Welcome to Regular Cavalry in the Civil War, the blog that was formerly known as Crossed Sabers on Blogger.  I made the decision to jump to WordPress because as an information compilation blog, it is much easier to organize, search and access information on this site.  The name change was necessary because my former title is a Star Wars site on WordPress.  I believe a fresh start will be helpful from a posting standpoint as well, as posting became very infrequent during the effort to finish the 6th US Cavalry manuscript.  My new project on the Reserve Brigade should lead to more, not fewer posts.  My goal is at least two per week.

The site is currently under construction, as I organize info and figure out the workings of the site.  What does the picture have to do with Regular Cavalry in the Civil War?  Absolutely nothing, I’m working on it.

I found proceedings from a third court martial from the regulars in 1864, and found it even more interesting than the first two. Regrettably, I didn’t find this one in time for the book. Our manuscript is already in the editing process, so we won’t be able to add this to our history of the 6th U.S. Cavalry. It just goes to prove that there’s always another piece of information out there.

I have the relevant portions of the order for this case, but omitted the data for the other four courts martial included in the order. All four were volunteers tried for desertion, and all four were sentenced to be shot dead by musketry.

“Orders No. 67. War Department
Adjutant General’s Office
Washington, February 22, 1864.

III. Before a General Court Martial, which convened at the Headquarters, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, September 30, 1863, pursuant to Special Orders, No. 169, dated September 29, 1863, Headquarters, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac, and of which Colonel GEORGE A.H. BLAKE, 1st United States Cavalry, is President, was arraigned and tried —

Private Edward Brandingham, Company “G,” 6th U.S. Cavalry

Charge I. – “Murder.”

Specification – “In this; that he, the said Private Edward Brandingham, Company ‘G,’ 6th U.S. Cavalry, did strike and stab with a knife Sergeant Frank Schurzzers, Company ‘K’, 6th U.S. Cavalry, thereby causing the death of the said Sergeant Schurzzers. This at Headquarters, Cavalry Corps, near Culpeper, Va., on the evening of September 29, 1863.”

Charge II. – “Drawing and lifting up a weapon, and offering violence against his superior officer, being in the execution of his office.”

Specification — “In this; that he, the said Private Edward Brandingham, Company ‘G,’ 6th U.S. Cavalry, did draw and lift up a knife against his superior officer, Sergeant Frank Schurzzers, Company ‘K’, 6th U.S. Cavalry, while in the execution of his office, and did therewith offer violence against the said Sergeant Schurzzers while in the execution of his office, and did with the said knife strike and stab the said Schurzzers while in the execution of his office, thereby causing the death of the said Sergeant Schurzzers. This at Headquarters, Cavalry Corps, near Culpeper Court-house, Va., on the evening of September 29, 1863.”

To which charge and specification the accused, Private Edward Brandingham, Company “G,” 6th U.S. Cavalry, pleaded “Not Guilty.”

Finding.

The Court, having maturely considered the evidence adduced, finds the prisoner, Private Edward Brandingham, Company “G,” 6th U.S. Cavalry, as follows:

Charge I.

Of the Specification, “Guilty.”
Of the Charge, “Guilty.”

Charge II.

Of the Specification, “Guilty.”
Of the Charge, “Guilty.”

Sentence.

And the Court does therefore sentence him, Private Edward Brandingham, Company “G,” 6th U.S. Cavalry, “To be hung by the neck until he is dead, at such time and place as the Commanding general may direct: two-thirds of the members of the Court concurring therein.”

So who were these fellows, and what was going on in Culpeper?

The victim, Sergeant Frank “Schurzzers,” was actually Sergeant Frank Schweigus, a farmer from Germany who enlisted in Co. K, 6th U.S. Cavalry in Rochester, New York on August 15, 1861. Regimental returns list him as mortally wounded at Culpeper, Va., on September 29, 1863.

Edward Brantingham was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1839. He worked there as a laborer, and was 22 years old when he was enlisted into Company K, 6th U.S. Cavalry there by Lt. James F. Wade on July 21, 1861. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’5” tall, with blue eyes, light hair and a ruddy complexion.

The 6th U.S. Cavalry was not a part of the Reserve Brigade, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac at the time of the incident. As a result of heavy losses during the Gettysburg campaign and subsequent pursuit, they were assigned to duty at cavalry Corps Headquarters in late July 1863.

I have found no other mention of this incident anywhere, so we don’t know what actually happened. Sgt. Schweigus died that day, and Pvt. Brantingham was accused of killing him. The evidence wasn’t totally compelling, as only two-thirds of the court’s members concurred with the sentence. Two-thirds was the minimum necessary, but one of the other four courts-martial was unanimous in the sentencing.

So what happened?

Pvt. Brantingham was in confinement at the regimental camp on the equivalent of death row from the date court martial on September 30th to the date the order was published on February 22, 1864. To say that it was a miserable winter would probably understate the situation. The apropos portions of the order continue below.

“VI. The proceedings of the Court in the case of Private Edward Brandingham, Company “G,” 6th U.S. Cavalry, have been submitted to the President of the United States for his action thereon. The findings of the Court upon the first charge are disapproved by the Major General commanding. The sentence awarded the accused is disapproved by the President. The prisoner will be released from confinement and returned to duty.”

Come again? Returned to duty?

The rest of the story is that none of the five were executed. The commanding generals in each case (our old friend Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton in the case of Pvt. Brantingham) recommended clemency, and President Lincoln’s policies concerning capital punishment for soldiers has been discussed elsewhere. Of the five accused, one was discharged, two were sentenced to confinement at hard labor on Dry Tortugas, Florida during the war, and Brantingham and one other were returned to duty.

Regardless of one’s views concerning capital punishment, the return to duty is mystifying. Also mystifying is that I’ve not been able to find a mention of it in letters home from several collections of letters from officers of the regiment during this period. Apparently the evidence against Brantingham simply wasn’t compelling enough to convince the general and the President of his guilt.

Edward Brantingham continued to serve in Co. G, 6th U.S. Cavalry until his discharge at the expiration of his period of service at the regiment’s camp on January 25, 1865 as a private. He returned to Columbus, where he worked as a stableman and teamster and lived the rest of his life. His wife Martha submitted a claim for his pension on October 26, 1889.

The manuscript is at long last at the publisher for editing, hopefully with the last of the permissions to accompany it in the next few days so that editing can continue. Including them was another of the many lessons learned the first time through the publishing process. But that’s about handled, and I can finally turn my attention back to blogging for a while. So what’s coming up? A few troopers of note from the 5th US Cavalry, including the color bearer from their ill-fated charge at Gaines Mill, and a couple of general court martial case studies of military justice for enlisted troopers during the war. Also, May will be the month that I make up my long neglect of the 3rd US Cavalry, formerly Regiment of Mounted Riflemen, with a series of posts on the officers of the regiment during the war. Stay tuned.

Jeremiah C. Denney was born in Mallow, Ireland about 1834, and emigrated to the United States at an early age. He enlisted in Company D, 2nd U.S. Cavalry on March 15, 1855, as the newly-created regiment initially filled its ranks. A 22 year old currier, he was enlisted by Lieutenant Buford in Louisville, Kentucky for a term of 5 years. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’ 5” tall, with fair hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. He was promoted to corporal in November of the same year before transferring to the regimental band. Denney was appointed Chief Bugler of the regiment on August 1, 1858.

Chief Bugler Denney was reenlisted at Camp Cooper, Texas on January 15, 1860 by Lieutenant Richard S. Lord. Four months later, he was appointed the regimental sergeant major, and served in that capacity during the regiment’s exodus from Texas when that state seceded the following year.

During the summer and fall of 1861, he participated in General Patterson’s Shenandoah campaign, seeing action at Falling Waters, Martinsburg and Bunker Hill. He served with the regiment training in the defenses of Washington, D.C. during the winter of 1861.

In March of 1862, he and his regiment moved to the peninsula with the rest of the Army of the Potomac. He was engaged in the nearly daily skirmishes during the army’s advance toward Richmond following the battle of Williamsburg in early May.
He was so badly wounded during the regiment’s fatal charge at Gaines’ Mill in July that he was transferred to the general service and assigned duties as a clerk in the War Department. Upon recovery from his wounds, however, he returned to the regiment. He was appointed a second lieutenant in the 5th Cavalry to date from July 17, 1862, and promoted to first lieutenant to date from the same day. These promotions took time to be approved and forwarded to the regiment, however.

He physically returned to the regiment itself, as opposed to its rolls, in September 1862, in time for the Rappahannock and Maryland campaigns. Following the battle of Antietam, he saw action at Halltown, Upperville, Markham’s Station, Barbee’s Crossroads and Amissville. Lieutenant Denney was assigned as a 2nd Lieutenant in Company H until October 16, 1862, when he was assigned to Company B at the same rank until February 19, 1863.

Assignments didn’t always match duties, however. Lieutenant Denney served as company commander for Company B and acting regimental quartermaster during the winter of 1862 near Falmouth, Virginia. He left on a sick leave of absence from April until June, returning before the battle of Brandy Station. He fought with his regiment throughout the Gettysburg campaign and subsequent pursuit, including the second battle at Brandy Station on August 1st.

Once his promotion orders were received by the regiment, he returned to Company H as a 1st lieutenant, and served there until August 31st. He was then transferred to Company G, where he was assigned for the remainder of the war.

In September he led a detachment from the regiment to Point Lookout, Maryland, where he served until July 1864, when he and the detachment returned to the regiment in time for the battle of Deep Bottom.

First Lieutenant Denney commanded the entire regiment, minus the three companies serving as escort to General Grant, during numerous engagements with the Reserve Brigade in the Shenandoah Valley from July 28 to August 31, 1864. He also earned a brevet of captain at the battle of Cedar Creek for gallant and meritorious service on October 19, 1864.

Lieutenant Denney served near Winchester during the winter of 1864, and participated in Sheridan’s expedition to rejoin the Army of the Potomac in the spring of 1865, as well as the pursuit from Petersburg toward Appomattox. He was captured in the battle of Five Forks on March 30, 1865, and reported himself as a paroled prisoner of war on April 3rd.

He rejoined the regiment on May 1st, and remained in command until June 25th. He marched with the regiment to Cumberland, Maryland in June, where it remained until January 1866. On July 28, 1866, he was promoted to captain and assigned command of Company A. Captain Denney joined his new company on reconstruction duty in North Carolina in August. He served in Raleigh, Kingston, Asheville and Morganton until September 1868, when the regiment was transferred to Kansas.

After action in three different engagements in October, Denney fell seriously ill. He was in hospital at Fort Wallace, Kansas from November 1, 1868 to February 3, 1869. During the fall, he was recommended by Generals Merritt and Emory for a brevet of major gallant and meritorious service during the Gettysburg campaign, but it was never approved. At some point during this winter, his wife died, and her loss hit Denney particularly hard. He rejoined his company at Fort Lyon, Colorado and marched with it to Fort McPherson, Nebraska, fighting skirmishes at Beaver Creek and Spring Creek along the march.

Against the judgment of his superiors, he accompanied the Republican River expedition of 1869. Although somewhat impaired mentally from the loss of his wife, it was hoped that active field service would restore his health. This unfortunately proved not to be the case, and he was relieved from command of his company and escorted back to Fort McPherson.

Captain Jeremiah Denney died at Fort McPherson, Nebraska on June 12, 1869, and is buried in Fort McPherson National Cemetery, in present day Maxwell, Nebraska. His pension was claimed by his minor dependent and presumed stepson, John Bolin, on June 6, 1873, according to pension records.

A contemporary described Denney as “a man of generous impulses, faithful to his friendships, and esteemed by those who knew him as a gallant officer and courteous gentleman.”

Sources:
Price, George F. Across the Continent with the Fifth Cavalry. Pgs 409-411.
Heitman, pg 367
Henry, Volume I, pg 146
Regimental Muster Rolls
U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914, as accessed on Ancestry.com

Perhaps it’s due to the infrequency of my posts of late, but I have recently become besieged by spam comments to several of my posts. Given that this isn’t a widely read blog in the first place, these numbers are getting more and more rampant. Several posts are now receiving more than 30 such comments each per day. The post on Edwin S. Fitzhenry is currently leading, closely followed by Back in the Saddle and the Civil War Cavalry Forum, for those keeping score at home.

I selected comment moderation quite some time ago to keep the comments off the blog, but this currently means that my email inbox is flooding with all of these specious comments. Does anyone out there have any ideas that might help? It’s getting to the point where I don’t log onto the blog daily because I don’t want to deal with the comments.

Found out last night that my mother passed unexpectedly, and am on the way home to rural northern California to sort things out. There will be no new posts here for at least a week.

Chickamauga expert Dave Powell has entered the blogosphere with this site dedicated to chronicling one of the most significant battles of the Western theater of the war. His blog can be found in the blog listings at the left as well as right here. Welcome to the blogosphere, Dave, I’m really looking forward to reading more!

I would be less than objective in reporting on the Regulars if I didn’t include the bad information along with the good. Everyone, of course, didn’t admire the Regulars or hold a high opinion of them.

Following the Gettysburg campaign, in October 1863, the 1st New York Dragoons was added to the Reserve Brigade. In their regimental history, published in 1900, I found some less than approbatory commentary about some of the the regular regiments of the brigade at the battle of Bristoe Station on October 17, 1863.

“The cowardly regulars, instead of supporting us in the charge, fell back as soon as the firing began, leaving the (New York) dragoons to contend all alone with three times their number, while those miserable paltroons went into camp without firing a shot. From what we have seen of the regulars they are a foul-mouthed set of blackguards, and our boys are disgusted at being brigaded with such trash.” (Bowen, Regimental History of the First New York Dragoons, pg 102)

Then-bugler Bowen was rather unimpressed, to put it mildly. In order to present this objectively, however, a few other things should be considered. This was the 1st NY Dragoons’ first fight, as they had left camp to join the brigade only 4 days before. I don’t recall any such commentary from the historians of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and they fought with the regulars for the majority of the war. This was the perception of a bugler, and while undoubtedly what he saw, make not be what actually transpired. I’ll go back and check the OR, but I don’t recall any censure on the regulars from this fight. During which, incidentally, the brigade commander, Alfred Gibbs, was also the commanding officer of the 1st New York.

As to the identity of the regiments involved, it was likely the 1st and 5th US Cavalry. The history of the 6th US doesn’t mention it, and I beleieve they were assigned to Cavalry Corps Headquarters at this time. The fight isn’t mentioned in the histories of the 2nd US. I don’t have a contemporary history of the 1st US Cavalry, but here’s the very little mentioned in Price’s Across the Continent With the Fifth U.S. Cavalry: “The regiment then rejoined the army at Centreville, and, under the command of Captain Arnold, participated in the engagement at Bristoe Station (where Captain Ash made a daring individual reconnaissance within the enemy’s lines), Kettle Run, and in the Mine Run operations,…” (pg 119)

This might make the first sentence of this post disingenuous, but I think the observation and its context are both important. I’ll check the OR and post more if there’s relevant information, since I’m sure the brigade commander will have an opinion on how his brigade performed in the action.The reader can make his or her own decision.

Crossed Sabers has been fortunate enough to be included on the most recent Military History Carnival for a recent post on the sergeants major of the 6th US Cavalry. The post can be found under the general category (all things being equal, at a normal carnival the blog would probably be next to the bearded lady…). Thank you again to the folks at the MHC for including the post. The link to this version of the Military History carnival is here.

Just a quick note to wish all of my readers a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year. 2008 was a tumultuous year for many, though many good things happened as well. Here’s hoping for a better 2009 for everyone.