II : ! ([JarncU ImueraitH ffithrary Jtl)aca, New ^ark THE JAMES VERNER SCAIFE COLLECTION CIVIL WAR LITERATURE THE GIFT Of JAMES VERNER SCAIFE CLASS OF 18B9 1919 ComaH University Library E 527 .5 42d.T48 History of the ' Bucktails, 3 1924 026 471 023 Cornell University I j) Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924026471023 Gen. Thomas L. Kane HISTORY "BUGKTAILS" Kane Rifle Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps (13th Pennsylvania Reserves, 42nd of the Line) Published by William H. Rauch, Historian, for the Regimental Association O. R. HOWARD JHOMSON Librarian-ia-Charge Wagner Institute Branch, .The Free Library of Philadelphia AND WILLIAM H. RAUCH Historian, Regimental Association of the Bucktail or First Rifle Regi- ment of the P. R. V. C. and Late Orderly-Sergeant Company F WITH A DEDICATORY NOTE BY THE HON. EDWARD A. IRVIN Late Lieutenant-Colonel philadelphia : Electric Printing Company 1906 Copyright By William H. Rauch 1906 DEDICATION Even as the years pass away to unite with those that have gone before, so, year by year, the men who wore the Bucktail in their caps are passing to join their comrades, who, before them, have entered into the life beyond the grave. But, before the last member of the Bucktail Regiment shall have answered to the final roll-call, it would seem fitting that a record of its heroism and achievements should be prepared, so that the future generations, realizing through such record, the love and devotion that their forefathers bore to their country, may be inspired to preserve their inheritance intact, and transmit it pure and unspotted to the generations that shall come after them. For these reasons, it has come about that a "History of the Bucktails" has been written, and as the only surviving field- officer, I have been accorded the privilege of dedicating it to the officers and men of the regiment, and to the perpetuation of their memories. vi History op the Bucktails thirteen regiments, enjoying the initial advantage of being composed of picked men, fighting together throughout their term of service, should through the mutual understanding and confidence thus engendered, make for themselves a record more easily deciphered, than they would had they been transferred from division to division or from one army to another. Nor were the expectations entertained in regard to the division dis- appointed. It won for the Union army at Dranesville the first victory on the Potomac. It opened the Seven Days' battles upon the Peninsula, fighting unaided against tremendous odds at Mechanicsville, and holding its position without losing one inch of ground. At Gaines' Mill its several regiments were ordered, one after another, to strengthen the Union lines in whatever place they showed signs of giving way. A few days later, standing astride the New Market Cross Road, it beat back the attack of Lee, who strove to break through upon the Union flank. Its regiments were the first to reach Pope when he called for help, and seizing the height commanding the Warrenton pike retained for the army its line of retreat. It scaled the heights of South Mountain and opened the battle of Antietam ; while at Fredericksburg it penetrated the Confeder- ate line farther than any other troops. At Gettysburg, when Sickles' corps gave way and the Union troops came flying up the slopes of Little Round Top, closely pursued by the Confed- erates, it, by a brilliant charge, drove back the enemy and secured the possession of the key of the battle-field to the Union army. It fought through the bloody campaigns of the Wilderness and Spottsylvania, rounding out its term of service by bloodily repulsing Ewell's corps at Bethesda Church. And to the other twelve regiments of this division that achieved so much, the Bucktails held a peculiar relationship. They were infantry regiments, the Bucktails a rifle regiment. Composed PRgFACE vii of men for the most part from the mountainous districts of the State, and used to the handling of fire-arms from their boy- hood, skirmish duty fell to their lot, either for the whole division or the brigade to which they were attached. It has become a truism that the study of a nation can best be pursued by the study of the individuals composing it; and also on the other hand, that the history of an individual is unintelligible unless his relationship to his tribe or clan is under- stood, and the effect of the activities of this tribe or clan upon the achievements of the nation appreciated. It might not be amiss to regard the army as the nation, the division as the tribe or clan, and the regiment as the individual. If we do this, not only does the history of a regiment acquire much greater justi- fication than regimental glorification ; but the acceptance of the parallel involves the recognition of the fact that such a history must detail, not only the movements of the regiment itself, but also those of the division and army to which it was attached. In the preparation of this history, it has been borne in mind that a regiment is primarily a military organization, called into being for military purposes and given military tasks to perform. Hence while the fact that it has also a social life and existence cannot be denied, and while the propriety of portraying that side of its life cannot be questioned, it appears incontestable that the inclusion of a too great amount of anecdotal matter can only result in obscuring, if not obliterating, its military achieve- ments. To a regiment which participated in the number of campaigns, skirmishes and battles that the Bucktails did, this view applies with even greater force than to regiments with a less extensive military history. The authors have received much kind help in the shape of letters, diaries, clippings, &c. Two newspaper histories, one pub- lished by the late Captain John P. Bard in the "Curwensville viii History of the Bucktails "Herald," and one by Comrade William A. Holland, in the "Newport News," have been of great service, as has also the "History of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps," in the compila- tion of which Mr. Justin R. Sypher had the assistance of a manuscript history of the Bucktails, written by the late Adju- tant Roger Sherman. The frequent references to the Bucktails in the records published by the United States Government under the title "The War of the Rebellion : a compilation of the "official records of the Union and Confederate Armies," have enabled the authors to place their main reliance upon an authoritative source. The kindness of the following, who have especially assisted by answering inquiries and in other ways, is acknowledged: Lieutenant-Colonel Edward A. Irvin, Mrs. Thomas L. Kane, Mrs. Roy Stone, Major Neri B. Kinsey, Captain William T. Blanchard, Captain Thomas B. Lewis, Lieutenant R. D. Hall, Lieutenant James Dixon West, Chaplain William H. D. Hat- ton, Honorable W. W. Brown, Sergeant Jonathan V. Morgan, Sergeant A. A. Van Orsdale, Corporal Thomas H. Ryan, Corporal Wallace M. Moore, Corporal E. L. Brookins, Cor- poral C. J. Smith, Comrade Firmin F. Kirk, Comrade J. A. Roman, Comrade William A. Holland, Comrade A. D. Baker, Comrade Henry C. White, Comrade Thomas Furlong. Thanks are also particularly due to Miss Marion V. Smith for her help in the tedious work of preparing the muster rolls, and to John Thomson, Esq., for reading the final proofs. A list of the principal works consulted will be found in the appendix. — TABLE OF CONTENTS. Dedication, iii Preface, v List of Illustrations, xi Introduction, i Genesis and Organization, 5 Campaigning in the State Service, .41 The Winter of 1861 Into the National Service, 55 Dranesville, 72 Camp PiErpont, .82 The Peninsular Campaign— From Washington to White House, . .89 MechanicsvillE, 96 Gaines' Mill, "2 New Market Cross Roads, 122 Malvern Hill, Harrison's Landing, and the Richmond Prisons, i34 Kane's Battalion— The Valley Campaign, i4S 168 Catlett's Station and Second Bull Run, . — X History of the Bucktails Pope's Army of Virginia— Groveton, 177 Second Battle of Bull Run, 189 The Maryland Campaign— South Mountain, 197 Antietam, . 208 Burnside's Campaign— From Antietam to Fredericksburg, .219 Fredericksburg, . 227 The Pennsylvania Invasion— In Camp near Washington, 245 Gettysburg, 258 Centreville and the Mine Run Campaign, . 277 With Grant Towards Richmond— . The Wilderness, 287 Spottsylvania Court House, . 299 North Anna and Bethesda Church, . -3^^ Muster Out, 323 Appendixes^— "A"—Muster Roll, 335 "B"—Regimental Association, .... 439 "C" Survivors, 449 "D" Printed Sources Consulted, .... 455 Index to Names and Places, 457 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. GsN. Thomas L. Kane, . Frontispiece Col. Charles J. Biddle, .... To face page 5 Original Handbill, 8 Surgeon S. D. Freeman, 36 Col. Alanson E. Niles, y-j Gen. Roy Stone, 89 of — Battle Harrisonburg Death of Gen. Ashby, . 155 Col. Edward A. Irvin, 205 Col. Hugh W. McNeil, 208 Col. Charles F. Taylor, 245 — BucKTAiL Monument Gettysburg, Pa., . 258 Company F at Bristoe Station, Va., .... 277 Gen. W. Ross Hartshorne, 287 Lieut. Daniel BlEtt—Maj. John A. Wolfe—Capt. Ernest Wright, 324 Group of Bucktail Survivors, 439 The Colonel Taylor Marker—Gettysburg, Pa., . 445 HISTORY BUCKTAILS. INTRODUCTION An astute observer, even fifty years before the outbreak of the Civil War, could have certified to its inevitableness. The thoughts and ideas of the inhabitants of the sections termed respectively the North and the South were at variance. The fact that they were under one Government made it necessary that, sooner or later, the aspirations of one must to a greater or lesser extent become the guiding influence of the other.