Joseph Levi Straight 1826 - 1916

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” ~Ronald Reagan 40th president of US (1911 - 2004)

PhotoFrom: Find a grave web site http://www.findagrave.com Spouse: Mary E. Straight (1839 - 1904) Burial: Brayton Cemetery, Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island, USA Our spotlight in this Straight family line will be on Civil War hero, Joseph Levi Straight. Most of what we learn about Joseph will be from his military service, it is a remarkable account of Straight family history to be proud of.

Joseph Levi Straight, son of Levi H. Straight

Born 16 Dec 1826 West Greenwich, Kent Co, died 4 Mar 1916 Married First: No. Kingstown, May 13, 1855, Susan Cook, daughter of Stephen Cook of So. Kingstown. They were divorced; she m. second -----Morey, and d. No. Kingstown, 1869 Married Second: Mary Oatley, daughter of William and Harriet (Tourgee) Oatley. She was born So. Kingstown, May 10, 1838, and died Warwick, Feb. 19, 1904. Married Third: (int. filed Warwick, March 14, 1904) Hannah (Oatley) Brown, sister of his second wife. She was born Warwick, 1832.

1879 Joseph was called "mill overseer" at So. Attleborough, Mass.

Joseph served in 1st RI Cav, Troop F, in Civil War. He was captured 18 Jun 1863 at the Battle of Middleburg.

1860 Kent Co census, Warwick, p 116, Joseph Strait,29 RI, farm laborer, Susan Strait,23 RI, Phebe A.,3 RI, Stephen L.,1 RI, Esther Strait,96 RI. 1870 Washington Co census, Exeter, p 24, Joseph L. Straight,42 RI, blacksmith, --, $100, Mary,37 RI, Caroline,15 RI, works in cotton mill, Phoebe A.,13 RI, Stephen,11 RI, works in cotton mill, Ella,9 RI, Annie,8 RI, Sarah,7 RI, Waity,5 RI, Minnie,3 RI, Frances,1 RI. 1880 Bristol Co, Mass census, Attleboro, p 367A, Joseph L. Straight,50 RI, wks in cotn mill, Mary,43 RI, Caroline,23 RI, wks in cotton mill, Sarah,18 RI, wks in cotn mill, Waty,15 RI, wks in cotn mill, Frank,12 RI, Wallis, 7 RI, Elmira,5 Mass, Mary,2 Mass, Joseph,9/12 Mass (Aug), Ella,20 RI (stepdau), Minnie,13 RI (dau), wks in cot mill. 1900 Kent Co census, Warwick Twp, ED 199, sheet 3A, #52/59, Joseph L. Straight, Dec 1826 RI, mill-shipper, Mary E., Apr 1837 RI (marr 34 yrs, 16 ch, 14 living), Waity Ann, Jan 1807 RI (mother, wid, 7 ch, 4 living), Joseph L. Jr, Aug 79 Mass, moulder, Mary E. Jr, Feb 79 Mass, spooler tender.

Children 1. Phebe A. Straight, b ca 1857 RI. 2. Stephen L. Straight, b ca 1859 RI.

Sources: "Henry Straight of Portsmouth, Rhode Island 1652-1728 and Some of His Descendants", 1945, Theodore S. Lazell, p 86. (#51 in this book)

"Margery Straight Ancestors" entry at www.rootsweb.com

"Rhode Island, Marriages, 1724-1916,"

Straight Genealogy - author: Michael D. Nestor Military Service

Emerson once wrote: "Each man is a hero to somebody".

A resident of East Greenwich, R.I., Joseph Levi Straight was born December 16 th, 1826. He enlisted in the Civil War at the age of 34. Joseph served 3 years and 8 months in the Civil War with the 1st R.I. Regiment, Troop F, beginning in the light artillery company, and ending with the Cavalry. He was a blacksmith and farrier by trade. There are a couple of books attached to this project about his regiments time in the war, and some pages specifically about Joseph extracted from the books and attached to this dossier. Also included below are some copies of his files from the National Archives, Washington, D.C.

In the first days his service Joseph suffered a tremendous accident, he was crushed by his horse, hospitalized, and consequently discharged by the Surgeon General several months later due to his injuries. He recovers enough from his wounds to sign back up a few months later and continues to fight with his regiment in many battles. He then finds himself outnumbered in a pivotal battle, and is captured. A prisoner of war for 5 weeks, Joseph is then paroled through a prisoner exchange. Joseph faithfully served with his regiment through the remainder of the war. Joseph Straight is a true American hero. Joseph went through so much during the Civil War, and because he ended up fighting with three R.I. Troops, creating a time line of his service proved helpful to better understand how and when the events unfolded. Muster Rolls and other documents obtained in Washington D.C. in 2013 were used for the time line. A muster roll is a record of the soldiers company. These records document and validate their service in the war.

10/1/1861 Enlisted as a Private - Blacksmith / Farrier (horseshoer) 10/29/1861 Mustered into "Battery F" Co. RI 1st Light Artillery 11/1861 Injured at Alexandria (5 months in hospital) 4/29/1862 Discharged from "Battery F" Co. RI 1st Light Artillery for disability due to injuries on Surgeons certificate, New Berne, NC 09/01/1862 Mustered back in, detachment recruits, 1st Regiment, RI Calvary, Company F 06/18/1863 Captured at the Battle at Middleburg 06/23-06/24 POW Confined at Richmond, Va. Confined – Libby Prison, Belle Island Prison 07/23/1863 Paroled at City Point, Va (Paroles were a form of prisoner exchange) 07/24/1863 Reported at College Green Barracks 08/02/1863 Sent to Camp Parole, Annapolis, MD to return to duty 08/03/1863 Returned to duty with 1st Regiment, RI Calvary, Company F 12/21/1864 Re-organized to Company A from old Company F (1st Regiment, Rhode Island Cavalry) fought 1 more battle 06/06/1865 Mustered out The following pages unfold actual accounts of the captivating story beginning with the Battle at Middleburg on June 17th, 1863. At page 259 we get a day by day account of the capture and the following days, including the amazing release from prison and up to his arriving back safely. Seemingly long at 40 pages of a 616 page book, you will hardly even notice the length because these pages breathe life into what Joseph went through. It is unimaginable, and how fortunate he was to ever make it home. If you follow along from page 259 with the dates from his P.O.W. document the dates are correct (exact) to the story.

You will also see from Josephs Pension records, affidavits and other medical documents that report his physical description and even his character from men that knew him and tented with him during the war. There are some great comments in these documents, due to the penmanship some are easier to reads than others. You may notice that the Pension papers some have folds in them, this was done to the copies only in order to make room and enable the entire page to be viewed, they were only folded if no information was in that space.

By the time it ended in 1865, the Civil War was the costliest war ever fought on American soil with over 3 million men who fought resulting in more than 600,000 deaths.

Sources:

Index to Compiled Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served in Organizations From the State of Rhode Island. Affiliate Publication Number: M555, Affiliate Film Number: 7,GS Film number: 821946

Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900. Publication Number:T289, Publisher:NARA National Archives Catalog, ID:2588825

Collection Title: Civil War Pensions, Roll Number:525

National Archives research room, Washington, D.C.

Ancestral websites: Ancestry.com, Fold3.com Civil War Registration

SABRES AND SPURS

THE

an <l Jjirjt foment fjhoile ]jl C IN THE CIVIL WAR,

1861-1865.

ITS ORIGIN, MARCHES, SCOUTS, SKIRMISHES, RAIDS, BATTLES, SUFFERINGS, VICTORIES, AND APPROPRIATE OFFICIAL PAPERS;

WITH

THE ROLL OF HONOR AND ROLL OF THE REGIMENT,

ILLUSTRATED WITH PORTRAITS OF CAVALRY GENERALS AND

A. MAP OF THE REGIMENTS WAR-PATH.

BY REV. FREDERIC DENISOX, \ ^ CHAPLAIN.

"THEY ALL HOLD SWORDS, BEING EXPERT IN WAR."

PUBLISHED BY

THE FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY VETERAN ASSOCIATION. 1876.

232 SABRES AND SPURS. [June,

CHAPTER XXVIII.

BATTLE OF MIDDLEBURG.

JUNE, 1863.

the of the |f| HEN Army Potomac commenced its northward movement to overtake Lee, our brigade was ordered towards Bull Run River, near Union Mills, where General Pleasanton then held his head quarters. All movements were quick; all pulses beat high. June 17th. Early the following order was received from the second brigade, Second Cavalry Division:

Colonel A. N. Duffie, First Rhode Island Caxalry : You will proceed with your regiment from Manassas Junction, by way of Thoroughfare Gap, to Middleburg; there you will camp for the night, and communicate with the headquarters of the Second Cavalry Brigade. From Middleburg you will proceed to Union; thence to Snickersville; from Snickersville to Percy- ville; thence to Wheatland, and, passing through Waterford, to Nolan s Ferry, where you will join your brigade.

Of our action under this order and the battle that en sued, we may copy from a paper prepared by Captain

George N. Bliss : "On the morning of June 17th our regiment left 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 233

Manassas Junction and passed to the left towards Thor oughfare Gap, while the remainder of our cavalry took the road to the right leading towards Aldie. At Thor oughfare Gap we found a force of rebel cavalry, reported to be a brigade. Major Farrington states that he saw about five hundred, while more might have been con cealed in the woods. After a smart skirmish, in which we had three horses killed and a few wounded, the rebels fell back. We then took the road to Middleburg, and, two miles out of the place, again encountered the rebel cavalry. At once driving them back, we charged upon the town and took possession of it. But as soon as we stopped pursuit, the rebels also halted and commenced skirmishing with our pickets.

"Quickly we barricaded the roads leading out of the town, located our main reserve in a favorable position, and took a sharp view of the situation. In our rear were the. Bull Eun Mountains. Thoroughfare Gap was in possession of the foe. In the direction of Aldie, from whence alone we could expect help, was a large force of the enemy s cavalry. In our front was a heavy cavalry force, with artillery and infantry. Ours was a desperate position to hold; but our orders were to hold it. At this time Captain Allen was sent to communicate with Gen eral Kilpatrick, and, though halted and hotly fired upon, succeeded in running the rebel lines and reached Aldie. After sunset the rebels charged upon the barricade be yond the town, and were repulsed; but as soon as they discovered the nature of the obstructions, they deployed their column and came on with a long line of battle through the fields. Then of course the pickets fell back upon our main reserve, our carbineers were dismounted and posted behind a stone-wall running along one side of the road, and we waited for the attack. Nor had we 20* 234 SABRES AND SPURS. [June,

long to wait. Down the road dashed the rebel column men riding four abreast yelling and firing like demons. When the road was full in front of our line of carbineers,

" " the order was given, Fire ! and eighty carbines hurled death into the rebel ranks. " When we state that this occurred in the darkness of

the night, and that the enemy, ignorant of our position, were in such order that every carbine discharged was within six feet of a rebel soldier, you can form some esti mate of the fatal effect of our fire. Rider and horse down in one confused mass went ; and those who were unhurt rushed wildly away from the scene of slaughter.

"Again they charged; again they were repulsed. A third time they made an effort, but with diminished zeal, and recoiled from our fire. Then we heard the rebel

officers give the order, Cease firing! Dismount! and go into these woods.

" For us to struggle longer against overwhelming num bers was impossible, and we were commanded to fall back. The larger part of the regiment retired in good order, moving to the rear at a walk. But the rebels were so near us that Captain Chase, with many of his men, in the darkness, formed into a rebel column, sup posing them to be a part of our regiment. Major Far- rington, with two of his officers and twenty-three men, was at this time cut off from the remainder of the com mand, and was within the rebel lines twenty-four hours, but succeeded at last in bringing his party safely into our lines. He and his men were obliged to stand by their horses heads to prevent them from whinnowing, while rebel columns were passing most of the time within twenty rods of them, they being hid from view by a small hillock a very anxious twenty-four hours to them. Sergeant Palmer also was cut off from the regiment with 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 235 twelve men, and brought them safely through the rebel lines. The adventures of these two parties were exciting, but we have not space here to present them. " These losses left Colonel Duffie less than two hun dred men. With these he fell back two miles from Mid-

dleburg and waited for daylight, anxiously listening for the roar of Kilpatrick s guns. But the succor we hoped for came not. And at daybreak (18th) the enemy were upon us. Our column was quickly placed in the road, and we were about to charge upon the rebels in our front when we discovered a rebel column coming down at a charge upon our rear. This forced us to leap our horses over a stone-wall into a wheat field, which necessarily threw us into confusion. But we quickly rallied, and while forming the line a rebel officer shouted, Give them a sabre charge! to which Captain Bliss replied, That is just what we want. After quickly forming the line, we charged and drove every rebel out of the field. The road was then clear in the direction in which we wished to move, and we took it in column of fours, in good order, determined to cut our way through whatever opposed our passage; but the rebels charged upon our rear before we had gone two miles. "This blow upon us occurred in a deeply gullied mountain road, witli stone fences on top of the banks on each side, so that we could only retreat, and this wo therefore did. The rebels pursued us about six miles, into constantly firing our rear, and shouting, Halt !

Surrender ! It s no use ! But, to the honor of our men be it told, not a man yielded himself a prisoner volun tarily; but, turning in their saddles, our soldiers returned the fire, and some of our pursuers were seen to fall be neath the deadly aim of our boys. The hard service our horses had seen told against us, and large numbers 236 SABRES AND SPURS. [June,

were surrounded and taken from this cause. Some, however, took advantage of the dust that obscured every thing, and, dashing into the woods, escaped by footing it through the rebel lines over Bull Run Mountains. this Among number was your correspondent." Colonel Duffie finally succeeded in escaping through Hope well Gap, with four officers and twenty-seven men, and when he looked around and saw how few remained, the tears ran down his cheeks, expressing what words may not utter. Bruised, exhausted, and grieved, he and his little band reached Centreville at noon. G. The Color-Sergeant, A. Bobbins (Troop I), finding that capture was inevitable, stripped the regimental standard from the staff, broke the staff and threw it into the forest, and, opening his bosom, wrapped the colors about his body, and so concealed them. He was captured, but on his way to Richmond, after a number of days, escaped and found his way back into our lines. Finding at length the headquarters of the broken but brave and honored regiment, he reported for duty, and then drew from his breast the loved and precious colors an act that drew tears of gratitude and admiration from all beholders, and shouts of applause from his brave comrades, and won instantly for him a Lieutenant s commission. Lieutenant-Colonel Thompson and eighteen men cut their way through, and finally reported to General Pleas- anton, and, taking the men detailed at cavalry corps headquarters, reported to the Colonel, at Alexandria, with eighty -men. Lieutenant Brown and a squad re mained in the forest, after vainly attempting to cut a path out, till noon of the eighteenth, when a Federal force reached him. One of our captured men states that the rebels had sixteen stretchers in use upon the field, 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 237

removing their wounded to town. Evidently our car bines did fearful execution. The rebels admitted a heavy loss, and spoke of our regiment in high terms of praise, and were unwilling to believe that our two hundred and seventy-five men were not a brigade. While we were thus fighting at Middleburg, the bri gade to which we belonged was engaged at Aldie, in the Bull Run Mountains, and the enemy were between them and us. So we were beyond help from our forces till we cut our way back to them. All the details of adventure and conflict in this battle of Middleburg would make a record too lengthy for our pages. Our casualties were as follows:

Killed. Lieutenant J. A. Chedell (C), Corporal T. Burton (F), S. Wilcox (D), J. H. Elkins (M), Charles Fairbanks (M), B. G. Lawrence (M). Wounded. Captain A. H. Bixby (D), Lieutenant B. Ellis (L), Lieutenant S. Brown (G), Sergeant G. H. Steele (K), Corporal G. W. Gorton (D), Corporal G. S.

Bennett (D), Corporal L. Cronan (C), 0. F. Merrill (I), George C. Eustiss (M). Missing. Captain E. E. Chase (H), Adjutant E. B. Parker, Surgeon A. A. Mann, Lieutenant C. G. A. Peter son (D), Lieutenant H. P. Barker (B), Lieutenant J. M. Falcs (F); (Troop A) Sergeant J. R. Umfreville, Ser geant J. F. Scott, Sergeant J. W. Pratt, Sergeant P. W. Wilkie, Corporal F. L. Fuller, Corporal T. Linerhan, J. Adams, C. H. Bachelor, C. E. Gould, A. H. Herrick, M. Lynch, G. H. Martin, E. F. Oatley, E. B. Pendle- ton, W. F. Peck, J. Rathbone, J. S. Ripley, S. F. Slo- cum, H. West, I. York, H. B. Borden; (Troop B) Cor poral G. S. Northup, Corporal E. B. Meyers, Corporal H. Wellman, C. Brown, B. Church, A. Draper, G. Hawk ins, W. A. Johnson, J. Leedham, G. W. Meyers, H. T. 238 SABRES AND SPURS. [Jlllie,

Nichols, J. W. Rothwell, W. H. Sutton, W. H. Tourjee; (Troop C) Sergeant N. Atwood, Sergeant C. Hubart, Corporal W. H. Latham, A. T. Hicks, E. S. Carter, J. Dimond, J. Dyer, J. Burke, W. B. Ford, S. R. Greene, H. E. Kindred, C. H. Shultz, H. Sutherland, J. Cavan- agh, C. H. Colburn, J. Bevar; (Troop D) Sergeant R. A. Phillips, Corporal G. T. Reynolds, Corporal H. H. Pierce, J. A. Joslin, J. Beckton, E. F. Cohvell, S. Can- tello, A. Durfee, A. A. Greene, P. Hock, W. H. Lawton, S. Minor, R. McDonald, A. P. Palmer, G. W. Stearns, W. A. Wellman, G. Ashworth, J. Barnes, W. Hackley; (Troop E) Sergeant A. Walker, Sergeant E. P. Abbott, Sergeant G. A. Kempton, Sergeant A. Hurdis, Corporal L. C. Stevens, Corporal J. Murphy, A. Doherty, H. Mulholland, G. F. Stone, W. H. Remington, M. Farrell, J. Fletcher; (Troop F) Sergeant W. Gardner, Corporal M. Crane, Corporal C. W. Bowen, Corporal D. A. Mathewson, Corporal G. B. Bennett, J. Bennett, J. Grimley, Jr., J. Knight, R, J. Lillibridge, J. Straight, J. Tebo; (Troop G) Sergeant E. C. Martin, Corporal C. R. Cross, Corporal D. S. Cook, Bugler F. Coburn, J. W. Bidmead, W. Butman, W. Comstock, J. Conlin, J. Crossen, J. A. Hall, C. Hall, P. Mullin, P. J. Rounds, J. Sheridan, W. R. Spink, G. P. Thurber, J. Brown; (Troop H) Sergeant H. A. Carder, Sergeant C. T. Lee, Corporal H. Duxbury, Corporal T. Pinkerton, Corporal F. B. Tefft, Corporal N. Hopkins, Jr., Corporal N. Ser- vatius, T. B. Gould, W. Carney, P. Harrigan, W. Jenkins, G. Kettle, L. Mitchell, J. Nichols, J. J. Spencer, J. A. Caldwell, F. Buckley; (Troop I) Sergeant F. P. Stone, Sergeant M. B. Davis, Sergeant G. A. Robbins, Sergeant J. S. Cilley, Corporal G. A. Webster, Corporal S. W. Laighton, Corporal S. Davis, Corporal W. H. Everett, C. D. Dimmick, A. L. Cilley, H. Fortier, J. Hunt, S. CAVALRY. 239 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND

Lamprey, D. S. Mooney, H. H. Morrison, I. L. Stock- T. H. H. Web bridge, W. Woods, H. Taylor, Shepard, C. Ser ster, W. Jackson; (Troop K) Sergeant Rogers, A. J. geant J. D. Gage, Bugler A. P. Tasker, Cochran, C. A. A. M. Crystal, E. Davis, D. W. Furbur, Glidden, A. Hall, W. H. Hart, F. H. Phillips, M. Quimby, N. Reynolds, S. J. Sawyer, R. C. Smith, H. Wilson; (Troop L) Sergeant G. W. White, Sergeant L. V. Thorn, Cor W. poral B. F. Locke, Corporal W. W. Tuttle, Corporal W. Lovejoy, Corporal C. C. Clark, N. Reynolds, W. H. Chase, M. V. B. Davis, A. Burbank, C. W. Corey, J. B. P. Hill, J. V. Herrick, W. R. Harden, J. Marshall, G. Rowe, J. P. Wheeler, J. M. Southwick; (Troop M) Ser geant S. B. Weston, Sergeant N. P. Kidder, Sergeant R. B. Shapley, Sergeant H. Leavitt, Corporal J. H. Shapley, Corporal C. B. Sheldon, Corparal E. Leavitt, Corporal A. Smith, Corporal B. L. Carr, Bugler W. H. J. Thompson, J. Avery, C. L. Bowen, G. Y. Terrell, J. C. Greene, H. P. Hubbard, C. S. Kidder, W. H. Lover- ing, J. W. Warren, W. S. Bradwick, R. A. Brown, Chief Bugler J. W. Day, Hospital Steward E. D. White. Summary: Killed, 6; wounded, 20; missing, 210. Of the twenty wounded, some were among the cap tured. It is only marvelous that any of the command escaped death and capture. We were literally thrown into the jaws of war. Of the two hundred and ten missing, only about one hundred and seventy were car ried to Richmond; the rest adroitly managed to escape the foe, and finally reached our lines. From Colonel Duffle s official report of this terrible action, made at Centreville June 18th, we make appro priate extracts:

I left camp on the morning of the 17th instant, with my regiment, two hundred and eighty strong, 240 SABRES AND SPURS. [June, and proceeded to Thoroughfare Gap. At this place the enemy was met in force, and being much stronger than my command, I was obliged, in order to pass my regiment on to the Middleburg road unseen, to make a demonstration on my left flank. This maneuver was successful, the enemy retired, and I was enabled to gain the Middleburg road. Nevertheless, they followed in my rear, but at a considerable distance, causing me no uneasiness. It was then nine and a half o clock A. M. At eleven o clock their skirmishers disappeared, and I proceeded unmolested until four o clock P. M., when approaching Middleburg, my skirmishers again met and engaged the enemy, capturing his first picket in the road. I ordered Captain Allen, commanding the advanced squadron, to charge through -the town. By this movement the rear-guard of General Stuart was cut off, and then a brisk cavalry fight ensued between his rear and my advance guard. This en gagement lasted half an hour, when the enemy was completely routed, and forced to retreat in the greatest disorder and con fusion, scattering in every direction. Learning that Stuart, with two thousand cavalry and four pieces of artillery, had left town but half an hour before my arrival, and proceeded towards Aldie, I ordered that the different roads lead ing into the town be barricaded and strongly picketed, and in structed the officers commanding the outposts to hold the place at all hazards, hoping that after effecting communication with the brigade, which I supposed to be at Aldie, I should receive reinforcements. Captain Allen was selected to carry a despatch to General Kilpatrick, and directed to avoid as much as possible all main roads. The town was held by my command from four and a half to o P. M. which time the skirmishers had been seven clock , during constantly engaged. At seven I learned that the enemy was ap proaching in force from Union, Aldie, and Upperville. Deter mined to hold the place if possible, I dismounted one-half of the regiment, placing them behind stone-walls and barricades. The enemy surrounded the town, and stormed the barricades, but were gallantly repulsed by my men, with great slaughter. They did not desist, but, confident of success, again advanced to the attack, and made three successive charges. I was com pelled to retire on the road by which I came, that being the only one open to retreat, and with all that was left of my command I ISLAND CAVALRY. 241 1863.] FIRST RHODE

bivouacked crossed Little River, northeast of Middleburg, and on the river. for the night, establishing strong pickets sent to At ten P. M., having heard nothing from the despatch under an General Kilpatrick, at Aldie, I sent twenty men, officer, since learned that to carry a second despatch. I have Captain Allen succeeded in making his way through the enemy s lines to was Aldie; the party bearing the second despatch probably cap tured. At three and a half o clock the next morning, the 18th instant, that I was informed by scouts, whom I had previously sent out, s and the roads in every direction were full of the enemy cavalry, that the road to Aldie was held by a brigade with four pieces of I abandoned the of artillery. Under these circumstances, project surrender in going to Union, but made up my mind not to any event. I directed the head of my column on the road to Aldie, on when an engagement commenced at once, the enemy opening surrender. I at both flanks with heavy volleys, yelling to us to once directed Captain Bixby, the officer commanding the advance follow the Aldie road guard, to charge any force in his front, and to White Plains. to that point where it connects with the road This order was executed most admirably. Captain Bixby s horse was shot and he himself wounded. We were then in an extremely hazardous position, the enemy were intermixed with being in front, rear, and on both flanks, and us for more than an hour, till we reached the road leading to of the Hopeville Gap. I must freely praise the gallant conduct brave officers and men who were fighting side by side with over whelming numbers of the enemy, with the most determined valor, preferring rather to die than to surrender. A. N. DUFFIE, Colonel Commanding Regiment.

Allen: It is proper to add the report from Captain

CAMP FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY, 1863. ALEXANDRIA, Va. , June 22,

Colonel A. N. Duffie :

Sir: I have the honor to report, that about five o clock P. M., on the evening of the 17th instant, I was sent from Middleburg, a where the regiment was then engaged with the enemy, to carry 21 242 -AMKES AND SPURS. [Julie, despatch to General Kilpatrick at Aldie, accompanied by two men. I first to attempted proceed by the main road, but wa> halted and fired upon by a body of the enemy, who said they \\ -](, the Fourth Virginia Cavalry. I then returned towards Mid rlldmrg, and leaving the road attempted to make my way across the country. I found the fields and woods in every direction full of bodies of the enemy; by exercising the greatest care, I suc ceeded in making my way through them to Little River. Here I rm ountered five of the enemy and forced them to give me passage. Following the river down, I struck the main road about one mile from Aldie, and by inquiry learned that our pickets were on that road. I reached Aldie and delivered my despatch to General Kil- jmtrick at nine P. M. General Kilpatrick informed me thut hi> brigade was so worn out that he could not send any reinforce ments to Middleburg, but that he would report the situation of our regiment to General Gregg. Returning, he said that General Gn-irg had gone to state the facts to General Pleasanton, and directed me to remain at Aldie until he heard from General Plf:a-:mton. I remained, but received no further orders. Respectfully submitted, FRANK ALLEN, Captain First Rhode Island Cavalry.

In another communication from Colonel Duftie we find the following language: "I could certainly have saved my regiment in the night, but my duty as a soldier and olonel obliged me to be faithful to my orders. Dur ing those moments of reflection, and knowing that my regiment was being sacrificed, contemplating all this through more than five hours, my heart was bleeding in seeing the lives of those men, whom I had led so many times, sacrificed through the neglect and utter forgetful- ness of my superior officers; but in the midst of my grief I found some consolation, beholding the manner in which the Rhode Island boys fought." AtToction forbids that we should close this tragic and and painful chapter of our history without some .special 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 243 honorable mention of the Christian man and gallant officer who fell in the sanguinary scene; and the more do we owe him a record from the fact that he ably repre sented the regiment by his pen as well as by his sabre. Lieutenant JOSEPH A. CHEDELL. He was a native of Barrington, R. L, and at the opening of the war was a student of medicine in the office of Dr. Newell, of Provi dence, R. L, with whom he enlisted in our regiment, filling the position of Hospital Steward. He was mus tered into the service December 14, 18G1. Faithful at his post, and evincing talent and ambition for service in the line, he received, January 14, 1863, a commission as Second Lieutenant. Capable and beloved, he was hon ored all by with whom he associated. Bravely he filled his position in numerous scouts and skirmishes, and es pecially in the battles of Kelly s Ford, Chancellorsville, Brandy Station, and Middleburg, in which last he fell at the post of duty. He was buried on a farm near the battle but field, the body was subsequently exhumed by his comrades, when the fortunes of war brought them back to the scene of disaster, placed in a coffin and re- buried with tenderness, and was afterwards taken to Washington by the Government, and from thence brought by relatives to Providence, R. I. Few young men have a purer, brighter record than Lieutenant Chedell. To live uprightly, to do one s whole and duty, finally to crown a loving, spotless life with a martyr s death, are characteristics which seldom unite in one so In young. short, he lived and died a patriot, a soldier, and a Christian. His body having reached Providence, R. I., on Sun day, December 9, 1866, funeral honors were observed in the Bethel Church, led by Rev. John Taylor, who spoke from the "I words, have fought a good fight; I have 24-i SABRES AND SPURS. [June, finished my course," etc. Major Farrington, Surgeon Newell, Captains Baker, Bliss and Darling, and many of the rank and file of our regiment were present, some acting as pall-bearers all true mourners. At the con clusion of the services, the Providence Horse Guards, acting as escort, saluted the hearse, and, moving at the head of the procession, passed through Benefit street to the North Burying Ground. The coffin, decorated with the American flag, was handled by cavalry men, and saluted by all in military form and spirit. Over the grave were fired the three honorary volleys, and the re mains were left to repose among the ashes of kin and friends. But the memory of the young hero is with us and with his country.

Brave brother, our tribute we render to thee; On the mountains of battle you fell for the free. 1803.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 245

CHAPTER XXIX.

CAPTIVITY OF CAPTAIN EDWARD E. CHASE.

JUNE, 1863 FEBRUARY, 1865.

E give another inside view of the Confederacy, following the pen of the brave and beloved

Captain whose name always stood high upon our roll, and whose bitter experiences among our enemies should have a place in our patriot history:

" The prisoners captured by the enemy at Middleburg, Va,, on the night of June 17, 1863, and the day follow ing, were marched, during seven days, by way of Upper- ville, Winchester (where we tarried under guard two days), and the Shenandoah Valley, to Staunton a dis tance of about one hundred and forty miles, where we arrived on the evening of June 24th. On the 25th, we were placed on the cars, and arrived at Libby Prison, Richmond, in the evening-. The reports that had pre viously reached us of the treatment which we might expect to receive at the hands of the rebels having charge of the prison were more than fully justified. When we were placed in line and underwent the usual examina tion, watch, money, and other valuables were taken from us, and any protesting on the part of the unlucky Yan- 21* 246 SABRES AND SPURS. [July,

kees was sure to bring forth remarks from the prison officials more forcible than elegant. All of us that were officers were assigned to quarters on the two upper floors of the building, when we proceeded to make ourselves as comfortable as circumstances would admit.

" On the 6th of July, news reached Richmond of the battle of Gettysburg, and the first reports represented the result of that conflict as highly favorable to the rebels. Forty thousand prisoners, among other little matters, had been captured and were en route to the Confederate capital. What would they do with them? And how so could they feed many? were the questions soberly asked in the morning papers of that day. Now was surely the proper time for taking the first step towards raising the black flag and ending the war in a blaze of glory. "At half past ten in the forenoon, a sleepy looking individual, known as Sergeant George, of the C. S. A., made his appearance in the prison and announced that all the captains were wanted down stairs. The roll was called, and the officers designated descended to the lower middle room of the building, where we were formed in a hollow square. A number of chaplains held as prisoners were then brought in, and at once the belief was expressed that these proceedings were preliminary to an exchange of prisoners, and immediately the spirits of the party went up.

" Major Thomas P. Turner, commandant of the prison, then appeared, and, taking from his pocket an official document, proceeded to read in substance that Major Turner would select from the Federal officers, of the rank of captain, two for execution, in retaliation for a like number of officers, of the same rank, executed by order of General Burnside in Kentucky, unjustly charged 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 247

as having been spies. The change that came over the- spirits of the officers may be imagined. A dead silence ensued, which was broken, after a few seconds which seemed like hours, by Major Turner, who informed his hearers that the two officers required for execution would be selected by lot. Each captain s name, together with the regiment to which he belonged, was written upon a separate piece of paper, which was folded and placed in a small round box, the officer answering to his name as it was dropped in. The box, after being covered, was well shaken. " It was agreed that one of the Federal chaplains, who consented, after much arguing, to do so, should draw from the box two of the folded papers, and that the names written upon them should be those of the two victims. The two papers were drawn out amidst a most awful silence, and laid upon the table, the old chaplain s face streaming the while with tears. Turner took up the and < papers read, Captain Flynn, Ohio Volunteers; Cap tain Sawyer, First New Jersey Cavalry. " For full two minutes after the result of the drawing was known we were unable to articulate a word. With sorrowful hearts we were marched back to our quarters, leaving behind us the two unfortunate officers condemned to suffer for some supposed wrong committed by another. Captains Flynn and Sawyer were confined in the cells situated in the cellar of the building for some weeks, when were allowed to they remain with the other prison ers. In the meantime the Federal Government had been notified of the intended execution of these officers through General B. F. Butler, commanding the department hav ing charge of the exchange of prisoners of war. Gen eral Butler s action was quite in keeping with his reputa tion at previously acquired New Orleans, as a man ready 248 SABKES AND SPURS. [May, at all times to assume responsibility; and there is every reason to suppose that he would have been as good as his word in carrying out his avowed intention. General Butler had in confinement as prisoners of war General William H. F. Lee, son of General Robert E. Lee, and Captain Winder, son of General Winder, Provost Mar shal at Richmond. These two officers he placed under guard in the casemates of Fortress Monroe, and gave an order to the commandant of the fortress to hang them immediately and without further orders upon receiving official information that Captains Flynn and Sawyer had been executed. Colonel Ould, Confederate commission er for the exchange of prisoners, was duly notified what would be done should the rebel government commence retaliation, and the result was that the first lot of prison ers that went down the James River contained Captains Flynn and Sawyer; and, for the balance of the time the war continued, no further attempts were made to hang prisoners. Other retaliating measures, however, were carried out, and seemed to fall rather heavily upon the officers of the First Rhode Island Cavalry.

"I was sent to Salisbury, N. C., together with two other officers of the same rank, who were drawn by lot, to be confined at hard labor during the war, in retalia tion for a like number of officers of the rebel navy, who were captured on the Chesapeake, engaged in burning at shipping, and sentenced to hard labor the Alton (Illi nois) Penitentiary, during the time that the war might last.

" Prison life at Salisbury was a great improvement on that at Libby; better food was provided, and plenty of room to sleep in. True, the small-pox prevailed to a large extent among the inmates of the prison, who con sisted of about three hundred Union men from Tennes- 1864.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 249

see and Virginia, and some four hundred belonging to the Confederate army, who were serving out sentences of

court-martial. But the prisoners became used to it, only a few cases of varioloid taking place among the officers confined there. As to the hard labor, that was almost a figure of speech, and would have been wholly so but that one day Captain Kendall, First Massachusetts Volun teers, and Captain Litchfield, Fourth Maine Infantry, and myself were ordered to carry stones with which .to fill up a discovered tunnel dug by the prisoners. The officers politely refused to do the work, and were allowed to retire. The officer of the day called upon us and ex plained that they were merely carrying out old Winder s orders, and that they reckoned nothing more need be said about the matter. The hostages remained at Salisbury till the middle of May, 1864, when we were sent, with other prisoners from Richmond, to Macon, Georgia. The journey to that point was a trying one; the weather was hot, and the cars, which were the ordinary freight cars, were crowded, sixty men, besides the guard, being placed in each. Some fifteen hundred officers were confined in the stockade at Macon, where we spent the months of June and July. From Macon we were transferred to Charleston, S. C., and nominally placed under the fire of the Federal guns mounted on Morris Island. During the time we remained in Charleston only one officer was wounded by shells, and that one slightly. The yellow fever breaking out in the city, about October 1st, caused a removal of the prisoners to Columbia; but not until some thirty of our number had been stricken down with the disease, a few only of whom survived. "The prisoners, with the exception of those who man aged to escape, remained at Columbia until a general 250 SABRES AND SPURS. [February, exchange of prisoners took place in March, 1865, many of us having been confined from eighteen months to two years. At Columbia the prisoners were placed in an open field, and were surrounded by a thin line of senti nels only. To get outside the guard was a simple mat ter; but the great difficulty was how to get through the rebel country to the Federal lines. The nearest point at which United States troops were stationed was Knox- ville, Tennessee, a distance of over three hundred miles in a straight line from Columbia. "Two of us determined to try our luck, however, in an attempt to reach it. Lieutenant Fales and myself ran the guard line on the morning of November 4, 1864, and succeeded in reaching a point two hundred and fifty miles distant before being recaptured. Our sufferings during the time we were thus striving to reach home were something terrible. We were captured at last, in the Smoky Hill Mountains, dividing North Carolina from Tennessee, on the 26th of November, after having been without food for three entire days. After being re captured we were marched on foot to Morgantown, N.

C., one hundred and fifty miles, where we were placed on cars and sent to Danville, Va., the nearest Yankee prison. We remained at Danville until we were ex changed by way of Richmond and James River. " On the 17th of February, 1865, 1 stepped on board the rebel flag of truce boat Schultze, at Richmond, just one year and eight months from the day on which I was cap tured. Our company consisted of seven officers and four hundred sick and dying enlisted men, many of the latter destined never to reach the protection of their flag; for they departed this life before the boat arrived at the point of exchange, Cox s Landing, where the released prisoners were handed over to their friends. 1865.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 251

about the treatment of "A great deal has been written but it is not prisoners of war by the rebel authorities; to enter at ray purpose, as this is not the place, length into a discussion of that subject. That better treatment might have been given to the enlisted men held as pris oners there is no doubt. The Federal officers, prisoners of war, were subjected, God knows, to ill treatment enough; but when their privations are compared with those of the men who lived, suffered, and died, at Belle

Isle, Andersonville, Florence, Millen, and Salisbury, they need hardly be mentioned. " One fact presented itself conspicuously in prison field life; that was, that when soldiers from the had charge of prisoners they were much better treated than when in charge of men who had never seen a fight or heard a bullet whiz. To the latter class belonged Thom as P. Turner, of Libby Prison, and Wirtz, of Ander sonville; while in the former class may be placed Major Raymond, of Charleston, and Captain Galloway, of Salis bury." 252 SABRES AND SPURS. [June,

CHAPTER XXX.

CAPTIVITY OF SERGEANT J. R. UMFREVILLE.

JUNE JULY, 1863.

ERGEANT afterwards First Lieutenant John R. Umfreville, from whose graphic and humorous papers, written home from the field, we draw the sub stance of this chapter, met his death in 1868, by an acci dental shot, in Florida, while in the service of the Gov ernment. It will be perceived that his pen was as sharp as his sabre. His genius and education made him a delightful companion, a strong man, and an honored patriot. Of his capture in the battle of Middleburg, where he was one of the pickets, he spicily says:

"I received reliable information of the position and force of the enemy in the shape of a volley of musket balls. Caesar! how the balls whizzed. I immediately gave the enemy a prospective view of my back and the length of my horse s tail; but I had scarcely turned when another volley followed, two balls taking effect in my horse, one above the gambrel, and another in the fetlock- muscle. As he was travelling at a John Gilpin pace, he fell headlong, and I described a parabolic curve, of 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 253 beautiful proportions, over his head, striking my left shoulder against a tree and my head on a hard mac adamized road. Partially stunned and considerably lamed, I waited the course of events. The gents to whom I owed my two volleys some three hundred in number, of whom thirty were dismounted made their appearance, and their commander ordered a charge down the road; but nary a charge could he get out of them till our men had time to make their escape. " I picked myself up, and, seeing a shed near by, got into it. Cogitating what my chances of escape were, I concluded I was done for, as a party of the cusses were stationed before my domicil. While thus my mind was until two engaged, I went to sleep, and did not awake o clock (18th). I then cautiously crawled out and struck across lots, and very soon popped in among a picket and was halted; but, not having time to make a call, I put about and steered another course, and again found my self near a post. I got quietly away, and rested a few moments, and took the chamber from my revolver, de termined that not one of the rebels should ever have the pleasure of using that against the Stars and Stripes. of "I now started on another tour inspection, jumped

over a wall, and, as luck would have it, dropped right into a picket reserve. I was halted, and, after a short parley, surrendered myself a prisoner of war to the Fifth North Carolina Cavalry. I was sent to the headquarters of General Robinson, commanding the North Carolina brigade, and here found out what a pretty little cobweb we had got ourselves into. Passing through the town, I saw some of the effects of Captain Chase s handiwork: the ground strewed with dead horses; five dead rebels lying on a porch, and twenty-five wounded; one Major McNeil dead. 22 254 SABRES AND SPURS. [June,

"The next morning, General Robinson asked me a number of questions, and I told him everything I knew, as you will perceive by the tone of his remarks, viz. : You are a damned Yankee Know Nothing. After telling me that they had caught Milroy and hung him, and were going to carry the war to New York, I retired from the pleasant interview with an escort from the cam}) of the Fifth North Carolina Cavalry. Arriving there, I found Captain Chase and his men, and also how the cob web above mentioned had been woven. It was thus : About two hours before we entered Middleburg, two brigades of Stuart s cavalry had finished going towards Aldie; and shortly after them the North Carolina brigade arrived near the place, and during the night W. H. F. Lee s and Hampton s brigades, with twenty-four pieces of artillery, arrived. Fitz Lee and Jones ran into a snag at Aldie in the shape of Kilpatrick, and fell back to Mid dleburg. So our regiment was in a precarious condition on the morning of the 18th of June. " June 18th. About seven o clock, under charge of a lieutenant and guard, our party started for Upperville. Passing Stuart s headquarters, we saw that officer, and also, shortly after, the great R. E. Lee himself. We ar rived at our destination about ten o clock, and were put in an old church. Shortly after, another squad arrived, among whom were Lieutenants Peterson and Fales; and soon another squad, and soon another; and we plainly saw that the First Rhode Island Cavalry was most cer tainly a used-up institution. After some preliminaries of searching and so on were through, the whole party of about two hundred started for Paris, and, amid a drench ing rain and hail storm, arrived there. I had a good dinner at Upperville, and the twelve miles walk to Paris gave me a good appetite for supper; but nothing was 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 255 forthcoming. So, crawling under a blanket with Wilkie, we laid on the wet ground,- with a stone-wall for a pillow, and went to sleep among Pickett s division of the rebel army. " June 19th. In the morning I awoke quite fresh and desperately hungry. Procuring a few tack with a cup of water, I made my breakfast. We soon started for Win chester, passing through Ashby s Gap and fording the Shenandoah at Birney s Ford. The day was extremely hot, and many of the men s feet began to get sore. We arrived at Winchester about four P. M., very tired and slightly hungry. We were put in the court-house, and found a hundred and fifty men of our brigade, taken at Aldie, which, with the one hundred and ninety of the First Rhode Island Cavalry, made a very good haul. Also with us were some one hundred infantry stragglers picked up by friend Mosby. We purchased food at an exorbitant price, and turned in, and the next morning started for Staunton, a distance of ninety- two miles. We camped at Keenestown, three miles from Winches ter, and that night, for the first time, received food a pound of flour and a fourth of a pound of pork per man. We made bread we did and after tossing, and tossing, and toasting, and baking in a plate, it had the appear ance of cast-iron and the texture of sole-leather; but we ate it. It had rained hard all day. I will not attempt a description of the journey.

" With few exceptions, we found the Southern soldiery the most ignorant set of beings it was ever my luck to fall in with. Most of them treated us as well as any one could. But we received many insults from the citizens as we passed along the road, more especially from the ladies, to whom a live Yankee was an object of the greatest curiosity. The road to Staunton through the 256 SABRES AND SPURS. [June, mountains the paradise of Virginia is beautiful and macadamized; it is unequalled, by any road I ever saw. The soldiers we met were eager to buy anything we had, paying in Confederate scrip. The citizens had a strange weakness for greenbacks, and sought for them. Their lingo was more like that of a nigger than of a civilized white. Such were the chivalrous -Southrons who pro fessed extreme superiority over the Northern vandals. The North Carolinians more especially use this odd kind of language; but they are the best hearted soldiers in the Southern army, and ever willing to share what little they have with us; nor are they so fiery in their secesh senti ments.

"June 26th. We arrived at Richmond. The late reverses to the rebels had had a depressing effect upon filled with articles the city. The papers were denouncing their generals. General Keyes was advancing upon Rich all closed. able to mond", and the stores were Everybody carry a gun was called out, and the people began to move towards Lynchburg with their goods and families. It was some days before order was restored in the city. but it is General Keyes could easily have taken the city; in. or not a fit place for a bog to live A nastier more stinking place can not be found in God s universe. A character perfect military despotism of the most grinding and to prevails in the South. Murder plundering prevail so their a great extent in Richmond and Petersburg; say a own papers. Everything has assumed dilapidated ap three pearance. From the description of Richmond of it one would years ago, and the appearance to-day, think the plague had been at work and very nearly finished the work of desolation. " On our arrival in Richmond we were put into Libby Prison, and went to work amusing ourselves with the 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 257

idea that we were soon to be paroled, and perhaps some have a day chance to repay the little kindnesses shown with interest. us, After a dietetic supper, we went to bed on the but floor, not many slept; a species of insect or vermin seemed to have a prior right to the building, and fought desperately for the maintenance of their claim. On the twenty-seventh we were escorted to Belle the Island, country-seat of the prisoners of war to the and great glorious Southern Confederacy. " I stood prison life very well for a week, when I began to have the dysentery in a bad form. The doctor wanted to send me to the I told hospital. him I preferred to die, if I was to kick going the bucket, on the island, as it was handier to the burying-ground. If anybody wanted to the help police camp they got double grub. I did not work; I did not boss fancy my a deserter from our army. " On Monday, July 18th, the commanding officer sent for me to come to him, and said, if I would, he should like to have me out seven bring men, good writers, to make out as parole rolls, they were expecting several hundred from prisoners the North. I consented, for I should have better rations and more liberty. We were on the engaged rolls three days, when we were taken to the tobacco warehouse with the rest of our men. The next morning we took the cars for City Point, arriving at the point at ten o clock. Our trip to Annapolis was pleasant. We had of plenty rations, and were very glad to bid to good-bye rebeldom. On our arrival at camp we were furnished with new clothes, and began to look like civilized beings again. "I was in the hands of J. D. thirty-five days, and I fell from one hundred away and seventy-three pounds to one hundred and thirty-eight pounds: so you see our was commissary department rather poorly supplied. 22* 258 SABKES AND SPURS. [June,

"While I was writing in the prison, a Xorth Carolina lieutenant, looking over my shoulder, remarked, All you Yanks all write pretty smart. Did you all ever go to school ? With a sober face, I told him I was for some years Professor of the Board of Anti-Amalgamationists and Resinous Futchins. He said I looked young to hold such a position." 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 259

CHAPTER XXXI.

CAPTIVITY OF SERGEANT W. GARDNER, W. A. JOHNSON, AND OTHERS.

JUNK JULY, 1863.

brave was the resistance of our men at the battle

of Middleburg, and so large the number that fell into the hands of the enemy, that, out of a just regard to them, we are justified in giving some further record of their experiences in captivity; meanwhile, we shall the better understand the spirit and strength of the re bellion by looking within the Confederate lines. Wel come A. Johnson, whose paper we shall now present, may speak alike for himself and for his worthy com rades. Omitting the particular incidents of the battle and capture, that we may avoid seeming repetitions, we take up his journal at the point where he falls into the hancls of the foe:

"June 18th. We were taken back to the town. The road, on both sides, was strewn with men and horses,, dead and dying. On a piazza in the town I saw at least thirty dead bodies, all of whom I judged to be Confed erates, as they were partly covered with sheets and deco rated with flowers. Some two or three miles beyond the 260 SABRES AND SPURS. [June, town, on the left of the road, was a large body of infant ry encamped, also artillery in park; none of which I judged had taken part in the fight. We halted in Paris, where we were searched and deprived of all valuables, and marched into a lot formerly used for burying the

1 dead. Here we remained all the wet and disagreeable night. "June 19th. Filed into the road and marched on, which was hard on empty stomachs; but did not stop for trifles. Xot even the north fork of the Shenandoah could stop us; through it we waded, the water up to our waists. Twenty-eight miles brought us to Winchester. "June 20th. The rebels, believing in the old adage,

Misery loves company, gave us plenty of it; this com pany proved to be a portion of Milroy s command. Marched to Keenestown and camped, receiving about two ounces of salt pork and a pint of raw flour, mingled with rain, that began to fall and continued most of the night. "June 21st. Ordered forward. Some of the boys were barefooted, the majority nearly so. Passed through Newtown, Middletown, and Strasburg; four miles beyond the latter camped for the night, tired, sleepy, hungry, and without shelter, lying on the ground for rest. "June 22d. Marched through Woodstock and Edin- burg. In these towns we were allowed to buy bread, pies, milk, cake, etc., in payment for which they refused their own money if we had greenbacks. Pies cost fifty cents to a dollar; bread, three dollars per loaf; cakes, from ten to twenty-five cents each; milk, one dollar per can teen. It is proper to state how we were able to purchase provisions. Sometime in the latter part of May or first of June we had been paid, but, being constantly on the wing, had no chance for sending our money home by the 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 261

State agent, as was our custom. After our capture and before being searched, we had concealed our money in different parts of our clothing, ripping a hole in the waistband of our pants, folding our money and conceal it between ing the lining and the outside; also by run it around the inside of ning the sweat leather of our caps. We arrived at Mount Jackson near dark, a distance of about twenty-eight miles, and for the first time were sheltered from the damp night air, being quartered in hospital buildings, sleeping comparatively well on hard disturbed beds, only by occasional shots from the guard,, who stated that some of the Yankees were trying to escape. " June 23d. While we were early in line, preparing to move a on, horseman rode along quite anxious to obtain what he called Yankee money, offering four hundred per cent, in Confederate money. I judge not many of his bids were taken, as he rode off muttering that we were a poor, miserable set of Yanks. It was a common for the thing citizens to call us Lincoln s thieves/ and to taunt us with having tried to get to Richmond for two years, adding they had no doubt we would get there now. Passing through Newmarket we camped near Harrison- where burg, we drew hard bread a luxury .we had not seen since our capture. "June 24th. Resumed our march. Some of our had become so weak from boys the long and fatiguing march that they were placed in an ambulance or army wagon which accompanied us from Winchester. This our last day s march on foot seemed much harder than all the hence there was rest; some straggling. As I hap to be one of the pened number thus in the rear, an officer rode back from the front with the order, Close up d d As I said to him quick. we were tired and could not, 262 SABKES AND SPURS. [June, he drew sabre, uttered an oath, and came nigh riding over me. Halted within two miles of Staunton, drew seven hard-tack each, and camped. "June 25th. A short march brought us to Staunton. After some confusion, a train of cars was in readiness to take us to Richmond. Owing to the bad condition of the road our progress was slow, affording us a good view of the surrounding country as we passed along, a view in part very beautiful. "June 26th. Arriving in Richmond, after the com mon salutations of scorn and hisses from the citizens, we passed on to Libby Prison. Slowly and reluctantly we entered the horrible den. Here began the dread reality of prison life. This prison is situated, I judge, in the northern portion of the city, back of which runs the James River, and is three stories high, eighty feet deep, and a hundred and ten feet long, containing some half dozen or more rooms, and is built of brick. It was minus all furniture. Window-frames, without sash or glass, alone remained. Here for the night, with only bread and water, we rested a night long to be remembered. "June 27th. Ordered in line, counted, and marched to Belle Island. This place is situated on James River, about half a mile west of Richmond, and contains some us forty or fifty acres. The portion occupied by prison ers contains only about four or five acres, and lies next It is on a to the city, and is of a sandy nature. nearly level with the river, and is encircled by earthworks about three feet high, outside of which are stationed the guards. On the south side and near the bank of the river stands the commissary department, with cook houses attached, where were cooked our scanty rations. the we found it- "Shortly after entering on island, of and necessary to have some one of us take charge 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 263

draw which of rations, consisted two meals daily. This devolved on duty finally Sergeant Gardner (Troop F), and faithfully did he perform this duty. There were about five thousand prisoners on the island, a portion of whom were sheltered from the scorching summer sun and driving storms by Sibley tents. As these shelters were quite insufficient to accommodate all, those who came last our party were without shelter. Kot even a tree was left within the inclosure.

:< "The was in day spent washing and cleaning ourselves as best we could. When night came we laid ourselves down upon the ground, sheltered only by the canopy of heaven.

Hail, night! with joy I welcome thee; Thou com st when all else things forsake ; Thou bringest rest, and makest free Sad, weary hearts that ache.

"June 28th. A severe rain storm in the morning; off before the sun clearing noon, came out scorching hot; we, without shelters, realized the extremes. At ten o clock the drums beat breakfast call. The Sergeant, with four men, procuring from some of the boys a blanket which, fortunately, had not been confiscated, proceeded outside the breastworks to the cook house, where he re ceived a pot of bean soup and several loaves of bread with which he returned to us. After the usual style, each man received half a pint of soup and one-quarter of a loaf of bread. Of soup, I have seen dish after dish dealt out to men in which not a single bean was visible, being but and that nothing water, muddy and filthy. The bread was quite good, what there was of it. Our dishes were of various patterns: half a canteen, a bottle with the broken off. top Some had cups. Others, less 264 SABBES AND SPURS. [June, fortunate, in their turn would each take the cup used by the Sergeant to measure the soup, place it to his lips and swallow the contents, then take the pittance of bread handed him, and pass on without a murmur. After breakfast, men gathered in groups around the prison grounds, discussing the condition of affairs and the in dications of the future not very cheering themes. Still, occasionally, a laugh or a whistled air, or a hummed lyric might be heard; for hope keeps house even in pris on. From four to five in the afternoon the rebel drum would again be heard, summoning the quartermaster to the cook house with his blanket, into which this, time meat and bread were tumbled together two ounces of meat and a quarter of a loaf of bread to each man. "June 29th. The hot weather tells with terrible effect upon the boys, who are still without shelter. Add ed to this is another element of misery, in the shape of what we termed gray backs more properly called lice.

They infested the very ground. , While sitting on the earth hunting them from our clothes, we have seen them crawling in the sand. Thousands can testify to this hor rible, loathsome condition of Belle Island. Our rations are very scant, having had but one meal for the day; and now that we are warned by a bell in the steeple of some city church that the time for retiring has arrived, we lay our hungry vermin-bitten bodies on the earth in the hope of sleep. " June 30th. Waking, we find ourselves drenched with the rain, and two or three inches of water beneath us. The storm continued most of the day, making it one of the most uncomfortable that we experienced on the island.

1st. of excitement. Five thousand "July A day prisoners rush towards the centre of the prison grounds 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 265

and into the parade leading from the main entrance, where an officer, with paper in hand, and a squad of men are standing. The officer is calling the names of differ ent regiments, telling the men they must sign the parole and be sent North. They are then formed in line about six hundred in number and marched off the island. With feelings that we may not express we watched them till they were out of sight.

"July 2d. All sorts of rumors are afloat: that the island is to be cleared immediately; that we are to be paroled; that we are to be sent to Andersonville, Ga., to make room here for prisoners now on their way- False as were these reports, they no doubt proved a blessing to us, as we had something to talk about and occupy our minds for the next few days. Inactivity and stagnation of thought incident to prison life are awful and con suming. As light suppers were fashionable here, we this day had a treat in the shape of rice soup. 3d. heat is "July The intense, and great is the suf fering of the sick who have not been removed from the to the prison ground hospital they preferring to remain in the open air. This suffering is caused some what by the filthy water we are compelled to drink, water taken from holes dug in the filthy ground from eight to twelve feet deep and five or six feet across the top, some of which have steps formed from the dirt on one side leading down; others, dug more like post holes, are called wells; really but mud-holes. Water is obtain ed from these by a string tied to a tin cup or bucket. All the water is muddy. A pint of clear water I never saw on the island. 4th. The "July newsboys are crying, Another great battle! Battle at Gettysburg! General Lee holds his ground! This is repeated by the Richmond En- 23 266 SABRES AND SPURS. [July, quirer, which some of the boys succeeded in obtaining at the nominal sum of one dollar. It gave a very brief account of the battle, of course claiming the victory. This was the first news we had received from the outer world since our entrance into prison. 5th. "July An officer, with a guard, enters and searches the prisoners and the grounds, taking from some one of the prisoners a gold pen and pencil, a locket and chain, claiming that they had been stolen, and that he would keep them till they were called for by the owner. 6th. "July One thousand prisoners leave the island to-day for City Point. And a happy set they were, not withstanding the rain was falling in torrents. This was also a fortunate event for us, as we now obtained tents sheltering us from the storm. The rest of the day we spent in reading our bibles and prayer-books, this being about all the reading we had. Five "July 7th. hundred more prisoners have been sent on their way rejoicing. After signing the parole, they were marched over to the city to take cars for City Point. Twenty-one hundred had been sent away since July first, to say nothing of those who had been sent to their long and last resting place. These last averaged from three to five a day some from disease, others from starvation.

the not a is "July 8th. Quiet on island; sound heard

>;i\e the beating of the rain against our tents, which continues throughout the day and night. 9th. it riot for a few in "July Were loaded muskets the hands of a watchful guard we might be tempted to take a stroll through the streets of Richmond, to enjoy once more the luxury of pure air. But fate bids other wise; we are still doomed to remain in a place wholly unfit for the lowest of humanity. 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 207

" July 10th. We see in the distance Jeff Davis house, on the top of which is floating the rebel flag. There is some excitement without, and there is a guard entering the prison grounds. A report is in circulation that some of the prisoners are trying to escape by means of mining. The guard searches, finds nothing, and retires. For once at least the rebels were foiled. But there is a double guard set at night, with orders to Shoot any man seen walking or standing within the camp after nine o clock. of life are "July llth. The burdens prison begin ning to weigh heavily upon us. Some are discouraged, having given up all hopes of ever leaving the island. Others are still looking and hoping for a better day. Sickness is daily increasing, and the sick are removed ta the hospital outside. Few of these, if any, ever returned. I never knew of but one case where medical treatment was given to a prisoner while he remained within tho stockade. How or why this was I never knew.

" July 12th. Another great victory for the Yankees; not, however, by the sword, but by greenbacks, which we give to the rebel commissary, and he in return gives us some extra loaves of bread. This we claim as a vic tory, and a grand one too, as it has, no doubt, saved many lives. The extra bread desired is placed in the blanket, while the money is paid secretly to the commis sary while the rations are being drawn. This art was practised for a long time, but at last became known to the authorities not, however, until the commissary had made his escape with a large sum of money. 13th. "July Five hundred more prisoners have been called out, and about midnight one hundred and eighteen more were sent for; this perhaps to make up a certain number. 2G8 SABRES ASTD SPURS.

14th. the five thousand on the "July Of prisoners island July first, there now remain only about fifteen hundred, which is encouraging to those of us who are still left behind, but anxiously watching and waiting for our time to come when we can bid adieu to the island of prisoners, and stand free once more under the flag of our country the Stars and Stripes. " July 15th. The changes have brought together most of our regiment, who have been scattered through the camp in nearly every tent on the island, making it hitherto almost impossible for us to do as we would for those who are sick. After the duties "July 16th. going through morning of hunting the lice from our clothing, washing, and eat into ing, our regiment with some others were ordered line and counted by an officer, who entered the prison grounds with his usual escort, and told us we were to leave on the morrow cheering news. A few happy hours were spent in speculating on the events of the morrow. and "July 17th. Up bright early, expecting every moment to receive the order for our deliverance. Nine, ten o clock comes no order received; twelve, one, two, to four, and even six, and still no order. We begin lose all hopes; they had been carried to the extreme height. Darkness now closes around us, and we lay ourselves down, tired, sleepy, discouraged, 18th. One thousand more have been called out "July to sign the parole and bid adieu to Belle Island, perhaps forever. It would be impossible to describe our feelings when it was known that we were to be left. Our hearts sink within us as a report reaches us that no more prison ers are to be sent away from this island. This was a day known. and night of sadness such as we had not before 269 1863.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY.

19fch. and one o "July Ten, eleven, twelve, clock, and we have nothing to eat. They tell us that tents have been cut, and that we will get no more rations until those have been replaced, or the offenders brought welded the heat of to justice. But the soldierly tie, by battle, could not be broken. So the information they desired remained to them a mystery. The day passed, and our rations came not.

still continue to "July 20th. They punish us, giving us nothing until about two o clock, when they send in bread. During the afternoon seven hundred prisoners- arrived. We learned from them that they were captured third at Gettysburg on the first, second and days fight this being the first news of the real result of the battle we had received. 21st. or hundred more "July Seven eight prisoners arrived, having been taken at the same place as those of yesterday. They state that our army is victorious, and the rebels are falling back. The island is beginning to fill up again, looking more as it did on our arrival. " July 22d. Another thousand has been added to the on the and there list of . prisoners now island; they say are still more to come. Twenty-five hundred have ar island of rived in three days, making a total now on the about thirty-one hundred. About eight o clock our regiment, with some others, was ordered into line, counted and marched to the city, where we quartered in an old building on America street, used for the dispersing of prisoners. Here we remained during the night. Sleep was out of the question, and the boys now let themselves loose. this we took the cars for "July 23d. Early morning Petersburg; from thence to City Point, arriving about eleven o clock. Here, for the first time since June 18th, 23* 270 SABRES AND SPURS. we beheld the Stars and Stripes floating in the breeze, seeming to welcome us as we approached. Cheer upon cheer rent the air as we beheld the boat which was to convey us northward and to a land of plenty. In due time we were marched aboard. All things being in readiness, the good old boat City of New York steamed down the James Eiver. Hot coffee, soft bread, and cold ham were soon prepared in plenty for every man. No more scanty rations, bean soup, muddy and filthy water forced upon us. The sick were provided with medical aid, and kind-hearted women with ready hands nursed and cared for them. As our boat passed from the har bor, we turned and cast one farewell glance towards those our once loved comrades now sleeping in Southern graves. July 24th. At ten o clock A. M., we arrived at Annapolis, Md. Here we enjoyed a bath, a new uniform throughout, plenty to eat, and nice quarters in which to to set foot on sleep. How overjoyed we were again

Northern soil; to see the dear old flag; to hear our loved national airs played by bands; to be in a land of plenty;

and, above all, to be free from prison, and among human smiles and beings, to receive kind words and from men women on every hand, and feel that we had a Govern ment worth fighting for." 1865.] FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 465 call to peace and home, while our nation had proclaimed " to all the inhabitants liberty throughout all the land thereof." With inexpressible joy and pride we now turned to hang our sabres and spurs in the halls of our thrice hallowed homes. During our term of service, first and last, there had been connected with the command one thousand, five hundred and fifty-one men: eleven hundred and twenty- two with the Rhode Island battalions, four hundred and twenty-nine with the New Hampshire battalion. Of the original members of the regiment that left the State in March, 1862, one hundred and twenty-three re turned with the command; eighty-three of them had been prisoners some of them twice, and thirty-seven of them had been wounded. With the command returned only three of the original officers; two of them had been wounded, the other had been a prisoner. The roll of our battles, which we subjoin, may also speak for us.

LIST OF ENCOUNTERS WITH THE ENEMY.

1. Near Warrenton Junction, April 16, 1862. 2. Bappahannock Crossing, April 18, 1862. 3. Front Royal, May 30, 1862. 4. Columbia Bridge, June 2, 1862. 5. Miller s Bridge, June 4, 1862, 0. Mountain Road, June 9, 1862. 7. Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862. 8. North Rappahannock, August 21, 1862. 9. Catlett Station, August 21, 1862. 10. Rappahannock Station, August 23, 1862. 11. Sulphur Springs, August 26, 1862. 12. Groveton, August 28, 1862. 13. Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862. 14. Chantilly, September 1, 1862. 466 SABKES AND SPURS.

15. White s Ford, October 12, 1862. 16. Mountville, October 31, 1862. 17. Hazee Run, November 16, 1862. 18. Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862. 19. Hartwood Church, February 25, 1863. 20. Kelly s Ford, March 17, 1863. 21. Near Kelly s Ford, April 29, 1863. 22. Rapid an River, May 1, 1863. 23. Ellis Ford, May 4, 1863. 24. Brandy Station, June 9, 1863. 25. Middleburg, June 17, 1863. 26. Jones Cross Roads, July 10, 1863. 27. Hazel Run, September 13, 1863. 28. Rapidan Station, September 14, 1863. 29. Near Warrenton, October 12, 1863. 30. Near Auburn, October 14, 1863. 31. Bristoe Station, October 14, 1863. 32. Beverly Ford, December 1, 1863. 33. Bowling Green, May 29, 1864. 34. White House Landing, June 20, 1864. 35. Deep Bottom, July 28, 1864. 1864. 36. Berryville, August 13, 37. Near Front Royal, August 16, 18(54. 38. Halltown, August 22, 1864. 39. Shepardstown, August 25, 1864. 40. White Post, September 4, 1864. 41. Opequan, September 19, 1864. 42. Luray, September 24, 1864. 43. Waynesboro, September 28, 1864. 44. Fisher s Hill, October 9, 1864. 45. Cedar Creek, October 19, 1864. 46. Near Winchester, November 10, 1864. 47. Near Mount Jackson, November 23, 1864. 48. Second Waynesboro, March 2, 1865. FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 467

40. Mount Jackson, March 7, 1865. 50. Ashland, March 15, 1865. 51. Five Forks, April 1, 1865. 52. Deep Creek, April 3, 1865. 53. Jettersville, April 4, 1865. 54. Sailor s 1865. ^ Creek, April 6, 55. Appomattox Depot, April 8, 1865. 56. Appomattox Court House, April 9, 1865.

PATRIOT SERVICE.

Henceforth be the flag of our country respected; The breasts of the free are a shield for the right; lords By and by monarchs though scorned and neglected, Yet here has the true been defended by minht.

Forever the graves of our martyrs shall witness That virtue and valor are twin in our land; The rule of the people has proven its fitness Not less for self-sacrifice than for command.

To us the Great Ruler of nations has given A mission of majesty fraught with renown To reach the grand goal for which nations have striven Exalting the banner that kings have trod down. That ensign now floats on our hills in its beauty, And hailed as a symbol and pledge by the world That the free and the brave shall be crowned in their duty, While Slavery s hosts from the earth shall be hurled.

Let far generations declare the devotion Of all who for Freedom poured forth their life blood; And, inheriting spirits of kindred emotion, Lay as freely their gifts on the altar of God. FIRST RHODE ISLAND CAVALRY. 525

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American Civil War Regiments

Regiment: 1st Cavalry Regiment Rhode Island Date of 14 Dec 1861 Organization: Muster Date: 3 Aug 1865 Regiment State: Rhode Island Regiment Type: Cavalry Regiment 1st Number: Officers Killed or 1 Mortally Wounded: Officers Died of 2 Disease or Accident: Enlisted Killed or 16 Mortally Wounded: Enlisted Died of 77 Disease or Accident: Battles: Fought on 21 Aug 1861. Fought on 30 May 1862 at Front Royal, VA. Fought on 10 Jun 1862 at Shenandoah Valley, VA. Fought on 13 Jul 1862 at Fairfax, VA. Fought on 9 Aug 1862 at Cedar Mountain, VA. Fought on 15 Aug 1862 at Warrenton Springs, VA. Fought on 19 Aug 1862 at Rappahannock Station, VA. Fought on 21 Aug 1862 at Warrenton Springs, VA. Fought on 21 Aug 1862 at Warrenton, VA. Fought on 21 Aug 1862 at Catlett's Station, VA. Fought on 21 Aug 1862 at Rapidan River, VA. Fought on 22 Aug 1862 at Catlett's Station, VA. Fought on 28 Aug 1862 at Manassas, VA. Fought on 28 Aug 1862 at Gainsville, VA. Fought on 30 Aug 1862 at 2nd Bull Run, VA. Fought on 15 Sep 1862 at White's Ford, VA. Fought on 15 Sep 1862 at Conrad's Ford, VA. Fought on 31 Oct 1862 at Mountville, VA. Fought on 12 Nov 1862 at Middletown, VA. Fought on 13 Dec 1862 at Fredericksburg, VA. Fought on 15 Dec 1862 at Catlett's Station, VA. Fought on 25 Dec 1862 at Elk Run. Fought on 2 Jan 1863 at Warrenton, VA. Fought on 8 Jan 1863. Fought on 13 Jan 1863 at Aquia Creek, VA. Fought on 22 Jan 1863 at On Picket Duty. Fought on 6 Feb 1863 at U.S. Ford, VA. Fought on 6 Feb 1863. Fought on 15 Feb 1863. Fought on 25 Feb 1863 at Hartwood Church, VA. Fought on 26 Feb 1863 at Hartwood Church, VA. Fought on 2 Mar 1863. Fought on 5 Mar 1863. Fought on 17 Mar 1863 at Kelly's Ford, VA. Fought on 18 Mar 1863 at Kelly's Ford, VA. Fought on 29 Apr 1863 at March From Kelly's Ford To Culpepper, VA. Fought on 29 Apr 1863. Fought on 30 Apr 1863 at Rapidan Ford, VA. Fought on 3 May 1863 at Culpeper, VA. Fought on 25 May 1863. Fought on 27 May 1863. Fought on 2 Jun 1863 at Liberty, VA. Fought on 2 Jun 1863. Fought on 7 Jun 1863 at Stevensburg, VA. Fought on 8 Jun 1863 at Warrenton, VA. Fought on 9 Jun 1863 at Beverly Ford, VA. Fought on 17 Jun 1863 at Middleburg, VA. Fought on 17 Jun 1863 at Centreville, VA. Fought on 18 Jun 1863 at Middleburg, VA. Fought on 2 Jul 1863 at Gettysburg, PA. Fought on 3 Jul 1863. Fought on 15 Jul 1863. Fought on 2 Aug 1863. Fought on 25 Aug 1863. Fought on 30 Aug 1863. Fought on 5 Sep 1863. Fought on 13 Sep 1863 at Rapidan Station, VA. Fought on 14 Sep 1863 at Rapidan Station, VA. Fought on 14 Sep 1863 at Rapidan River, VA. Fought on 15 Sep 1863. Fought on 28 Sep 1863 at Waynesboro, VA. Fought on 2 Oct 1863 at Catlett's Station, VA. Fought on 10 Oct 1863. Fought on 12 Oct 1863 at Sulphur Springs, VA. Fought on 12 Oct 1863 at Culpeper, VA. Fought on 13 Oct 1863 at Sulphur Springs, VA. Fought on 14 Oct 1863 at Sulphur Springs, VA. Fought on 14 Oct 1863 at Auburn, VA. Fought on 15 Oct 1863 at Sulphur Springs, VA. Fought on 15 Oct 1863 at Bristoe Station, VA. Fought on 16 Oct 1863 at Wolf's Run Shoals, VA. Fought on 16 Oct 1863. Fought on 31 Oct 1863 at Culpeper, VA. Fought on 1 Nov 1863 at Beverly Ford, VA. Fought on 13 Nov 1863 at Warrenton, VA. Fought on 13 Nov 1863 at New Baltimore, VA. Fought on 1 Dec 1863 at Beverly Ford, VA. Fought on 12 Dec 1863 at Sulphur Springs, VA. Fought on 15 Jan 1864 at Hqs, 1st Brigade, 1st Div, 5th Corps. Fought on 15 Jan 1864. Fought on 11 Feb 1864 at Warrenton Junction, VA. Fought on 12 Feb 1864 at Warrenton Junction, VA. Fought on 12 Feb 1864. Fought on 19 Jun 1864 at White House Landing, VA. Fought on 5 Jul 1864 at Winchester, VA. Fought on 11 Jul 1864 at Fort Stevens, DC. Fought on 28 Jul 1864 at Deep Bottom Run, VA. Fought on 13 Aug 1864 at Berryville, VA. Fought on 13 Aug 1864. Fought on 17 Aug 1864. Fought on 25 Aug 1864 at Shepherdstown, VA. Fought on 14 Sep 1864. Fought on 24 Sep 1864 at Luray, VA. Fought on 28 Sep 1864 at Waynesboro, VA. Fought on 28 Sep 1864 at Spring Hill, VA. Fought on 15 Mar 1865 at Near Richmond, VA. Fought on 18 Mar 1865 at Remount Camp, Pleasant Valley, MD. Regiment History: Rhode Island First Regiment Rhode Island Cavalry. (Three years) The First Regiment Rhode Island Cavalry was originally composed of three battalions, two of which were recruited by the State, and one by New Hampshire. This was under a modification of an order of the War Department, dated September 27th, 1861, for the organizing of a Regiment of Cavalry to be composed of companies or squadrons recruited in the New England States. In the work of enlistment in Rhode Island, Colonel George W. Hallett, Major Willard Sayles, Major William Sanford, General Gould and others were actively engaged. In New Hampshire the squadron of four companies was enlisted under the direction of Colonel Robert B. Lawton. The Regiment was organized in the autumn of 1861, and placed temporarily under the command of Colonel George W. Hallett, subsequently appointed Chief of Cavalry in Rhode Island. Its first camp named " Camp Hallett," was in Cranston. In November Colonel Lawton received his commission. In December the Regiment was removed to the Riding Park in Pawtucket, which received the name of " Camp Arnold," in honor of Lieut. Governor Samuel G. Arnold. Here the two Rhode Island battalions were joined by the battalion from New Hampshire, and the winter was passed. March 12th, 1862, the second battalion under Major Sanford left for Washington, followed on the 14th by the first and third. On arriving in Washington the Regiment was assigned to the Cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, under Brigadier General George Stoneman, Chief of Cavalry. March 19th Company D went as escort with Governor Sprague and party to Manassas, to obtain the remains of Colonel Slocum, Major Ballou and Captain Tower. On the 30th the Regiment was attached to General Hatch's Cavalry Brigade of the Fifth Corps, commanded by Major General Banks, then in the valley of the Shenandoah. On the 4th of April it proceeded to Warrenton Junction, where its camp, from the unfavorable nature of the ground, received the name of " Camp Mud." On the 5th of May the Regiment with the brigade removed to a more healthy locality on high ground near Catlett's Station, and on the 12th was transferred to Brigadier General Duryea's brigade. On the 22d, the third battalion reported to Brigadier General Shields, then en route for Fredericksburg. On the 24th the first battalion was ordered to report to Brigadier General John W. Geary, at Thoroughfare Gap, and on the 27th the first and second battalions joined each other at Centreville. May 29th General McDowell's First Corps commenced a march to Front Royal, the third battalion leading the advance, and the remainder of the Regiment acting as rear guard. At Front Royal a sharp engagement ensued between the third battalion and the rebel cavalry, infantry and artillery occupying the town, which resulted in their rout, with the loss of 117 men taken prisoners. There were about one hundred men of the First Rhode Island Cavalry in this charge and the enemy's force was the 12th Georgia Infantry, 1000 strong, one company Asby's Cavalry and a section of artillery. They took 117 rebel prisoners, recaptured twenty Union prisoners, among whom were Major Collins of the First Vermont Cavalry, the Quartermaster and Adjutant of the First Maryland Infantry, and the Adjutant of the Third New York Cavalry; also saved bridges after they had been set on fire by the rebels, and captured cars, engines, arms, ammunition, wagons, stores, to an immense amount, the city being at that time Jackson's depot. The highest military officers warmly applauded this gallant charge and the reputation of the Regiment was firmly established. The Colonel of the 12th Georgia Infantry was court-martialed for allowing his Regiment to be routed by Yankee cavalry. The loss of the battalion was ten killed and wounded among the former Captain William P. Ainsworth, of Company L. Captain Ainsworth belonged in Nashua, N. H. He was a brave officer and highly esteemed. On the 2d of June the Regiment was again united and marched to Luray, the rebels retiring on their approach, and thence to Front Royal, where all but companies E and G were assigned to Brigadier General Rickett's division. From Front Royal it marched to Manassas, which it reached June 17th, much worn by hard service and reported to General McDowell. Here it received a visit from Governor Sprague, and was reviewed by him. Colonel Lawton having resigned, Major Alfred N. Duffie, an accomplished French officer of the 2d New York Harris Light Cavalry, was appointed, July 4th, to succeed him. A thorough course of drill for the next four weeks under his immediate inspection prepared the Regiment for greater efficiency in the work that was to follow. Joining General Pope's army at Culpepper, it was assigned to picket duty at Raccoon Ford. It marched thence and opened the fight at Cedar Mountain, August 9th, losing three men killed, six men wounded and two men captured and eleven horses killed. Lieutenant J. P. Taylor died the morning after the battle from the effect of a sunstroke received during the action. It participated in all the battles and skirmishes of Pope's campaign. At Groveton, August 29th, and at Bull Run, August 31st, it was under fire. At Chantilly, September 1st, it drew the enemy's fire and engaged in the fight, losing two men wounded, and two horses. On General McClellan assuming the command of the Army of the Potomac, after the second Bull Run disaster, the Regiment was assigned to duty with General Stoneman, commanding the Corps of Observation. Resting for a few weeks at Poolesville, Md., it was again in motion October 27th, for Falmouth, and during the entire march was constantly on the flanks of the army and doing picket duty. In an affair at Montville, in the Loudon valley, where it was attacked by a large body of Stuart's cavalry, Captain Lorenzo D. Gove was killed, and Lieutenant Joseph F. Andrews and several privates were taken prisoners. On the 1st of December the Regiment was assigned to the second brigade of cavalry of the Centre Grand Division, Brigadier General William W. Averill commanding. During the battle of Fredericksburg, December 13th, it was sent from Falmouth to Dumfries, twenty-five miles distant, to protect the trains. December 19th, it received through Governor Sprague a handsome flag from the ladies of Providence. The presentation was made at dress parade by Colonel Tristam Burges, of the Governor's Staff, and the gift was accepted with hearty cheers. From this date until March following, the Regiment was engaged on hazardous outpost duty, rendered doubly trying by the severity of the weather, the deprivation of shelter, and to a great extent of fires. March 1st, Colonel Duffie's command was enlarged to that of a brigade, comprising the 1st Massachusetts, 1st Rhode Island, 4th New York and 6th Ohio Cavalry, and constituting the first brigade of the first cavalry division. February 25th, 1863, Stuart with his cavalry attacked the picket line in the rear of the Federal army, and was handsomely repulsed. In this encounter, Lieutentant Lothrop B. Shurtliff, and nineteen men were taken prisoners. What was called " the first cavalry fight of the war," took place at Kelly's Ford, March 17th. Here the Regiment displayed great gallantry and achieved an honorable distinction. It charged across the river, the fords of which were deep, well defended and barricaded, repulsed the enemy, and took twenty-five prisoners. In crossing the river, Lieutenant Simeon A. Brown with eighteen men took the advance, and drove the rebels from their rifle pits. The 4th New York Cavalry had made two unsuccessful charges before Lieutenant Brown led forward his eighteen men. On the opposite bank one hundred rebels sheltered in earth works rained a deadly fire on the ford; on this side was a barricade so built that only one horse could leap over it at a time. Of the nineteen gallant soldiers who rode to the ford, only Lieutenant Simeon Brown, Sergeant Emmos D. Guild, privates John A. Medbury and Patrick Parker reached the opposite bank, the other fifteen men were stopped by bullets striking them or their horses. The main body of the Regiment under Major Farrington promptly moved across the ford in support of Lieutenant Brown's forlorn hope, and the rebels fled from the rifle pits towards their horses, but twenty-five were captured by the 1st Rhode Island before they could mount. The river at the ford was four feet deep, the current very swift and some of the best rebel cavalry made a desperate defence. Three bullets pierced Lieutenant Brown's uniform and two wounded his horse, and the brave officer, after the battle, was summoned to the headquarters of General Hooker, who in person complimented Lieutenant Brown and recommended his promotion to the rank of captain. Colonel Duffie, in crossing at the head of the Regiment, had his horse wounded and fall under him. In an open field across the river three charges were made by the Union forces, each time driving the enemy. In this fight, the accomplished Assistant Adjutant-General of the Brigade, Lieutenant Nathaniel Bowditch, received a mortal wound. Major Farrington, Captains Allen Baker, Charles H. Thayer, and Augustus H. Bixby, Lieutenants George H. Thompson, George W. Easterbrooks, and George W. Darling, Sergeant James E. Bennett, and Corporal James W. Vincent, were among the wounded. Captain Thayer and Lieutenant Darling and fourteen enlisted men were taken prisoners. Lieutenant Henry L. Nicolai, a promising officer, and Sergeant Jeremiah Fitzgerald, were killed. The whole number of killed and wounded was twenty-six, and sixteen were taken prisoners, having charged too far into the enemy's lines. Colonel Duffie, in his official report of the battle to Adjutant- General Mauran, speaks in enthusiastic terms of the courage and good conduct of the men. " They have fully justified," he says, " every high hope, every noble impulse with which you sent them, and with which they came to the field of war, to share either its glories or its honorable graves." The total loss on the Union side was eighty, of which forty-two were from the 1st Rhode Island. It had more than one-half the loss, out of a force less than one tenth the whole number engaged. In April following this battle, the Regiment accompanied General Stoneman in his raid towards Richmond, and in May took part in the battle of Chancellorsville, losing a few men taken prisoners. June 9th, during the battle of Brandy Station, it was with the division commanded by Colonel Duffie, and was engaged in the capture of Stephensburg. Two men were killed and three captured in this battle. June 17th the Regiment advanced to Middleburg, where the rear-guard of Stuart's command was encountered. After a brisk fight of half an hour, the rebels retreated in disorder. The town was held till 7 o'clock, P. M., and barricaded. At about 5 o'clock, Captain Frank Allen with two men was despatched to General Kilpatrick, at Aldie, for re-enforcements. In the meantime the enemy surrounded the town and attempted to storm the barricades, but were repulsed with great slaughter. In three successive charges they were driven back, but in view of his perilous situation, and no aid arriving, Colonel Duffie retired from the town, crossed Little River and bivouacked for the night. With no prospect of succor, and being informed by scouts previously sent out that the-roads in every direction were full of the enemy's cavalry, Colonel Duffie on the 18th directed the head of his column on the road to Aldie, when a severe engagement with the enemy commenced. Though hemmed in by a vastly superior force in the front and rear and on both flanks, the Colonel succeeded in cutting his way through, and escaped by Hopeville Gap. This fight resulted in five killed, fourteen wounded, and 200 taken prisoners. Among the former was Lieutenant Joseph A. Chedell; of the wounded were Captain Augustus H. Bixby, who in a charge had a horse shot under him, Captains Edward E. Chase and George N. Bliss, and Lieutenants Charles G. A. Peterson, Hiram P. Barker, Ezra B. Parker, Simeon A. Brown and Barnard Ellis. Surgeon Augustine A. Mann rendered essential service in rallying the men and leading a command to the charge. He was taken prisoner to Richmond, and released in November, 1863. In effecting their escape, the officers and men of the Regiment were greatly scattered. Three days after the battle, Colonel Duffie with four officers and twenty-seven men reported to the Military Governor of Alexandria, and on the fourth day, June 22d, Lieutenant- Colonel Thompson arrived with eighty-seven men. Major Farrington with two officers and twenty-three men was for a time cut of F from the rest of the Regiment, and after remaining twenty-four hours within the rebel lines, succeeded in bringing his party safely in. Captain George N. Bliss crossed Bull Run Mountains with six men and joined the Regiment at Alexandria. Sergeant Palmer and twelve men were also cut off, but rejoined the Regiment without loss. Sergeant George A. Robbins, having charge of the flag, was taken prisoner, but after about a week of captivity made his escape. He saved the flag from falling into the hands of the rebels by concealing it about his person. For this, and for meritorious conduct in battle, he was promoted to be First Lieutenant. Colonel Duffie, in his official report of this battle, attributes the unfortunate result to the neglect of the General commanding cavalry to send forward the aid solicited. He says, " had re-enforcements been sent me during the night of the 17th as I requested, Stuart's cavalry would have been destroyed." It appears by the report of Captain Allen, bearer of Colonel Duffie's despatch, that on arriving at Aldie he delivered it to General Kilpatrick at 9 P. M. The General informed him that his brigade was so worn that he could not send any re-enforcements to Middeburg, but that he would report the situation of Colonel Duffie's Regiment to General Gregg. Returning, he said that General Gregg had gone to state the facts to General Pleasanton, and there, so far as the record shows, the matter ended. At all events nothing was ever heard from the latter headquarters. On the 23d of June, Colonel Duffie was promoted to be Brigadier General of Volunteers for gallant services, and on the occasion of separating from those with whom for nearly a year he had shared the fatigues and perils of war, he issued a fraternal farewell order. The command of the Regiment was now assumed by Lieutenant Colonel John L. Thompson, who proceeded at once to re-organize, equip and prepare it for the field. With about one hundred men he joined the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg, Pa., and was in all the cavalry reconnoissances and skirmishes attendant upon the retreat of the rebel army after their defeat at that place. July 18th, Captain Allen Baker with one hundred men reported to Brigadier General Rufus King, and went to Centreville, the advance line of the defences of Washington, to look after Colonel Mosby and his guerrillas. Major Farrington with the residue of the Regiment, joined the Army of the Potomac at Warrenton, at which place all the different detachments concentrated in August, and under Lieutenant Colonel Thompson joined the 1st brigade 2d cavalry division, commanded by Colonel J. B. McIntosh of the 3d Pennsylvania Cavalry, Brigadier General Gregg being division commander. Subsequently the Regiment was detached with the 1st Massachusetts and 6th Ohio Cavalry, under Colonel Sargeant, as an advance force at Orleans, and in the beginning of September again rejoined the brigade at Warrenton. From September 12th to November 10th, the Regiment participated in engagements at Culpepper Court House, Rapidan Station, Pony Mountain, Sulphur Springs, Auburn, Bristoe Station, Wolf Run and Rappahannock Station, besides guarding the rear and the railroad communication at Catlett's Station. About the 20th of November it was detached from the brigade and reported to Brigade General Kenly for duty with the First Corps in guarding the railroad. The army advanced to Mine Run, and during the battle there on the 27th, the Regiment was engaged in scouting for guerrillas. Relieved from duty with the 1st Corps by Major General Sykes, it was again scattered; the first battalion under Captain John Rogers, being stationed at Warrenton Junction; the second battalion, Captain Joshua Vose, at Bealton; and the third battalion, Major Farrington, at Catlett's Station. And this brings the synoptical history of the Regiment down to the close of the year 1863. January 5th, 1864, the New Hampshire battalion was permanently detached from the Regiment to form a nucleus of a regiment from that State, and subsequently went home to recruit. February 16th, an order was issued by the War Department to consolidate the First and Third Rhode Island Cavalry, which was shortly after annulled. March 26th the Regiment, including the re-enlisted veterans, came to Providence on furlough, under command of Major Farrington, and were greeted on their arrival with a national salute. They were escorted to Howard Hall, where they were welcomed by Adjutant-General Edward C. Mauran and by Lieutenant Governor Padelford. After a brief response by Major Farrington, the men partook of the collation provided, and were dismissed. April 8th, the Regiment left for Washington, and on the 9th of May was ordered (unmounted) on duty in the defences of the Capital, and was assigned to the cavalry brigade commanded by Colonel Charles R. Lowell. May 14th it reported to Brigadier General Abercrombie, at Belle Plain, and was there equipped and mounted. May 24th it was stationed on both sides of the Rappahannock at Port Conway and Port Royal. May 30th it marched to White House on the Pamunky river; June 22d to Charles City Court House and Wyanoke Landing; June 28th crossed the James river; the next day marched to Reams' Station on the Weldon Railroad, and after scouting in that vicinity returned to Light House Landing, to recruit horses and men, and to equip. July 26th, the Regiment crossed the Appomattox river; on the 27th crossed the James river at Dutch Gap, and had a brisk skirmish with rebel cavalry; and on the 28th attacked the rebel infantry with the loss of one man killed. Early in August the Regiment joined General Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, and participated in the movements against General Early in that quarter. It was engaged in skirmishes and battles at Charlestown, Kearnysville, Smithville, Berrysville, Summit Point, Opequan river, Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Milford Creek, New Market, Waynesboro, where Captain George N. Bliss was wounded and taken prisoner, Kernstown, Woodstock, Cedar Creek and Road's Hill. Captain Bliss was sent to Libby Prison, and December 9th, 1864, placed in a cell as one of several hostages for rebels sentenced to be hanged. The following communication shows the situation: OFFICE C. S. MILITARY PRISON, RICHMOND, Dec. 12, 1864. To Captain Bliss, Lieuts. Povey, Towle and Markbreit: GENTLEMEN:- This is to inform you that you are held in close confinement in retaliation for the treatment received by privates George P. Sims, W. S. Burgess, John Mones and Thomas M. Campbell. These men are now held in close confinement and in irons, by the order of your government, at Johnson's Island. Your obedient servant, N. P. TURNER, Major Commanding P. S.-You can inform your government and friends. Captain Boice, 3d N. J. Cav. was placed in the same cell making five persons in a room eight feet wide and twelve feet long. The hostages were finally exchanged, and February 5th, 1865, Captain Bliss was sent into the Union lines. August 21st, Major Farrington having been appointed Provost Marshal of the Corps, Major William H. Turner, Jr. was left in command. November 18th, Major Turner was mustered out of service, and Captain Rogers, the senior Captain, being on duty as Assistant Inspector General, with General Merritt, Captain Allen Baker assumed command. December 7th, Major Farrington was relieved from the duties of Provost Marshal, and resumed the command of the Regiment. December 28th the Regiment was relieved from duty at Corps Headquarters, and was attached to the Cavalry Reserve Brigade, Brigadier General Gibbs commanding. January 1st, 1865, it was consolidated into a battalion of four companies, to be lettered A, B, C and D. February 28th the cavalry commenced a march with General Sheridan which eventuated in the battle of Five Forks, and after the battle near Waynesboro, March 3d, in which General Early's forces were routed, the Regiment returned to Winchester in charge of prisoners captured. March 24th it marched to Mount Jackson to parole the men of General Lee's surrendered army. June 22d it was relieved from duty with the Army of the Shenandoah, and marching to Monrovia Station, Md., reported to General Lew Wallace, at Baltimore. July 28th it marched to the Relay House and reported to General Kenly, and August 3d was mustered out of service at Baltimore. Proceeding without delay to Providence, the Regiment, now a battalion of 335 men, arrived there Saturday morning, August 5th. A salute was fired by the Marine Artillery, and escorted by the Providence Horse Guards, Colonel Frederick Miller, the returned veterans marched to Washington Hall, where a handsome collation had been provided by Assistant Commissary General Henrie Crandall. The men were paid August 15th, by Major Hapgood, Paymaster U. S. A. " Sabres and Spurs," by Chaplain Denison, a history of the Regiment and the publications of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Historical Society of Rhode Island, will interest those who would like the whole story of this Regiment. Source: The Union Army, vol. 1 Gettysburg after battle report: Reports of Col. Alfred N. Duffie, First Rhode Island Cavalry, commanding Second Division and regiment. Hdqrs. Second Cavalry Division, Cavalry Corps, June 12, 1863. Capt.: In compliance with yours of this date, I have the honor to report that on the 8th instant I received orders from the general commanding the Second and Third Cavalry Divisions to move with my (Second) cavalry division in the afternoon of the same day to Morrisville, proceeding by the Elk Run road. This place was reached by my command at 7 o'clock in the evening, where I encamped. At 12.15 a. m. I received a verbal order from a staff officer from headquarters of the Second and Third Cavalry Divisions, to move my command to Kelly's Ford, and to report in person to the general commanding. After my communication with the general, my orders were to cross the ford at once, leaving my wagon train and packmules at Mount Holly Church. After the crossing of the ford by my whole command, I established my line of battle on the Stevensburg road, near the ford, the First Rhode Island and Sixth Ohio Cavalry on the right, the First Massachusetts on the left, a section of my battery in the center, the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry forming the reserve and supporting the balance of the artillery, taking care to protect well my flanks. I moved in this order on the road leading to Stevensburg and crossing Mountain Run. At this place I sent one battalion of the Sixth Ohio to proceed immediately and as rapidly as possible to Stevensburg. This battalion entered the place without meeting the enemy. At 8.30 a. m. I was informed by a dispatch from Maj. Stanhope, commanding the battalion, that he was in Stevensburg, and that the enemy was in sight, skirmishing toward the town. I sent orders to him to hold the place at all hazards, and, in case of his being pushed too hard, to retreat slowly. A few minutes afterward a dispatch from him informed me that he could not hold the place, as the enemy were approaching in force. One and a half miles from Stevensburg I met the battalion retreating, its skirmishers closely engaged with the enemy. I immediately threw forward the skirmishers of the First Massachusetts, First Rhode Island, and Sixth Ohio Cavalry, who immediately became engaged with the enemy, who were strongly posted and partly concealed in the woods. Pushing steadily forward, the enemy were quickly dislodged from the dense woods into open fields, where the First Rhode Island Cavalry was ordered to charge on the right, the First Massachusetts on the left, and one squadron of the Sixth Ohio Cavalry on the road, in order to cut off the retreat of the enemy on his flank and check him in his front. By this movement I succeeded in cutting into two parts the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, commanded by Col. [Williams C.] Wickham, who escaped with half of his command through the woods on my right. In this charge I captured 1 officer and 57 men. My command was then reformed, and I moved forward and took position on an elevation at one end of the town, which commanded the road to Culpeper, and also that leading to Brandy Station, on which, about half a mile from Stevensburg, the enemy reformed his line of battle. I succeeded, by the admirable manner in which Lieu- tenants Pennington and Clarke managed their guns, in forcing them to abandon this line. The First Massachusetts Cavalry were then thrown forward for the purpose of charging, when I received orders from the general commanding Second and Third Divisions, by a staff officer, to return and join the Third Division, on the road to Brandy Station. I then withdrew my command, leaving the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry, commanded by Col. J. Irvin Gregg, and one section of my battery to form the rear guard, and retired on the same road by which I had advanced, the enemy following my movements with two regiments of cavalry and one piece of artillery. On approaching the road leading from the Stevensburg road to Brandy Station, I found one squadron of the Tenth New York Cavalry, moved up with pack-mules, fleeing in the greatest disorder toward the Stevensburg road. Upon inquiring the cause, I was informed that the flank had been charged by a party of the enemy, and been thrown into the greatest confusion. This detained me for a half hour. I then moved forward by that road (capturing several of the enemy) to join Gen. Gregg, who ordered me upon arriving to halt my command and relieve the batteries of the First and Third Cavalry Divisions, and cover the retreat of the Cavalry Corps. All the cavalry having left the ground at this point, I moved on the road leading to Beverly Ford the evening following, with two regiments and one gun, at a proper distance. Upon my arrival near Beverly Ford, Gen. Pleasonton directed me to move with one brigade to support Gen. Buford, and send the Second Brigade on the road leading to Rappahannock Ford, to cover the crossing of the Third Division. My command crossed Beverly Ford at about 5 p. m., and was then ordered to join Gen. Gregg at Rappahannock Station, which I did. The regiments which were engaged are as follows: The First Massachusetts, First Rhode Island, Sixth Ohio, and Third Pennsylvania Cavalry, and Battery M (Pennington's), Second U. S. Artillery. The force engaged from this division numbered 1,600 cavalry and one battery of artillery, six guns. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, A. N. DUFFIE, Col., Comdg. Second Cavalry Division. Capt. A. J. Cohen, Assistant Adjutant-Gen. ----- Hdqrs. First Rhode Island Cavalry, Near Centreville, Va., June 18, 1863. Sir: I have the honor to report that on the morning of the 17th instant I received from the headquarters of the Second Brigade, Second Cavalry Division, the following order: Col. A. N. Duffie, First Rhode Island Cavalry: You will proceed with your regiment from Manassas Junction, by way of Thoroughfare Gap, to Middleburg. On your arrival at that place, you will at once communicate with the headquarters of the Second Cavalry Brigade, and camp for the night. From Middleburg you will proceed to Union; thence by way of Snickersville to Percyville [Purcellville]; from Percyville [Purcellville] to Wheatland; then passing through Waterford to Noland's Ferry, where you will join your brigade. In accordance with this order, I left camp on the morning of the 17th instant, and proceeded with my regiment (275 strong) to Thoroughfare Gap. At this place my skirmishers met and engaged the enemy, which proved to be Lee's brigade of cavalry approaching the Gap. The enemy being much stronger than my command, I was obliged to make a demonstration on my left flank in order to pass my column unseen. At this demonstration the enemy retired, and I was enabled to pass my column on to the Middleburg road safely. Nevertheless they followed in my rear, but at a considerable distance, causing me no uneasiness. It was then 9.30 a. m., and at 11 o'clock their skirmishers disappeared, and I proceeded unmolested toward Middleburg, using a negro for a guide. Arriving near Middleburg at 4 p. m., I again engaged the enemy, capturing his first picket in the road, and ordered Capt. Allen, commanding the advanced squadron, to charge through the town. By this movement the rear guard of Gen. Stuart was cut off, and then a sharp cavalry fight ensued between his rear and my advance guard. This engagement lasted half an hour, when the enemy was compelled to retreat in the greatest disorder and confusion, scattering in all directions. Having received information that Stuart, with 2,000 cavalry and four pieces of artillery, had left town but half an hour before my arrival, and was proceeding to Aldie, I directed that the different roads leading into the town be barricaded and strongly picketed, and gave instructions to the officer commanding the outposts to hold the town at all hazards, hoping that after effecting communication with Gen. Kilpatrick, whom I supposed to be at Aldie, I should receive re-enforcements. Capt. Allen was selected to carry a dispatch to Gen. Kilpatrick, and was directed to avoid as much as possible all main roads. The town was held by my command from 4.30 to 7 p. m., the skirmishers having been constantly engaged during that time. At 7 o'clock I ascertained that the enemy was approaching in force from Aldie, Union, and Upperville. Determined to hold the position if possible, I dismounted one-half of my regiment, placing them behind stone walls and the barricades. The enemy surrounded the town and stormed the barricades, but were gallantly repulsed by my men with great slaughter. They did not, however, desist, but, confident of success, again attacked, and made three successive charges. I was compelled to retire on the road by which I came, that being the only one open to retreat. With all that was left of my command, I crossed Little River northeast of Middleburg, and bivouacked for the night, establishing strong pickets on the river. In this engagement I lost Maj. Farrington, Capt.'s Rogers, Wyman, and Chase, Lieut. Brown, and 27 men killed, wounded, and missing. At 10 p. m., having heard nothing from my dispatch sent to Gen. Kilpatrick, I sent 20 men, under an officer, with a second dispatch. I have heard nothing from either party, and believe that both have been captured. At 3.30 o'clock the next morning, 18th instant, I was informed by scouts whom I had previously sent out that the roads in every direction were full of cavalry, and that the Aldie road was commanded by a brigade, with four pieces of artillery. Under these circumstances I abandoned the project of going to Union, but determined not to surrender in any event. I directed the head of my column on the road to Aldie, when an engagement commenced at once, the enemy opening on both flanks with heavy volleys, yelling to us to surrender. I at once ordered Capt. Bixby, the officer commanding the advance, to charge any force in his front, and follow the Aldie road to the point where it connects with the road to White Plains. This order was executed most admirably. Capt. Bixby's horse was shot and he himself wounded. My command was in a most hazardous position, the enemy being in front, rear, and on both flanks, and we were intermixed with them for more than an hour, until we struck the road leading to Hopewell Gap. I must openly praise the gallant conduct of the brave officers and men who were fighting side by side with overwhelming numbers of the enemy, with the most determined valor, preferring rather to die than to surrender. I returned here exhausted at 1.30 p. m. to-day with the gallant debris of my much-loved regiment--4 officers and 27 men. My colors did not fall into the hands of the enemy, but were destroyed when they could not be saved. The color-bearer was mortally wounded. I shall praise no one more than another, but I desire to call your attention to the gallant conduct of all the officers and men of the First Rhode Island Cavalry. The following is our loss in killed, wounded, and missing: Lieut. Col. J. L. Thompson, Maj. P. M. Farrington, Asst. Surg. A. A. Mann, Adjt. E. B. Parker, Capts. John Rogers, Joshua Vose, Frank Allen, E. E. Chase, J. J. Gould, Arnold Wyman, G. N. Bliss, and A. H. Bixby, First Lieuts. Lathrop B. Shurtleff, C. G. A. Peterson, W. P. Prentiss, Barnard Ellis, and H. B. Barker, Second Lieuts. J. A. Chedel, jr., Simeon A. Brown, and J. M. Fales--20 officers and 248 enlisted men. With much respect, your obedient servant, A. N. DUFFIE, Col., Comdg. First Rhode Island Cavalry. The Adjutant-Gen., Army of the Potomac. Report of Capt. Frank Allen, First Rhode Island Cavalry. Alexandria, Va., June 22, 1863. Sir: I have the honor to report that about 5 p. m. on the evening of the 17th instant I was sent from Middleburg, where the regiment was then engaged with the enemy, to carry a dispatch to Gen. Kilpatrick at Aldie, accompanied by 2 men. I first attempted to proceed by the main road, but was halted and fired upon by a body of the enemy, who said they were the Fourth Virginia Cavalry. I then returned toward Middleburg, and, leaving the road, attempted to make my way across the country. I found the fields and woods in every direction full of bodies of the enemy. By exercising the greatest care, I succeeded in making my way through them to Little River. Here I encountered 5 of the enemy, and forced them to give me passage. Following the river down, I struck the main road about 1 mile from Aldie, and, by inquiry, learned that our pickets were on that road. I reached Aldie, and delivered my dispatch to Gen. Kilpatrick at 9 p. m. Gen. Kilpatrick informed me that his brigade was so worn out that he could not send any re-enforcements to Middleburg, but that he would report the situation of our regiment to Gen. Gregg. Returning, he said that Gen. Gregg had gone to state the facts to Gen. Pleasonton, and directed me to remain at Aldie until he heard from Gen. Pleasonton. I remained, but received no further orders. Respectfully submitted. FRANK ALLEN, Capt. First Rhode Island Cavalry. Col. A. N. Duffie. Source: Official Records: Series I. Vol. 27. Part I. Reports. Serial No. 43 Find Soldiers in this Regiment:

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