Camp Lincoln Va.
June 19th 1862
Dear Parents,

I suppose you got the letter I wrote two days ago and know the reason of my not writing for the past two weeks. I didn’t care about the confinement in particular, but I [two missing words] of the “battle of Fair Oaks,” a thing I am sorry for; well, if I was out of the fight I was out of danger, too. This is some consolation.

I enclose a copy of charges, which my captain sent to me before I was tried. If you can read the writing you will see what I was in the guard-house for. I would like to send you a copy of the proceedings of the court martial too, they would be worth reading. There was some talk yesterday about going to Richmond this morning, but it is so quiet this morning I think it has blown over. Last evening, or rather, in the afternoon there was some lively firing in the direction of New Bridge (underlined), and I hear one hundred of our men got land-torpedoed, but like Davy Crockett’s coon “I am inclined to doubt.” At any rate you will know what was about as soon as I do, probably. For there are so many stories told in camp that nothing is believed untill (sic) we see it in the papers or in reality. An order was given yesterday to the army for five days rations to be packed ready to start at any time. I suppose the Grand Army (underlined) is about to start, for it is time something was being done besides throwing up dirt (underlined).

The weather is terribly hot, I think, but very few men are sick, suppose it is owing to the flies and mosquitoes being so thick and voracious. The mosquitoes are commonly called gallon-sippers (underlined) here and I think the flies should be called two gallon (underlined) sippers, for they have twice the power of suction that mosquitoes have. Perhaps they think the order for rations applied to them and they are getting five days ahead, the torments.

I want to write a letter to Julia today, but I don’t know whether I can or no. I have started to twice and was too lazy to finish. I must get a book and read. Brave spider story; Try Again (two words underlined).

Give my love to all and expect me home when you don’t expect me (underlined).
Affectionately Charles E. Bates

I will write it of myself.
Charge
Violation of 9th Article of War
Specification
In this, the said Charles E. Bates did positively refuse to take care of a horse belonging to Co “E” 4th Cavalry when ordered to do so by 1st Sergt Edward Fitzgerald C of C Etc.

The following article is re-posted from the Brandy Station Foundation’s Autumn newsletter by permission of Foundation President Bob Luddy. The map, unfortunately, wouldn’t copy through, but may be found on the Foundation’s website, located at left.

Huge Development Proposed Near Battlefield

A Northern Virginia developer has requested a land rezoning in Culpeper County on 513 acres of agricultural land that would result in a 3.4 million square foot development with a 20-year build out. The development is entitled Willow Run and is located roughly half-way (3 miles) between the Graffiti House and the Rappahannock River.

The development (see map below) located at Willow Run near the Culpeper regional Airport would sit on a portion of the Battle of Brandy Station battlefield (June 9, 1863) The development itself doesn’t threaten the core battlefield (it would sit on the far right extension of Wade Hampton’s battle line), but its creation would create added pressure for other development closer to the core battlefield both commercial and residential.

The developer, USA Development, proposes to build office buildings, retail shops, and residential loft units above the shops, commercial structures, restaurants and a theater as well as a private 500 plus-student “international” school. Some of the structures would stand eight to nine stories near the airport and its commercial park. The plan also calls for an equestrian complex and a “fun” water park!

For anyone familiar with Central Park shopping center in Fredericksburg along state Route 3 and I-95, this project would be 50 percent larger and, if successful, create even more traffic on an existing four-lane highway.

The developer has met once with members of the Brandy Station Foundation Board of Directors one time seeking our support. They later provided copies of their plans and proposal to BSF. USA Development is offering, with no way to hold them to it, to set up a battlefield “visitors” center within the development with donations going to BSF. They also offered to run “daily” bus tours to the Graffiti House. Unfortunately, this level of staffing is currently beyond our ability and desire to support.

As an organization, we have serious concerns about the size and scope of this ambitious venture.

The BSF board is studying traffic concerns on US Route 29 and the resulting degradation of the battlefield surrounding this proposal. It is feared that if the rezoning is approved, the developer will sell it off and other uses may occur. The proffers provided don’t limit many uses.

The matter is still before the county’s planning commission, which is conducting public hearings on the plan. We will keep members advised on our plans regarding this development.

Okay, this is a little bit of a teaser for an upcoming post, but has anyone ever heard of a condition known as “moonblindness”? It can apparently be caused by malnutrition, and was sometimes a malady afflicting prisoners of war.

Take a look at Brian Downey’s Behind Antietam on the Web (see links at left) for a post on the Exodus From Harper’s Ferry. Brian has added pictures of the principal leaders, and a map attempting to portray the route of the column. Nice post, Brian!

A Few Words on Sources

Why has such an exploit received such little attention from historians? The primary reason is that it is often lost in the clutter of the battles at Crampton’s and Turner’s Gaps and the larger battle of Antietam a few days later. A second is the attention focused on the surrender of the Harper’s Ferry garrison and the subsequent official inquiry. A third is the lack of an official report of the escape. Colonel Davis never made a report, or if he did it was lost. There is information in Volume 19 of the Official Records, but it is contained in other reports on the campaign, not specifically reports on the escape.

There are sources available, however, it just takes a bit of digging to find them. Since one of the purposes of this blog is education, I thought I would include a few clues on where to look for those interested in more information on the escape.

Among the primary sources:

“The Surrender of Harper’s Ferry”, by Brigadier General Julius White, in Battles & Leaders of the Civil War, Volume II. White provides a first-person account of the movement of his command from Martinsburg to Harper’s Ferry, and the events leading up to the departure of the cavalry.

“The March of the Cavalry from Harper’s Ferry, September 14th, 1862,” by Captain William M. Luff, in Military Essays and Recollections: Papers Read Before the Commandery of the State of Illinois, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Volume 2, A.C. McClurg and Company, 1894. Luff provides the best first-person account that I’ve found on the escape so far. Luff commanded Company A during the escape as a lieutenant because his commander had been wounded during the fight at Darkesville the week before.

There were two other first-person accounts that I haven’t yet been able to locate. These were accounts by the chaplain of the 12th Illinois (The Private Journal of Abraham Joseph Warner, ed.Herbert B. Enderton, San Diego: Colonel Herbert B. Enderton, 1973) and a corporal of Company B, 7th Squadron Rhode Island Cavalry (“The Cavalry Column from Harpers Ferry in the Antietam Campaign” in Civil War Catalog Number Twenty Two, ed. Dennis E. Frye, Dayton, OH: Morningside Press, 1987).

The best secondary source I have located so far is Samuel M. Blackwell’s excellent history of the 12th Illinois Cavalry, In The First Line of Battle. Blackwell presents a detailed and well-researched look into the escape, including a couple of maps.

Other secondary sources:
Bailey, Ronald H. The Bloodiest Day. Alexandria: Time-Life Books Inc., 1984.

Frye, Dennis E. “The Siege of Harpers Ferry.” Blue & Grey Magazine (September 1987)

Norton, Henry. Deeds of Daring: or History of the Eighth New York Volunteer Cavalry. Norwich, NY: Chenango Telegraph Printing House, 1889.

Sears, Stephen W. Landscape Turned Red. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1983.

Starr, Stephen Z. The Union Cavalry in the Civil War, Volume I: From Fort Sumter to Gettysburg. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University, 1979.

Tischler, Allan L. The History of the Harpers Ferry Cavalry Expedition, September 14 and 15, 1862. Winchester: Five Cedars Press, 1993. This is the only book-length study of the expedition that I’m aware of. It’s probably an excellent source, I just haven’t yet obtained a copy.

Afterword

I think I’ve learned more compiling this series of posts than I have on any of my other projects to date. This started as a simple summary post that I had intended to post commemorating the anniversary of the escape, but has taken on a life of its own. As with most small Civil War research projects, one thread led to another thread, which led to another source, etc. And so this project has become a work in progress. I’m relatively happy with what I’ve turned up so far, but the cave has proven deeper than initially expected since I turned on the flashlight. I believe there is still more to be unearthed on the escape, and will continue to investigate as time and resources permit.

Following the Route Today

I tried the follow the route of the escape earlier this summer. As best I can determine, the following directions will lead the interested traveler in the footsteps of the escaping cavalrymen.

While the pontoon bridge in Harper’s Ferry is gone, one can still visit the opening in the seawall and the ring bolts embedded in it where the bridge was anchored. Once across the river, Highway 65 still generally follows the route of the Harper’s Ferry–Sharpsburg road. One can see the place where the road rises in a steep climb to the top of Maryland Heights and picture troopers spurring their mounts up it in the dark.

At Sharpsburg, the route is lost for a while, as it is of course impossible to drive through the farmer’s fields from Sharpsburg north to near Tilghmanton. North of Tilghmanton, one picks up their path again on the old Boonsboro-Williamsport turnpike (Highway 68) at Lappans and follows it northeast to Williamsport.

Just north of Williamsport, turn onto the old Williamsport-Hagerstown turnpike (now Highway 60). A short distance to the northeast one can find the Maryland state historical marker erected on the site of the capture of Longstreet’s ammunition train.

After the capture of the wagon train, the route of the Greencastle road is most closely followed today by Highway 63 from Williamsport north to Greencastle, Pennsylvania.

Units and Leaders

One of the things that makes the cavalry escape such a remarkable exploit is the inexperience of the units and leaders involved. Keep in mind that popular wisdom at the time was that it took a minimum of one to two years to properly train a cavalry regiment and prepare it for combat. None of the units involved had been in existence for more than ten months before the escape.

The most experienced of the units, and the senior organization by one day, was “Cole’s Cavalry”. This was a battalion of the 1st Maryland Cavalry comprised of Companies A, B, C and D under the command of Major Henry A. Cole. Their first fight had been against forces under Stonewall Jackson in January 1862, and they had spent the entire year in western Maryland and northwestern Virginia. Most of the men in Cole’s Cavalry were from western Maryland, with a number of men from Virginia and Pennsylvania as well. Most of these men were farmers and planters, young, unmarried, accustomed to the use of both firearms and riding, and most of them brought their own horses with them. Their extensive knowledge of the area served as a great asset during the escape.

The 8th New York mustered in November 28, 1861, but spent the first seven months fighting as infantry under General Banks in the Shenandoah Valley. They were finally mounted in July 1862, and ordered to Harper’s Ferry on August 29th. Their commander, a Regular officer on his first assignment with volunteers, had been with the regiment for less than a month. Colonel Davis requisitioned carbines for his regiment as soon as they arrived at Harper’s Ferry, but there weren’t any carbines available in the armory to fill his request.

The 12th Illinois’ first fight had been at Darkesville, Virginia on September 7th, only a week before the escape. Only a portion of the regiment participated in the fight, led by regimental executive officer Lieutenant Colonel Hasbrouck Davis. This regiment did possess several hundred Burnside carbines, which the regimental commander, Colonel Arno Voss had successfully procured in Washington in July 1862.

The 7th Squadron Rhode Island Cavalry was nicknamed the “college cavaliers” because nearly all of them were students from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and Norwich University in Vermont. A three month volunteer regiment, they mustered in at Providence on June 24, 1862. They had served in the Military District of Washington until the month before the escape. Their first engagement was on Maryland Heights on September 13th. The regiment mustered out on September 26, 1862 at the expiration of its term, less than two weeks after their exciting ride. Many of the unit’s members later served in the 1st Rhode Island Cavalry.

The leadership wasn’t much more experienced than the units. The senior officer, Colonel Arno Voss of the 12th Illinois, was a politician with no combat experience. His executive officer, Lieutenant Colonel Hasbrouck Davis, was a lawyer before the regiment formed, and fought in his first engagement the week before. Major Corliss of the 7th Squadron Rhode Island Cavalry was unblooded until the skirmishing on Maryland Heights.

The only two leaders with combat experience were Major Cole and Colonel Benjamin F. “Grimes” Davis. Cole had been fighting in the area for the previous several months, leading first Company A, then the battalion. A Regular officer from the 1st Dragoons, Davis had fought Indians before the war. He was commended for his leadership of a squadron during the battle of Williamsburg during the Peninsula Campaign, but had never led more than two companies prior to the escape. I don’t include Major Russell of the 1st Maryland Cavalry, known later in the war as “The Fighting Parson,” because he escaped the night before the column did.

This is the force that broke out of the encirclement of Harper’s Ferry and rode over fifty miles through enemy forces at night to join the Army of the Potomac with no losses save stragglers.

Note: It’s interesting to read an enlisted soldier’s thoughts on how McClellan is conducting his campaign. And after the rains came later in the month, we have the battle of Gaines’ Mill. Good prediction, Charlie.

June 14th 1862
Dear Father,

As you will see by the heading of this letter we have again changed camp, and now occupy a most beautiful location on the Richmond side of the Chickahominy, that most famous natural defense to the capitol of the would be Southern Confederacy, which General Magruder said would be the grave of McClellan’s army, but Little Mac is slowly but surely digging into Richmond. The secesh make but little noise now-a-days, indeed they are too quiet to suit me for it seems to be the quiet of conscious strength, and I expect if the rains happen to raise the Chickahominy again, we shall “Fair Oaks second edition.” I don’t think, however, there is any danger for “Mac” is making breastworks and intrenchments (sic) all along the lines on this side and will most likely advance when the works are completed, so “wait a little longer.”

The health of the troops is not as good as I should wish, but it will improve with the change of location, I suppose. I hope so, anyway.

I am going to send some money home to you and I want you to keep it for me untill (sic) I come home, or if you don’t like to leave it lying idle you can invest it in something that is convertible, and keep it that way. I shan’t (sic) send enough to buy out the county, but think I may send two or three hundred dollars, about seventy is in the old kind of treasury notes. I believe there is a premium on them, I will put them all in this if it will hold them.

I have cut my fingers about half off opening a box of sardines, so I can’t write much it hurts so, but must mention that I saw Ammi Hull a couple of days ago, he is just the same fellow he was five years ago, not a bit bigger.

You must remember me to all the relations for I probably shant (sic) write again untill (sic) my finger gets well so goodbye and give my love to all.
I am
Your affectionate son
Charles E. Bates

P.S. I enclose sixty dollars in this. You must direct it to Camp Lincoln next.

In honor of the anniversary of the battle of Antietam this weekend, the majority of this week’s posts will be devoted to a Union accomplishment that was greatly overshadowed by the battle — the escape of the Union cavalry from the siege of Harper’s Ferry. Tomorrow’s post will be a Bates letter as I put the finishing touches on a couple of entries, and the coverage will start Wednesday or Thursday. I plan to post entries on setting the stage, principal cavalry leaders, and the escape itself. Stay tuned. I’m considering posting the events themselves on the anniversary of the days they actually happened, but haven’t quite made up my mind about that yet.

Will Gorenfeld was kind enough yesterday to tip me off to the existence of his blog “First Dragoons.” As one would expect, it focuses on the First Regiment of Dragoons, later the First US Cavalry Regiment. Although not specific to the Civil War period, there are some very interesting posts on the site. I’ve added a link under the blog section.