CHAPTER XXII
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIRST AND ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-NINTH REGIMENTS
One Hundred and Fifty-first Regiment – Company F Recruited in Warren County – Regimental Organization – Colonel Harrison Allen, of Warren, in Command – Joins the Army of the Potomac – Assigned to the First Corps – The Chancellorsville Campaign – The Weary March to Gettysburg – The Battle – Heroic Conduct During the First Day’s Fight – Frightful Losses – Retiring through the Town to a New Position – Continuance of the Battle – Victory, Though at a Fearful Cost – The Regiment Highly Complimented by General Doubleday – Its Warren County Men – One Hundred and Fifty-ninth Regiment, Otherwise Fourteenth Cavalry – Names of Its Warren County Members – Regiment Organized at Pittsburgh – Its Field Officers – Ordered to Harper’s Ferry – Campaigning in the Shenandoah Valley – Attached to General Averell’s Command – A Series of Raids and Battles – Brilliant Success Attending the Raid on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad – Great Destruction of Rebel Property – A March over the Alleghenies in Midwinter – Swimming Icy Torrents and Swollen Rivers – Co-operating with General Crook – Hunter’s Lynchburg Campaign – Another Terrible March Accomplished – Details of Other Feats Performed and Battles Fought – Close of the War – Transferred to Fort Leavenworth – Muster Out.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT – NINE MONTHS’ SERVICE.
COMPANY F of this organization was recruited in Warren county by Captain Harrison Allen, who had served for a few months as major of the Tenth Reserve. It left Warren borough Thursday morning October 23, 1862, and proceeded to Harrisburg, the regimental rendezvous, where it was mustered into service on the 30th of the same month. A few days later Captain Allen was commissioned colonel of the regiment, George F. McFarland, of Juniata county, lieutenant-colonel, and John W. Young, of Susquehanna county, major.
The regiment moved forward towards Washington on the 26th of November, and upon its arrival encamped on Arlington Heights. Soon after it was attached to the brigade commanded by Colonel D’Utassay, and with that command performed picket duty at Union Mills for several weeks. About the middle of February, 1863, it was transferred to Belle Plain, where it was assigned to a brigade, for a time commanded by Colonel James R. Porter, but subsequently by General Thomas A. Rowley, known as the First Brigade of the Third Division of the First Corps, General Doubleday commanding the division, and General Reynolds the corps.
Just previous to the opening of the Chancellorsville campaign, the Third Division was sent to Port Conway, on the Lower Rappahannock, for a diversion in favor of the operations soon to commence. The movement was successful, inducing “Stonewall” Jackson to move, with his entire corps and train, to a point on the opposite bank. The division was out forty-six hours, during thirty-six of which the rain fell incessantly, making the march a difficult and trying one. The command was present at the battle of Chancellorsville, but it appears that it did little more than to skirmish with the enemy without loss.
Gettysburg was the one battle wherein the One Hundred and Fifty-first won all of its honor and glory. After weary days of forced marches at the rate of thirty-five miles per day, the First Brigade, now commanded by Colonel C. Biddle, in conjunction with its corps, the First, and the Eleventh Corps, arrived upon the field of battle (to this time chiefly maintained upon the Union side by Buford’s cavalry) at half-past ten A.M. of July 1, and took position upon the extreme left flank of the corps, the One Hundred and Fifty-first, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel McFarland, holding the left of the brigade line. As it moved into position it was saluted by the booming of cannon and the rattle of musketry, and soon was whispered the sad intelligence of the fall of General Reynolds. Without delay it was pushed forward by orders of General Rowley, now in command of the division; the men unslinging knapsacks as they marched, and advanced obliquely to the top of a ridge to the west of the Theological Seminary, where it remained some time. All firing now ceased for nearly an hour, the enemy having been driven back, and General Archer captured with eight hundred of his men. About noon, however, the enemy again opened fire on both front and right. The latter being a flank fire, to which the brigade was exposed, it was ordered back into the hollow, and here, supporting Cooper’s Battery, and subjected to a constant fire from the enemy’s artillery, it maintained its position for two hours and a half, only varying its line to avoid the destructive cross-fire of the enemy. At half-past two P.M. the regiment was detached from the brigade by General Rowley, to be held as a reserve, and was posted behind a fence along the south end of Seminary Grove, and facing north. A few moments later it changed front forward on the left company, and occupied a temporary breastwork, erected by the Second (Robinson’s) Division earlier in the day, just in rear of the seminary, facing west. By this time the enemy had concentrated in large force and began closing in. With only this single regiment in reserve, and with but a single line, Doubleday was opposing thrice his numbers, coming on three lines deep, and reaching out far beyond him on either flank. This great pressure soon began to tell upon the integrity of the Union line. A gap, occasioned by severe losses, was soon made between the brigades of Biddle and Meredith, of Rowley’s Division, which was threatening to prove fatal to the entire left wing. Into this gap, by order of General Rowley, the One Hundred and Fifty-first was thrown, to stay the tide which was fast sweeping on – the last reserve thrown into action. In perfect order it moved forward and closed up the broken line, Company D standing directly in front of, and about twenty-five yards distant from, the point of woods where General Reynolds was killed. The fighting now became terrific, and the losses of the enemy in front of the regiment were heavy. But the contest was too unequal to continue long. The one attenuated line was terribly cut up. The celebrated Iron Brigade, having borne the brunt of the battle for five hours, was finally withdrawn, thus exposing the right of the One Hundred and Fifty-first. The regiments on its left were likewise overpowered, and one after another was forced back, until this was left almost alone to resist the enemy’s raking fire. Finally, when more than half its number had fallen, the order was given to retire. At the barricade of rails in the edge of the grove back of the seminary it again took position, where fragments of other regiments had assembled, and as the enemy advanced a deadly fire was delivered upon them, which again checked their victorious advance. But here a new danger threatened. Finding that he could not walk over even the remnants of the First Corps, by direct advance, the wily rebel leader had sent a heavy force to envelop the Union left. The movement was speedily successful, and before a warning of the enemy’s presence had been given, the regiment received a heavy enfilading volley, by which Lieutenant-Colonel McFarland was shot down, receiving severe wounds in both legs, necessitating the amputation of one, and large numbers of the men were disabled. The moment had come when it could no longer stand the repeated blows of an overpowering enemy, and with remnants of other commands it retreated rapidly towards the town of Gettysburg. General Early, who had closed in on the extreme Union right, was already in the streets, and here, the way being impeded by trains and disorganized masses of troops, a number of the regiment fell into the enemy’s hands.
Upon its arrival on Cemetery Hill the regiment numbered but ninety-two men. This number was soon after increased to about one hundred and twenty by the arrival of stragglers and others who had been cut off from the column in passing through the town. Captain Owens was now in command. About five o’clock P.M. of the 2d the command was marched on the double-quick to the support of Sickles’s troops. In moving down the Taneytown Road, and when approaching Round Top, the line of the brigade was broken by troops moving in a diagonal direction across its path, and the One Hundred and Fifty-first, with the Twentieth New York State Militia, became separated from the rest of the brigade, and amidst the great confusion prevailing failed to regain their position. Finding themselves thus cut off, or lost, as it were, Colonel Gates and Captain Owens decided to act as an independent command, and moved up on the front line, taking position on the left of the Second Corps, where it remained during the night. When, on the afternoon of the 3d, the enemy made his grand charge, these two regiments hastened to the right to the support of the troops at the menaced front. Reaching a knoll where a battery of the Second Corps was posted, and in front of which the enemy was advancing, they made a stand and assisted in driving the enemy from a slashing, in which he had taken refuge from a flank attack of Stannard’s (Vermont) Brigade. The enemy was finally driven at all points, many throwing down their arms and surrendering, and the great, dear-bought victory was won. At this point Adjutant Samuel T. Allen, brother of Colonel Allen, was severely wounded. On the morning of the 4th these regiments rejoined their brigade.
Of the twenty-one officers and four hundred and sixty-six enlisted men of this regiment, who went into battle, two officers and sixty-six men were killed, twelve officers and one hundred and eighty-seven men were wounded, and one hundred were missing. The brave Lieutenant-Colonel McFarland and his regiment received the highest meed of praise from General Doubleday, who said: “I can never forget the services rendered me by this regiment, directed by the gallantry and genius of McFarland. I believe they saved the First Corps, and were among the chief instruments to save the Army of the Potomac, and the country from unimaginable disaster.” Colonel Allen, who had been passing some time at home on leave of absence, returned to his command just as the battle ended, and continued with it until its muster out of service, at Harrisburg on the 27th of July, 1863.
The Warren county men who served in this regiment were reported as follows:
FIELD AND STAFF.
Colonel Harrison Allen, promoted from captain Company F November 11, 1862; mustered out with regiment. About two years later or March 13, 1865, was commissioned brevet brigadier-general.
Adjutant Samuel T. Allen, mustered out with regiment; wounded.
COMPANY F.*
Captain Harrison Allen, promoted to colonel November 11, 1862.
Captain John H. Mitchell, mustered out with company.
First Lieutenant William O. Blodgett, mustered out with company.
Second Lieutenant Theodore Chase, mustered out with company.
First Sergeant James L. Lott, mustered out with company.
Sergeant Paul W. Brown, mustered out with company.
Sergeant Robert E. Miller, absent, sick, at muster out.
Sergeant Benjamin F. Miller, absent, sick, at muster out.
Sergeant A.D. Frank, mustered out with company.
Corporal Sylvanus Walker, in hospital at muster out.
Corporal George Merchant, absent, sick, at muster out.
Corporal Leander W. Wilcox, mustered out with company.
Corporal Nathan J. Cooper, mustered out with company.
Corporal Robert T. Cummings, mustered out with company.
Corporal Raymond B. Jones, absent in hospital at muster out.
Corporal Samuel A. Tuttle, mustered out with company.
Corporal Clifford Wetmore, mustered out with company.
Corporal Nathaniel A. Billings, discharged on surgeon’s certificate January 5, 1863.
Musician Ralph F. Ames, discharged on surgeon’s certificate June 2, 1863.
Privates.
Robert Abbott, mustered out with company.
John W. Allen, absent in hospital at muster out.
George W. Briggs, mustered out with company.
Ichabod Buck, mustered out with company.
James Bates, mustered out with company.
Richard Barlow, mustered out with company.
Jared F. Bartlett, mustered out with company.
John C. Bagley, mustered out with company.
Richard Brooks, mustered out with company.
Jehiel Carr, absent in hospital at muster out.
William C. Carr, mustered out with company.
Charles S. Chapman, absent, sick, at muster out.
Lafayette Cole, mustered out with company.
Perry F. Chandler, mustered out with company.
Isaac Culbertson, discharged on surgeon’s certificate April 4, 1863.
James Cotton, died July 4, of wounds received in battle July 1, 1863.
Ithiel Dodd, mustered out with company.
Nathan Dodd, died at Washington, D.C., June 15, 1863.
Abram A. Enos, mustered out with company.
Jacques Guentl, mustered out with company.
Andrew Gauts, mustered out with company.
David W. Gibson, mustered out with company.
William H. Guignon, mustered out with company.
William Guy, absent in hospital at muster out.
John G. Gregory, died near Union Mills, Va., December 31, 1862.
James Green, killed at Gettysburg July 1, 1863.
Pardon Hazeltine, absent, sick, at muster out.
Clinton Hazeltine, mustered out with company.
Marcus Jaquay, killed at Gettysburg July 1, 1863.
John Knupp, absent in hospital at muster out.
Wilbur Kimball, killed at Gettysburg July 1, 1863.
Lodewick Loveland, mustered out with company.
Alfred C. Lacy, mustered out with company.
Frank Lyon, died July 19 of wounds received in battle July 1, 1863.
John Myers, absent, sick, at muster out.
Isaac W. Mott, mustered out with company.
James M. Miller, mustered out with company.
Edwin Matteson, mustered out with company.
John W. Morrison, discharged on surgeon’s certificate March 21, 1863.
Peter Miller, died January 10, 1863.
John McIntyre, mustered out with company.
Christopher W. McKelvey, mustered out with company.
James McManus, mustered out with company.
James E. Norris, mustered out with company.
Marvin Norris, absent, sick, at muster out.
George Newsbuckle, mustered out with company.
F.E. Perkins, mustered out with company.
John J. Patchin, mustered out with company.
David B. Peck, mustered out with company.
Daniel Porter, wounded and missing in action July 1, 1863.
Pearson C. Phillips, mustered out with company.
James Park, discharged on surgeon’s certificate March 14, 1863.
Norman C. Smith, mustered out with company.
Orlando Smith, mustered out with company.
William Sweetland, mustered out with company.
William P. Starrett, mustered out with company.
Hiram Sturdevant, mustered out with company.
Stephen Sweet, mustered out with company.
John Stanton, captured at Gettysburg; mustered out with company.
James Stanton, mustered out with company.
Israel Slye, mustered out with company.
Orin H. Slye, mustered out with company.
George A. Schuyler, mustered out with company.
Samuel A. Samuelson, mustered out with company.
Walter Thompson, mustered out with company.
D.T. Van Vechten, mustered out with company.
Charles Walker, mustered out with company.
Daniel Weed, wounded near Union Mills January, 1863; mustered out with company.
M.G. Wheelock, mustered out with company.
Philander Wright, mustered out with company.
Charles D. Way, absent, sick, at muster out.
Lyman D. Wilison, captured at Gettysburg; mustered out with company.
Robert Young, killed at Gettysburg July 1, 1863.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-NINTH REGIMENT – FOURTEENTH CAVALRY.
On the 26th of September, 1862, First Lieutenant George R. Wetmore, with some thirty or more men recruited for the cavalry service, left Warren for Erie to join another detachment under Captain Miles, and thus was formed the command subsequently known as Company I, of the Fourteenth Cavalry. The men who left with Lieutenant Wetmore were named as follows: Quartermaster-sergeant, Reuben Mason; Sergeant David R. Alexander; Corporals Allen E.B. Mann, William V. Ford, John S. Turner, Horace Robinson; Saddler Bennett M. Metler; Privates John P. Baxter, Edmund R. Cowell, Levi W. Crouch, Van Rensselaer Farey, M.D. Ford, Elias Frear, Francis H. Freeman, Albert G. Hamblin, Francis Hook, Philip Hoffman, Charles L. Jeffords, John C. Jordan, Patrick Keefe, Alvah H. Mann, L. Phillips, William Prindle, Reuben Rhoads, Joseph B. Rhinehart, Joseph Sands, Leroy Turner, James Upton, John Upton, William H. Wentworth, Ashley F. Winchester, and Richard W. Winchester.
The regiment rendezvoused in camp near Pittsburgh, where, on the 24th of November, a regimental organization was completed by the choice of James M. Schoonmaker as colonel; William Blakely, lieutenant-colonel; Thomas Gibson, Shadrack Foley, and John M. Daily, majors. On the same day the regiment moved forward towards Hagerstown, Md., where horses, arms, and accoutrements were received and a spirited training for cavalry service commenced. On the 28th of December the command moved to Harper’s Ferry, and went into camp on the Charlestown Pike, the advance post of General Kelly’s command. It was here actively engaged in picketing all the approaches from the south and east, and scouting the region on both sides of the Shenandoah River, extending far into the passes of the Blue Ridge, and occasionally skirmishing with the guerrilla bands of White and Imboden. On the night of April 13, 1863, Lieutenant Wetmore, in command of the picket guard, handsomely repulsed an attack of dismounted rebel cavalry on the Keyes Ford road, and was highly complimented in general orders by the general in command.
Early in May, 1863, the regiment was attached to General Averell’s command, and for a time assisted in holding the towns of Phillippi, Beverly, and Webster, in guarding the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and in numerous scouts and movements against the enemy. When the rebel army retreated from the field of Gettysburg the regiment joined in the pursuit, and formed a junction with the Army of the Potomac at Williamsport, Md., on the 14th of July; but Lee had made good his escape across the Potomac the day before.
On the 4th of August General Averell moved with his command on what was known as the Rocky Gap raid. When approaching Moorefield, Captain Kerr, of the Fourteenth, with a detachment of about fifty men who had been ordered to move on a mountain road to the left, after having captured some guerrillas, fell into an ambuscade, and though fighting manfully was worsted, and made his escape with only a fragment of his command, with difficulty. Moving through Petersburg and Franklin, continually skirmishing by the way, and driving “Mudwall” Jackson, after a brisk engagement at Warm Springs, the command, on the 29th of August, encountered the rebel General Jones near Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, and at once attacked. The Fourteenth dismounted, and held the right of the line. The battle raged fiercely until nightfall. The enemy contested the ground stubbornly, but he was pushed back about three hundred yards. Three determined infantry charges of the rebels were handsomely repulsed by the Fourteenth. During the night skirmishing was kept up, the enemy delivering an occasional volley. Assistance was momentarily expected from General Scammon, commanding in the Kanawha Valley, and who was supposed to be at Lewisburg, ten miles distant. The enemy was reinforced during the night, and the battle was renewed on the following morning; but no assistance coming to the Union forces, and their ammunition running low, a retreat was ordered. The loss in the Fourteenth was eighty in killed, wounded, and missing. Beverly was reached on the 31st, the command having been on the march or closely engaged for twenty-seven consecutive days, and traveled over six hundred miles.
On the 1st of November General Averell again led his command southward on the Droop Mountain raid. Crossing Cheat Mountain, he reached Huntersville on the 4th, whence, after detaching the Fourteenth Pennsylvania and the Third West Virginia Cavalry, he sent them by a detour from the main road on which he advanced, to cut off a brigade of the enemy, said to be stationed at Greenbrier Bridge, under command of “Mudwall” Jackson. But both roads were found obstructed by fallen timber, and the wily rebel made good his escape. At Droop Mountain the Fourteenth came up with the enemy and drove him rapidly to the summit. Here he had intrenched, and was prepared with artillery to fight, but by flanking the position with infantry, and pressing closely in front with dismounted cavalry, he was driven with the loss of two pieces of artillery and almost his entire train. Pursuit was made as far as Lewisburg, but the troops failed to again overtake him.
By easy marches the command then returned to New Creek, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, with the expectation of going into winter quarters; but on the 8th of December Averell was again in the saddle, faced for Salem. By rapid marching, much of the time in the midst of heavy rains, he arrived at his destination on the 16th, and immediately commenced the work of destruction of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and the immense stores of the rebel army there collected. Several long bridges, and miles of track were destroyed, besides depots, mills, and warehouses, with grain, meat, salt, clothing, and merchandise, to the value, as was estimated, of from two to five millions of dollars. Intelligence of this daring movement, and the immense destruction effected, soon spread, and the enemy in heavy force was moving up rapidly on all sides for Averell’s capture. The retreat was accordingly commenced and pushed with all celerity, though greatly retarded by heavy rains and swollen streams. The rebels believed that the capture of the entire command was sure, and were already debating among themselves upon the kind of punishment that should be meted out to the bold “Yankees.” By skillful demonstrations, however, the route of the column was concealed, and Averell succeeded in eluding the hostile forces. “I was obliged” says Averell in his report, “to swim my command, and drag my artillery with ropes across Craig’s Creek, seven times in twenty-four hours.” The creek was deep, the current strong, and filled with drifting ice. On the 20th, at Jackson River, the Fourteenth, while in rear struggling with the wagon trains, which could with difficulty be moved, the horses and mules being worn out with incessant marching, was cut off from the main column by the destruction of the bridge, and was supposed at headquarters to have been captured. General Early had demanded its surrender under a flag of truce; but, setting fire to the train which was completely destroyed, it forded the stream and made good its escape, rejoining the column between Callahan’s and White Sulphur Springs. That night the command swam the Greenbrier, now swollen to a perfect torrent, and, crossing the Allegheny Mountains by an old bridle-path, moving the artillery by hand, it finally reached Hillsboro, at the foot of Droop Mountain, at midnight, and encamped. The roads were now icy, the horses were smooth shod, and to ride was impossible. From this point to Beverly, where the troops arrived on the 25th, the cavalrymen walked, leading their horses. Here much-needed supplies were received, and proceeding on to Webster they were moved by rail to Martinsburg, where winter quarters were established. The loss to the regiment in this raid in killed, wounded, and missing, was about fifty. Its members, as well as those of other commands, returned with shoes worn out and clothing in tatters; hence, in recognition of the great service which these troops had performed, the war department ordered the issue of a complete suit of clothing to each member, as a gift from the government; the only instance, it is believed, of the kind during the war.
On the 12th of April, 1864, the entire command – a full cavalry division under General Averell, of which the Fourteenth formed part of the First Brigade, Colonel Schoonmaker in command – was moved by rail to Parkersburg on the Ohio River, from whence it started on the 2d of May on a separate but co-operative movement with General Crook’s forces through West Virginia, to the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. As the command moved forward, obstructed roads and bushwhackers, lying in ambush, were met at every step; but the enemy usually received the worst of it when it came to fighting. It was General Averell’s purpose to destroy the salt works at Saltville; but, anticipating his designs, the enemy had posted a strong force for its defense, who were found well fortified and supplied with artillery. Averell had no guns, and hence, deeming it imprudent to attack, moved on to form a junction with Crook. But the enemy had now concentrated a heavy force in his front, and at Cove Gap, on the morning of the 10th, attacked him. After four hours of hard fighting, in which the advantage was on the Union side, the enemy brought up artillery and Averell was obliged to withdraw. The loss of the Fourteenth in this engagement was twelve killed and thirty-seven wounded. Averell then pushed on to Blacksburg, on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, destroying bridges and stores on the way, and finally came up with Crook at Union, the united forces moving on to Lewisburg. Here the two commands remained until the 3d of June, when they were ordered to Staunton to join the army of General Hunter, then moving on the Lynchburg campaign.
The combined forces moved forward on the 9th and, after several skirmishes by the way, appeared in front of Lynchburg on the 15th. The enemy’s cavalry made a stout resistance, but were driven back within the fortifications defending the town. During the following night, however, General Early, with an entire corps from Lee’s army, came up. On the next day considerable fighting took place, the enemy maintaining his position within the works, and prepared with ample artillery to make a successful defense. Accordingly, at night Hunter gave the order to retire, Schoonmaker’s brigade forming the rear guard. At Liberty the enemy’s advance came up and attacked. For four hours this single brigade maintained the contest, holding him in check until the main column was well on its way towards the Kanawha Valley. The loss in the regiment in the engagement was six killed and eighteen wounded, the loss in other regiments of the brigade being much more severe. Subsequently, at a gap in the mountains north of Salem, Rosser’s rebel cavalry suddenly attacked and captured thirteen pieces of artillery. Schoonmaker’s Brigade, happening to be just at hand, was ordered in and retook the guns, with some prisoners, sustaining a loss in the Fourteenth of two killed and six wounded. Hastening forward over mountains and through valleys, parched by a summer’s sun, the army, after enduring untold sufferings, finally reached Parkersburg, whence it returned by rail to Martinsburg. Portions of the command, while upon the march to Parkersburg, were five days without food, and many died from the combined effects of fatigue and hunger.
Meanwhile the rebel General Early had advanced down the Shenandoah Valley unopposed, crossed into Maryland, and was now thundering at the gates of the national capital. Worn down with fighting, marching, and untold sufferings and privations by the way, Hunter’s troops were in no condition for hard marching or fighting. But Averell was not the leader to avoid an encounter when an enemy was near, and accordingly attacked the rebel troops at Winchester on the 20th of July, and routed them, capturing one general, one colonel, and two hundred men, killing and wounding three hundred, and taking four guns and several hundred small arms. The Fourteenth was an active participant in this brilliant affair, but only lost three men wounded. Four days later, however, the commands of Averell and Crook were attacked by Early’s combined forces and driven with severe loss, Colonel Mulligan (of the Chicago Irish Brigade – otherwise known as the Twenty-third Illinois Infantry, and the hero of the battle of Lexington, Mo., fought in 1861), commanding a brigade, being killed. The command fell back slowly towards the Potomac, contesting the ground stubbornly, and finally withdrew to Hagerstown. The enemy followed up, swarmed across the Potomac, and a raiding party under McCausland burned the town of Chambersburg, Pa. Meanwhile Averell had retired to Greencastle. However, as soon as the line of march of McCausland from Chambersburg was ascertained, Averell gave chase. Through McConnellsburg and Hancock – where it was reinforced – Berkley Springs and Romney, the command pushed forward at headlong speed, and at Moorefield, on the south branch of the Potomac, came up with the enemy. The charge was sounded and “Chambersburg” was the battle-cry. The Fourteenth had the right of the first line. With a wild shout the command dashed forward, driving the enemy in confusion, and capturing two of his guns. Following up the advantage, the command rushed across the stream, captured two more guns, four hundred and twenty prisoners, four hundred horses, killing and wounding one hundred men, and completely routing and dispersing the combined commands of McCausland, Johnson, Gillmore, and McNeill. The loss in the Fourteenth was ten killed and twenty-five wounded. Captain Kerr, in command of the regiment, was among the severely wounded.
The command returned to Martinsburg, and soon after was placed under the orders of General Sheridan. On the 19th of September opened that series of brilliant engagements under Sheridan, in the Shenandoah Valley, which will ever render his name illustrious. In the battle which was fought on that day the enemy was driven at all points. The Fourteenth, under command of Captain Duncan, was posted on the extreme right of the cavalry division, and charged, with great heroism and daring, an earthwork, which it captured. The loss was very severe, Captain Duncan being among the killed. Three days later it assisted in routing the rebels at Fisher’s Hill. On the 27th it was prominent in the defeat of Fitzhugh Lee, at Wier’s Cave. Again, at Cedar Creek on the 19th of October, the men of the Fourteenth, particularly those under Captains Miles and Duff, rendered valiant service. Still later, or on the 12th of November, the regiment participated in a severe engagement at Front Royal, with the rebel General McCausland, defeated him, and captured all of his guns and supply trains. The Fourteenth here sustained a loss of fifteen in killed and wounded.
During the following winter, which was passed near Winchester, two expeditions undertaken by detachments from the regiment, one under Captain William W. Miles, on the 11th of December, to Millwood, and a second under Major Gibson, on the 19th of February, 1865, to Ashby’s Gap, resulted disastrously, the commands losing heavily in killed, wounded, and prisoners, Captain Miles, who commanded the company (I) in which the Warren county men were serving, being among the killed. Its fighting, however, ceased with these expeditions. The hostiles had deserted the valley. Lee surrendered on the 9th of April, Mosby on the 18th, and on the 20th of the same month the regiment was ordered to Washington, D.C., where it remained nearly two months. On the 11th of June it was ordered to Louisville, Ky., but while en route its destination was changed to Fort Leavenworth, Kans. Soon after its arrival at its destination it was consolidated into a battalion of six companies, all surplus officers being mustered out. Company A, of the new organization, under Captain H.N. Harrison, was detailed as escort to General Dodge, commanding the department, and accompanied him on a tour of inspection which extended to the Gunpowder River. On the 24th of August the companies remaining at the Fort were mustered out of service, and returned in a body to Pittsburgh, where they were disbanded. Company A was mustered out on November 2, soon after the return from its tour. We will add that Captain George R. Wetmore was promoted from first lieutenant to captain of Company I, upon the death of Captain Miles, and commanded that company until the consolidation mentioned above took place, when he was assigned to the command of Company C, of the battalion. He was honorably mustered out with the latter company August 24, 1865.
* Those whose names are italicized were wounded at Gettysburg.
SOURCE: Page(s) 227-238, History of Warren County, J.S. Schenck & W.S. Rann, Syracuse, New York: D. Mason, 1887
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