Category Archives: 1864

Starting the 1864 Campaigns

08 Thursday May 2014

Posted by in 1864, 1864 raids, 1st U.S. Cavalry, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, 5th U.S. Cavalry, manning, Reserve Brigade

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150 years ago today, the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps engaged in its first battle of 1864 at Todd’s Tavern. Before looking at the battle itself, I thought it would be helpful to look at the state of the three regular regiments in the Reserve Brigade as the campaign began. Listing the numbers may seem tedious, but it will go a long way to help the reader visualize the effects of the year’s battles on these understrength regiments. 1864 was an absolutely brutal year for these regiments, and one would be combat ineffective by year’s end.

On April 28th, the regiments of the Reserve Brigade moved out of their winter camps near Mitchell’s Station and encamped about 1.5 miles from Culpeper. At this time the brigade consisted of the 1st, 2nd and 5th U.S. Cavalry, the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and the 1st New York Dragoons. Colonel Alfred Gibbs, commander of the 1st New York Dragoons, commanded the brigade, as Brigadier General Wesley Merritt was in temporary command of the First Division.

The 1st U.S. Cavalry was commanded at the beginning of May by Captain Nelson B. Sweitzer. This Pennsylvania native was the most experienced of the three commanders. An 1853 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he had served in the regiment his entire career. It had 8 officers and 487 enlisted men present for duty of an authorized 42 officers and 1,189 enlisted men. Its twelve companies averaged 40 enlisted men each. On the April 1864 return, the regiment requested 356 recruits to bring it up to full strength.

The 2nd U.S. Cavalry started 1864 campaigning under Captain Theophilus F. Rodenbough. A civilian appointee from his native Pennsylvania in 1861, Rodenbough was by now a veteran, his only absence from the regiment a brief stint as a prisoner of war after Second Manassas. The regiment had eight officers and 271 enlisted men present for duty, with another 131 enlisted men on extra duty. Its twelve companies averaged only 21 enlisted men each. On the April 1864 return, the regiment requested 559 recruits to bring it up to full strength.

The 5th U.S. Cavalry was commanded at this time by Captain Abraham K. Arnold. Another Pennsylvanian, Arnold graduated from West Point in 1859. He missed the regiment’s ill-fated charge at Gaines Mill, serving as an aide de camp to General McClellan until March of the previous year. He distinguished himself multiple times during the Overland Campaign, earning a Medal of Honor. Only seven of the regiment’s twelve companies were present for duty, as Companies B, F, K and L served as escort to General Grant’s headquarters, and Company D served at Point Lookout, Maryland. Indeed, the regiment had 23 of its assigned officers and 263 enlisted men on detached service, at army headquarters and elsewhere. The seven companies present mustered only 6 officers and 206 enlisted men, an average of 29 men each. On the April 1864 return, the regiment requested 630 recruits to bring it up to full strength.

Unfortunately, I don’t presently have unit strengths for the 6th Pennsylvania and the 1st New York Dragoons. The 1st New York a relatively inexperienced unit, but the 6th Pennsylvania had served in every 1862 campaign of the Army of the Potomac, and its numbers reflected its veteran status.

The three regiments combined for a present for duty strength of 22 officers and 964 enlisted men, of an authorized strength of 126 officers and 3,567 enlisted men. Officer strength was 17.4% and enlisted strength was 27%. And the hardest year’s campaigning was about to begin.

Book Review: The Last Battle of Winchester

02 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by in 1864, book reviews

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The Last Battle of Winchester: Phil Sheridan, Jubal Early, and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, August 7 – September 19, 1864.

Savas Beatie Publishing, 2013, hardback, 553 pages

In The Last Battle of Winchester, author Scott Patchan provides a comprehensive examination of the actions leading up to and including the pivotal battle of the Shenandoah Valley campaign.  Painstakingly researched, yet fast-paced and vividly written, I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

I’m always interested to see the evolution of a writer if I’m fortunate enough to read several of his or her works over time.  I enjoyed Patchan’s Shenandoah Summer (and reviewed it here), but to me this book was written on a higher level.

The author masterfully weaves an engrossing narrative on several levels simultaneously.  The book, as advertised, is indeed a battle history – over 200 pages address the battle itself.  Throughout the story, however, Patchan keeps the reader aware at all times of the larger context: within the campaign in the valley, within Grant’s overall strategy in Virginia, and within Lincoln’s political reality with an election looming.  Grasping this context is critical to understanding the battle and the campaign.  That he is able to do this while not bogging down the story is a tremendous feat.

I found the author’s coverage of the campaign very evenhanded.  He went out of his way to provide a thorough yet unbiased groundwork for the narrative.  I thought Early received a fairer treatment of his accomplishments prior to the battle than I had seen in other works.  Similarly, Sheridan’s caution before the battle and aggressiveness following it made much more sense to me after reading the book.

Patchan’s research is as enlightening as it is intimidating.  He obviously has spent years both researching the campaign and walking the ground on which it was fought.  His use of primary sources is remarkable, both for their sheer number and the way he weaves them into his narrative.  The descriptions of individual actions and combat at the regimental and company level bring the battle to life for the reader.

Cudos to Savas Beatie for using footnotes instead of endnotes.  Given the author’s extensive use of soldiers’ quotes to describe the action, footnotes greatly contributed to the book’s readability. And since I’ve mentioned the publisher, I must add that the book is of excellent quality and well worth the cover price.

Hal Jesperson’s maps are both detailed and plentiful, something all too seldom seen in battle and campaign studies.  I’ve previously found operations in the Valley confusing and difficult to follow, but in this book a map to orient myself was never more than a few pages away.  They provide a great support to the narrative.

Extensive citations, seven appendices and a bibliography over twenty pages long should satisfy even the most demanding reader or researcher.  Many of the primary sources appear to be previously unpublished.

This book provides extensive coverage of every move leading up to and including the battle itself.  I think anyone interested in this campaign or the Civil War would appreciate the book, and it is essential for the library of anyone seriously interested in operations in the Shenandoah Valley during the war.

Carlisle Barracks and the Mounted Recruiting Service, part 4

27 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by in 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1st U.S. Cavalry, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, 3rd U.S. Cavalry, 4th U.S. Cavalry, 5th U.S. Cavalry, 6th U.S. Cavalry, cavalry, officers, recruiting

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In all, the Mounted Recruiting Service operated recruiting stations in nineteen cities during the war.  Although it was not required, in most cases the officers recruited soldiers for their parent regiments.  This meant that at various points during the war, some cities provided soldiers to multiple regular cavalry regiments.

Boston, Massachusetts.  This was the first war-time station established.  Lieutenant Napoleon B. McLaughlin of the 4th U.S. Cavalry opened the station on July 5, 1861.  He was promoted to captain before he was ordered to report to his regiment over a year later on October 1, 1862.  He was relieved by Captain Abraham K. Arnold of the 5th U.S. Cavalry, who was ordered to close the station at the end of the following month.  The station did not reopen until June 10, 1863, when Lieutenant Copley Amory of the 4th U.S. Cavalry assumed command.  He operated the station until he resigned in December, and it was not reopened again during the war.

Cincinnati, Ohio.  Lieutenant Edward M. McCook of the 4th U.S. Cavalry opened this station on July 24, 1861.  In September, he was placed on leave to take service in the state forces of Indiana.  He earned five brevet promotions for gallantry in action as a volunteer officer during the war, the last to major general of volunteers.  The station was vacant for two months until McCook was relieved by Lieutenant Robert S. Smith of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry on November 6, 1861.  A native of Ohio, Smith as previously mentioned spent over three years in Cincinnati before he was relieved by Captain David S. Gordon, also of his regiment, on September 5, 1864.   Gordon was transferred back to his regiment in December, and replaced by Lieutenant Robert S. Sweatman of the 5th U.S. Cavalry.  Lieutenant Sweatman served only two months before being transferred back to his regiment in February 1865, and Captain Isaac R. Dunkelberger, of the same regiment, finished the war in charge of the station, making it one of the few stations continuously manned throughout the war.

New York, New York.  Lieutenant William W. Webb of the 4th U.S. Cavalry opened the recruiting station in New York City on October 3, 1861.  He wasn’t relieved to join his regiment until February 7, 1863.  His replacement was Captain Arnold of the 5th U.S. Cavalry, only three months after finishing his recruiting duties in Boston.  Arnold finally returned to his regiment in September, and was replaced by Lieutenant John B. Johnson of the 6th U.S. Cavalry.  Lieutenant Johnson was transferred back to Carlisle Barracks on August 22, 1864, and Lieutenant Stanwood of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry commanded the station for a mere two weeks.  Former prisoner of war Lieutenant Tattnall Paulding of the 6th U.S. Cavalry relieved him on September 4, 1864, and stayed there for the remainder of the war.

Wheeling, Virginia.  Captain Milton T. Carr of the 1st U.S. Cavalry opened this station on August 22, 1862.  Lieutenant Judson Haycock was sent to assist him on September 8th, and relieved him on December 7, 1862 so he could return to his company.  Lieutenant Haycock closed the station on March 4, 1863.  Lieutenant William Webb of the 4th U.S. Cavalry briefly served in the town as a mustering officer for volunteer regiments from June 6 to September 23, 1863, but the recruiting station did not reopen during the war.

Buffalo, New York.  Lieutenant Charles McKnight Leoser of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry opened this station on July 13, 1862 to assist in recruiting troopers for Companies A, B and D of his regiment.  He closed the station when ordered back to his regiment on April 8, 1863, and it did not reopen.

Norristown, Pennsylvania.  A native Pennsylvanian and former first sergeant of John Buford’s Company B, Lieutenant Thomas Bull Dewees of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry was the sole operator of this recruiting station from July 13 to November 17, 1862.

Cleveland, Ohio.  Lieutenant William Blanchard of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry opened a recruiting station in Cleveland on August 7, 1862. He was relieved by Captain Robert E. Clary of the same regiment on October 4th, who closed the station when transferred back to his regiment on December 7, 1862.  Captain Thomas Drummond of the 5th U.S. Cavalry reopened the recruiting station on October 15, 1863 and conducted recruiting there until transferred back to his regiment on December 21, 1864. Interestingly, Drummond left command of his regiment in the field for recruiting duty, and resumed command when he returned.  Lieutenant John Mix of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, another former prisoner of war, commanded the station from January 4, 1865 through the end of the war.

Indianapolis, Indiana.  Lieutenant Edward T. Benton of the 1st U.S. Cavalry opened a station in Indianapolis on August 22, 1862.  Captain Charles W. Canfield of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry took charge of the station on January 15, 1863, and Lieutenant Benton was transferred back to his regiment on February 6th.  Captain Canfield was in turn ordered to close the station and return to his regiment to take command of his company just three weeks later, on February 26, 1863.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Lieutenant Theophilus F. Rodenbough of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry opened this station on September 4, 1862.  It was probably established in the same National Hotel that the 6th U.S. Cavalry used during recruiting the previous year.  Rodenbough closed the station when transferred back to his regiment on December 7, 1862.  Captain Clarence Mauck of the 4th U.S. Cavalry opened a new station in December 1864.  He was relieved on March 1, 1865 by Lieutenant John B. Johnson of the 6th U.S. Cavalry, but returned to the station before the end of the month.

Baltimore, Maryland.  This station was also opened on September 4, 1862, by Lieutenant Anson O. Doolittle of the 4th U.S. Cavalry.  He was ordered back to Carlisle Barracks on November 29, 1862, and recruiting was not resumed here until Captain John B. McIntyre opened another station on April 6, 1865.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  This station opened and closed three different times during the war, odd for one of the largest cities in the nation.  Lieutenant Charles H. Gibson of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry, a native Pennsylvanian,  was ordered to open a station here in October, 1862.  It may well have been the same location at the Girard House on Chestnut Street used by the 6th U.S. Cavalry until that February.  He was transferred back to his regiment on September 13, 1863.  Lieutenant John H. Nichols of the 1st U.S. Cavalry operated a station here for two weeks in April 1864 before returning to his regiment for the spring campaign.  He was killed in action just two months later at the battle of Trevillian Station.  Captain T.F. Rodenbough of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry opened the station for the final time during the war on November 18, 1864, less than two months after losing his arm at the battle of the Opequon, or Third Winchester.  He turned the station over to Captain William Hawley of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry when ordered to rejoin his regiment on April 25, 1865.

Chicago, Illinois.  The records concerning this station are curious.  Captain John Feilner of the 1st U.S. Cavalry was ordered to open a station in Chicago on October 4, 1862.  However, Feilner was dropped from Carlisle’s post return at the end of the month,  which would normally mean he had completed his duties and been sent back to his regiment.  I also have not yet come across a single soldier recruited by Captain Feilner in Chicago, which leads me to believe the order was countermanded before the station could be opened.

Detroit, Michigan.  Lieutenant and former first sergeant Thomas McGregor of the 1st U.S. Cavalry was the sole operator of this recruiting station from October 16, 1862 to January 20, 1863.  This was his first assignment after receiving his commission.  He later received a brevet promotion for gallantry at the battle of Todd’s Tavern.

Elmira, New York.  Captain William McLean of the 5th U.S. Cavalry was the sole operator of this recruiting station from November 1, 1862 to February 19, 1863.  Severely wounded and captured during the Peninsula campaign, he opened the station once paroled and left it to take command of his newly organized Company M.  Unfortunately, he died of fever just two months later, on April 23, 1863, in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.  Captain Samuel H. Starr of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry recruited many men for his regiment here in October 1862 after resigning his volunteer commission, many of them prior volunteers from his New Jersey brigade.  Interestingly, I found no record of him being assigned to the Mounted Recruiting Service, though he definitely served this duty.  Lieutenant Elisha W. Tarlton of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry operated the only official recruiting station in the city from November 1, 1862 to March 1, 1863, when he was transferred to his regiment.  A native of Kentucky, he later earned a brevet promotion for gallantry in action at Tuscumbia, Alabama.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Captain Marcus A. Reno of the 1st U.S. Cavalry was ordered to open a recruiting station in Harrisburg while recovering from injuries sustained at the battle of Kelly’s Ford on March 17, 1863.  Other than a brief absence serving with Pennsylvania troops during the Gettysburg campaign, he operated the station until September 23, 1863, when he was relieved by Lieutenant John McDonald of his regiment.  Lieutenants Reuben Bernard and William Pennock, also of the 1st U.S. Cavalry, were assigned here as mustering officer in July and August of 1862, and probably operated from the same office.  Lieutenant McDonald, another former first sergeant,  was transferred back to his regiment on November 26, 1864, and the station remained closed until opened by Lieutenant (and yet another former first sergeant) Dean Monahan of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry on March 12, 1865.

Madison, Wisconsin.  Lieutenant Anson O. Doolittle of the 4th U.S. Cavalry, assigned again to recruiting duty, was the sole operator of this station from January 8 to May 1, 1864, when he was ordered to report to the adjutant general.  The assignment is understandable, as Doolittle was appointed to the Army from Wisconsin, and briefly served as a lieutenant in the 2nd Wisconsin Infantry prior to receiving his regular army commission.

Rochester, New York.  Lieutenant Thomas Simson of the 6th U.S. Cavalry opened this station on May 12, 1864.  Badly injured at Franklin, Tennessee, he had finally reported to his regiment the preceding month, but was not yet fit for field duty.  Lieutenant Frank Stanwood of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry relieved him on December 21st, when he was transferred back to his regiment.  Lieutenant and former sergeant major Tullius C. Tupper of the 6th U.S. Cavalry relieved Stanwood in turn on February 7, 1865.

St. Louis, Missouri.  Captain John A. Thompson of the 4th U.S. Cavalry was the sole operator of this station from August 13 to November 1, 1864, when he closed it and returned to his regiment.  He had received a brevet promotion for gallant and meritorious service at Hoover’s Gap, Tennessee the previous year.

References:

Heitman, Francis B.  Historical Register of the United States Army, volume 1. Washington, D.C.: The National Tribune, 1890.

Henry, Guy V.  Military Record of Civilian Appointments in the United States Army, volume 1.  New York: George W. Carleton, 1869.

NARA, M617, Returns from Military Posts, 1806-1916 (accessed online, 2013)

Price, George F. Across the Continent with the Fifth U.S. Cavalry.  New York: Antiquarian Press Limited, 1959.

Rodenbough, Theophilus F.  From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry.  Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000.

Tousey, Lt. Col. Thomas G.  Military History of Carlisle and Carlisle Barracks.  Richmond: The Dietz Press, 1939.

Carlisle Barracks and the Mounted Recruiting Service, part 3

15 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by in 1864, 1st U.S. Cavalry, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, 3rd U.S. Cavalry, 4th U.S. Cavalry, 5th U.S. Cavalry, 6th U.S. Cavalry, cavalry, cavalry depots, officers, recruiting, resignations

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As 1864 opened, the only four operating recruiting stations were Cincinnati, Cleveland, Harrisburg and New York.  Lieutenant Anson Doolittle of the 4th U.S. Cavalry added a fifth in Madison, Wisconsin on January 8th.

In April, the growing controversy surrounding repairs to the post reached a head.  There were a number of issues concerning the contracts and materials needed to repair the post after July’s attack, and then-Captain Hastings wrote on several occasions for guidance and clarification from the Quartermaster General concerning the repairs.  Naturally enough, those who did not receive contracts or orders for material were disgruntled.  As post commander, Hastings was of course at the center of the storm.  Unfortunately for him, he had unwisely pursued repairs without the specific approval of the Quartermaster General, and found himself in a great deal of trouble as a result.

Hastings, who had been promoted to major in the 5th U.S. Cavalry in September, was relieved of command on April 21, 1864.  Charges were subsequently preferred, which led to a conviction by a General Court Martial.  The sentence was initially very severe, but was later commuted to six months suspension of pay and benefits, causing a Congressional investigation.  In December, Major Hastings was permitted to retire “for incapacity resulting from injuries received, or from exposure in the line of duty, in conformity with an Act of Congress, of August, 1861.”  Lieutenant Hancock T. McLean of the 6th U.S. Cavalry, assigned to the post the month before, briefly assumed command of the post.  Thomas Tousey, in his book Military History of Carlisle Barracks and Carlisle, provides a thorough discussion of the issues surrounding Hastings’ dismissal.

On May 19, 1864, Major William B. Royall of the 5th U.S. Cavalry assumed command of the post.  Like the two officers who had preceded him, Royall was another very experienced cavalryman.  He initially entered service as a volunteer officer at the beginning of the Mexican War, and had been assigned to the 5th (then 2nd) U.S. Cavalry when it was formed in 1855.  He was severely wounded during fighting at Old Church, Virginia on June 13, 1862.  He received six saber wounds in hand to hand combat, including “two sabre-contusions on the right side of the head; a cut two inches long on the forehead; a long cut on the left cheek which bled profusely; a cut on the right wrist, dividing a tendon; and an incised fracture, four inches long, of the left parietal bone.”  He received a well-deserved brevet promotion for his conduct in the battle, but recovering from his many wounds took many months.  He came to Carlisle after serving two months at the Cavalry Bureau in Washington.

As spring turned to summer, activity increased around the depot.  The Madison recruiting station closed, and a new one opened in Rochester, New York.  Since the regiments were involved in active campaigning, officers from Carlisle were ordered to conduct parties of recruits to their new regiments.  If annotated on maps or in reports, these detachments were labeled with the regiment of the officer leading them.  A detachment of recruits bound for the 1st U.S. Cavalry led by an officer of the 3rd, for example, would be noted as a detachment of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry.

Lieutenant Hancock McLean of the 6th U.S. Cavalry conducted a detachment of recruits to the 5th Cavalry in late May.  Lieutenant Frank Stanwood of the 3rd Cavalry led a detachment of recruits to the 5th & 6th U.S. Cavalry in late June.  During Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early’s advance on Washington the following month, Lt. Stanwood was ordered by the commander of the Department of the Susquehanna to scout south toward the Potomac.  This seemingly errant band of regulars of the “3rd U.S. Cavalry,” which never served in the eastern theater during the war, has caused confusion among researchers, including this author.

The remainder of the summer and fall passed unremarkably.  Captain Thompson of the 4th U.S. Cavalry opened a recruiting station in St Louis in August.  Lieutenant Stanwood conducted another party of 155 recruits to the 5th U.S. Cavalry in October.  An additional 135 recruits were transferred in November, and 142 more in December.  Captain Thompson closed the recruiting station in St Louis in November, while stations reopened in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as the year’s campaigning drew to a close.

During the early months of 1865, the depot continued to forward recruits to the field: 129 in January, 134 in February, 123 in March and 94 in April.  It is doubtful this last group reached its destination before the cessation of hostilities.  At the end of the war, recruiting stations were still operating in Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Rochester.

The careers of several officers other the commanders were significantly affected by recruiting duty.  Copley Amory of the 4th U.S. Cavalry was appointed a second lieutenant from Massachusetts on August 5, 1861.  He returned to Carlisle from May to December 1862, when he was returned to his regiment.  He was again assigned to the depot in June 1863, this time forwarded to the recruiting station in Boston.  After six more months of recruiting duty, he resigned in December 1863.

Irish-born John McDonald enlisted as a private in Company K, 1st U.S. Dragoons in 1857, and was promoted to first sergeant prior to his appointment as a lieutenant in the same regiment.  He was assigned to the depot in October 1862, remaining until ordered to rejoin his regiment on February 6, 1863.  On June 15, 1863, he was ordered back to the depot, and remained on recruiting service the rest of the war.

Next is the oft-mentioned Frank Stanwood of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry.  He joined at Carlisle as a new second lieutenant on September 27, 1861.  He remained until transferred to his regiment as a first lieutenant on August 21, 1862.  He served as the regimental quartermaster from his arrival until January 15, 1863.  In April, he was ordered back to the mounted recruiting service, where he remained until February 1865.  In all, Stanwood served only twelve months with his regiment during the war.  Ironically, he received a brevet promotion to captain on March 13, 1865 “for coolness, energy and skill in battle.”  He also received brevets to major and lieutenant colonel the same day for what was probably a more accurate description of “faithful and meritorious service during the war.”

Finally, Robert S. Smith was appointed a second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Dragoons on May 4, 1861.  He remained on recruiting service through promotions to first lieutenant and captain.  Smith did not actually join his regiment until September 5, 1864, over three years after his appointment!  Two weeks later he saw his first combat while leading his company at the battle of Opequon, or 3rd Winchester on September 19th.  Interestingly, his testimony of valor observed on the field in his first fight was later significant in the award of the Medal of Honor to First Sergeant Conrad Schmidt of Company K.

The concluding post of this series will discuss the recruiting stations and list the sources used to compile the article.

Medal of Honor – Timothy O’Connor, 1st U.S. Cavalry

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in 1864, 1st Cavalry, battle of Deep Bottom, medal of honor, research, volunteers

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Special thanks to Craig Swain and Jimmy Price for bringing this man to my attention.  There’s all too little data out there on the 1st U.S. Cavalry in the Civil War, so every bit of detail unearthed is a victory.  Readers will see more on the 23rd Illinois and the 1st U.S. Cavalry shortly.  This is another of those threads that lead far afield once it is pulled and followed.

Timothy O’Connor was born in County Kerry, Ireland on August 15, 1842.  After immigrating to the United States, he settled in Chicago, Illinois.

At the outbreak of the war, O’Connor joined one of the many volunteer units forming in the Chicago area.  He enlisted in Company F, “somebody’s Guard, Rifles, etc” 23rd Illinois Infantry at Camp Douglas, Illinois on March 15, 1862. The regiment was raised entirely in Cook County, Illinois.  He was mustered in by Captain Moriarty when the regiment officially mustered in Chicago on May 14, 1862.  Like so many soldiers, his name is incorrectly entered in his enlistment documents.  Timothy “Conner” is described in his enlistment papers as 22 years old, 5’9” tall, with light hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion.  He reported his residence as Chicago and his occupation as a laborer.

The regiment was assigned to Colonel James A. Mulligan’s “Irish Brigade,” not to be confused with the Army of the Potomac storied unit of the same name.  The regiment initially operated in Missouri, near Jefferson City and Lexington.  At the time O’Connor joined the regiment, it was guarding prisoners at Camp Douglas.  In June 1862 it was ordered to Harpers Ferry, where its duties principally involved guarding the railroad lines in the area until the end of the year.

Timothy took quickly to the life of a soldier, earning promotions to corporal and sergeant within months of enlisting.  By December, O’Connor had apparently had enough of guarding railroads.  On December 24, 1862, he took advantage of a War Department order issued after the battle of Antietam which authorized volunteer soldiers to join regular army regiments.  Given the experience of the year’s campaigning, hundreds of volunteers chose to join cavalry regiments.

Sergeant O’Connor was enlisted as a private into Company E, 1st U.S. Cavalry by Lieutenant Judson Haycock at New Creek, Virginia.  Four others from his company and at least three others from other companies in his former regiment joined the 1st U.S. Cavalry the same day.  His new enlistment documents described him as 22 years old, 5’8 ½” tall, with fair hair, gray eyes and a ruddy complexion.

During fighting at the first battle of Deep Bottom, Virginia on July 28, 1864, Private O’Connor captured the regimental colors of the 18th North Carolina Infantry.  He was subsequently awarded the Medal of Honor in General Orders dated January 5, 1865.  His citation reads “for extraordinary heroism on 28 July 1864, while serving with Company E, 1st U.S. Cavalry, in action at Malvern, Virginia, for capture of flag of the 18th North Carolina Infantry (Confederate States of America).”

Private O’Connor was discharged from the army at the expiration of his enlistment on December 24, 1865 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He returned to Chicago, where he lived the rest of his life.

Timothy O’Connor died in Chicago on March 26, 1915, at the age of 72.  There is a memorial headstone at Arlington National Cemetery because he is a Medal of Honor awardee, but his remains are in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Chicago.

Sources:

Civil War Centennial Commission of Illinois, Illinois Military Units in the Civil War, 1962.

Dyer, Frederick, A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion

NARA, RG 94, Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914

Regimental roster, accessed on June 20, 2013 at http://civilwar.illinoisgenweb.org/reg_html/023_reg.html

Report of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois, 9 vols., 1900-1902, accessed on June 19, 2013 at http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/reghist.pdf

Military Justice, Part 2

08 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in 1864, 2nd Cavalry

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General Orders No. 19.
War Department
Adjutant General’s Office
Washington, January 12, 1864.

I. Before a General Court Martial, which convened at the Headquarters, Cavalry Reserve Brigade, near Culpeper Court-house, Virginia, November 25, 1863, pursuant to Special Orders, No. 66, dated October 31, 1863, and Special Orders, No. 70, dated November 5, 1863, Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division, and of which Major H.C. Whelan, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, is President, was arraigned and tried —

2. Private Walter Sheets, Company “B,” 2nd U.S. Cavalry

Charge – “Desertion.”

Specification – “In this; that the said Private Walter Sheets, of Company ‘B,’ 6th U.S. Cavalry, did, on or about the 10th day of July, 1863, at or near Funkstown, Maryland, willfully desert the service of the United States, with his horse, arms, and accoutrements. All this at or near Funkstown, Maryland, and remained absent until apprehended at Lewistown, Maryland, October 27, 1863, by Captain Smith. For his apprehension was paid thirty dollars ($30).”

To which charge and specification the prisoner, Private Walter Sheets, Company “B,” 2nd U.S. Cavalry, pleaded “Not Guilty.”

Finding.

The Court, after mature consideration on the evidence adduced, finds the prisoner, Private Walter Sheets, Company “B,” 2nd U.S. Cavalry, as follows:

Of the Specification, “Guilty, except the words ‘at Lewistown, Maryland, October 27, 1863, by Captain Smith. For his apprehension was paid ($30) thirty dollars.’”
Of the Charge, “Guilty.”

Sentence.

And the Court does therefore sentence him, Private Walter Sheets, Company “B,” 2nd U.S. Cavalry, “To forfeit all pay and allowances that are now or may come due him; to be indelibly branded on the left hip with the letter D, one and a half inches long, in presence of his Regiment; and to be confined at hard labor, with a ball and chain attached to one of his legs, for the period of (10) ten years. The place of confinement to be designated by the Secretary of War.”

The disparity between the two sentences is interesting. Two years of desertion is worth five years of hard labor, but three months of desertion with all equipment is worth branding and ten years of hard labor.

So who was this fellow?

Walter Sheets was born in Salem County, New Jersey in 1843. He worked as a blacksmith before the war. He initially enlisted into Company F, 5th New Jersey Infantry on August 22, 1861 at the age of 18. This regiment was commanded during the Peninsula campaign by Samuel H. “Paddy” Starr, on detached service as a colonel of volunteers while a captain in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. On October 26, 1862, Private Sheets was discharged to join the Regular Army.

On October 27th, Walter Sheets enlisted into Company B, 2nd U.S. Cavalry at Alexandria, Virginia. His enlistment documents confirm his age and birthplace, as well as describing him as 5’ 5 3/4” tall, with gray eyes, brown hair, and a dark complexion. The officer who enlisted him? Captain Samuel Starr, who had resigned his volunteer commission and was serving on recruiting duty for his regular army regiment.

Sheridan’s First Richmond Raid – A Doctor’s Perspective

27 Wednesday Jan 2010

Posted by in 1864

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During the summer of 1864, the Reserve Brigade accompanied the rest of the 1st Division of the Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac on both of Sheridan’s “Richmond Raids.” I recently came across the reports of the corps surgeon for each of the two raids, and thought the perspectives of these surgeons were interesting. The assistant surgeon Rogers mentioned was the regimental surgeon for the 6th U.S. Cavalry, who were serving as Sheridan’s escort during the raid. Assistant Surgeon George McGill of the U.S. Army was the acting corps surgeon on the first raid, and his report follows:

“On the 9th day of May, Surgeon Pease being too sick for mounted duty, I was made acting medical director by Major General Sheridan. The corps was, at that time, upon the march, and numbered about nine thousand mounted men. There was one ambulance at the headquarters of the corps, and the batteries of the artillery had each an ambulance, in which, however, the mess things of the artillery officers and their bedding were carried; the ambulance boxes contained the usual supply of beef stock, etc. Thirty-one ammunition wagons were with the command, all heavily laden, but not the less adapted to ambulance service, for, as was afterwards shown, an engagement used up ammunition enough to make it possible to carry such of the wounded men as were cases to bring along, and yet unable to ride their horses. Each medical officer had a field companion, and each regiment was provided with the field register. During the five days in which we had no communication, the medicines and dressings on hand were used up, but a supply of dressings were obtained by a foraging party. The wounded were abundantly fed by foraging. As the corps headquarters was the most stable position in the command, it was ordered that all the wounded who were able to ride their horses should be sent thither. Acting Assistant Surgeon Rogers was placed in charge of these men, and Acting Assistant Surgeon McGuigan ordered to report to him. After a capture of three rebel wagons and three ambulances, made upon the night of the 9th of May, a corps ambulance train was organized, and the same officer put in charge. As the number of our wounded increased, the battery ambulances, with such spring wagons as could be appropriated in the corps or taken from inhabitants of the country, were added to the train, which finally assumed formidable proportions, and presented a remarkable appearance from the variety of vehicles embraced in it. The first engagement was on the telegraph road approaching Childsburg; an affair of the rear guard, in which, however, we lost heavily. Many of the wounded were captured by the enemy, but nineteen were saved and transported in ammunition wagons. On the night of the 9th and morning of the 10th, we had twenty men and officers wounded in skirmishing. During the afternoon of the 11th, the battle of Yellow Tavern was fought, an engagement in which the whole corps was concerned. Our corps hospital was established half a mile in the rear of the centre; it was under fire part of the time, but there was no situation within our lines that was not. It was thoroughly organized with a surgeon in charge, operators, dressers and recorders. The night and day following this battle was extremely trying for the wounded, as the corps moved during the night to near Meadow bridge, within the outer defences of Richmond, and fought all the day. On the 12th, the corps was engaged on three sides. On the left, facing Richmond, the 3d division was engaged with one of the rebel fortifications. On the right, the 2d division contended against a heavy force of infantry, while the 1st division built a bridge over the Chickahominy, and forced a passage in the face of the cavalry force defeated by the corps the day before. The wounded from these points were sent to the corps train after being carefully dressed. Most of the cases saved were brought off on horseback, as all our ambulances were already overloaded. Our loss was comparatively light, forty men in all being wounded in the 2d and 3d divisions. On the afternoon and evening of the same day, the corps fought at Mechanicsville, and, during the two days following, marched to Haxall’s landing, which was reached on the afternoon of the 14th. During these days, surgeons were detailed night and morning to dress and attend to the wounded. As soon as Medical Director McCormick heard of our arrival, he sent a transport well fitted up for the wounded. While lying at Haxall’s, nearly three hundred men were sent to general hospital, two hundred ten of whom were wounded. Much needed medical supplies were here obtained for the corps. From Haxall’s, we moved to White House, where fifty-seven sick and wounded were sent to general hospital. On the 18th, while lying at Baltimore stores, an expedition was made by Brigadier General Custer, who cut the Richmond and Fredericksburg railroad near Hanover Court-house. In this expedition, two men were wounded, one of whom was lost. Crossing the Pamunkey river, the corps next marched to Dunkirk, on the Mattapony, thence to our wagon train, near Milford Station. In all there were about three hundred and eighty men wounded during the expedition, of whom about two hundred and eighty-five were secured.

Source: Barnes, Joseph K. The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, Volume 1. Washington, Government Printing Office: 1870. Pages 179-180.