in adverting to the promptness of the officers in
striking a successful blow whenever the opportunity offered, and the
endurance and gallantry with which the men have always supported their
commanders. These deeds give assurance of vigilance, activity and
fortitude, and of the performance of still more brilliant actions in
the coming campaign.
R. E. LEE, General.