Tag Archives: 2nd U.S. Cavalry

Fiddler’s Green: Michael Lawless

15 Friday Oct 2021

Posted by in 2nd Dragoons/ 2nd Cavalry, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, battle of Brandy Station, battle of Trevillian Station

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Michael Lawless was born in Waterford, Ireland about 1826. He appears to have emigrated from Galway in 1849 on the brig Clarence with his older sister “Biddy” (Bridget?). He listed his occupation as farmer on the passenger list. They arrived in New York on February 10, 1849, and moved to Boston shortly thereafter.

On December 4, 1849, Michael was enlisted into Company I, 1st Dragoons by Lieutenant Charles Jordan. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’7″ tall, with black hair, hazel eyes and a dark complexion. Lawless was working as a laborer at the time of his enlistment. He left the Army at the end of his enlistment on December 4, 1854 as a private at Fort Thorn, NM.

He soon rejoined the Army, enlisting in Company H of the 2nd Dragoons in St Louis, MO on March 13, 1855. This is roughly the amount of time it would have taken him to travel east on the Santa Fe Trail as a civilian from Fort Thorn. Lawless was more successful this enlistment, with promotions to corporal and sergeant. He re-enlisted into the same company on January 13, 1860 at Camp Floyd, Utah Territory. His company commander was Captain Alfred Pleasonton.

Sergeant Lawless accompanied his regiment on its march east at the outbreak of the Civil War, reaching Cantonment Holt in Washington, D.C. by the end of 1861. He served ably in the company during the campaign on the peninsula, rising to the rank of first sergeant by the summer of 1862. On July 19, 1862, he, the regimental sergeant major and several other first sergeants were recommended for commissions by regimental commander Major Alfred Pleasonton through the provost marshal of the Army of the Potomac.

Lawless was promoted to second lieutenant in the same company on July 17, 1862. Interestingly, this was two days before the date of Pleasonton’s recommendation. Due to the pace of operations within the army that summer, he didn’t learn of his promotion until September, just after the battle of Antietam. He accepted his commission on September 23, 1862 at the regiment’s camp near Sharpsburg, MD. There must have been quite a party in the camp that evening, as the sergeant major, quartermaster sergeant and three first sergeants were all notified of their appointments the same day.

Lieutenant Lawless served with Company H through the remainder of the 1862 campaigns, as well as Stoneman’s Raid. He fought well at Brandy Station, where he was one of the few officers of the 2nd Cavalry not killed or wounded. Indeed, he was the only one of the five officers he was commissioned with not to be wounded in the battle. He was promoted to first lieutenant in Company A after the battle, with a date of rank of June 9, 1863. He fought with this company for the rest of the year, frequently commanding it in the absence of its assigned captain.

First Lieutenant Lawless opened the 1864 campaign once again commanding Company A. He led it during the fighting at Todd’s Tavern, Sheridan’s “first raid,” and Old Church. in command of the company. The regimental commander cited him as “distinguished for his personal intrepidity in action and other good qualities as a soldier” during the fighting.

On June 11, 1864, during the opening phase of the battle of Trevillian Station, Lieutenant Lawless was killed while leading his company. In his report on the battle, Brigadier General Wesley Merritt said of him, “he was a fearless, honest, and eminently trustworthy soldier, ‘God’s truth’ being the standard by which he measured all of his actions.”

Originally buried on the battlefield, Lawless was later moved to Culpeper National Cemetery. He appears not to have had a next of kin, as I found no record of a pension claim.

Fiddler’s Green: Manning Marius Kimmel

15 Tuesday Dec 2020

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Fiddler’s Green: Manning Marius Kimmel

In an odd turn of events, I discovered a regular cavalry connection linking First Bull Run and Pearl Harbor.

Manning Marius Kimmel was born near Apple Creek, Perry County, Missouri on October 25, 1832. His mother, Caroline Monica Manning, died as a result of his birth. His father, Joseph Singleton Husband Kimmel, was a successful merchant and member of the St Louis city council between 1840 and 1850. He had an older sister, Julia, and three younger siblings after his father remarried.

Kimmel attend Princeton University until he was dismissed during his junior year. He then secured an appointment to West Point in July 1853. He graduated in the middle of his class, 22 of 38, on July 1, 1857, a classmate of Marcus Reno. He was initially appointed a brevet second lieutenant of cavalry, as there were no vacancies in the two cavalry regiments at the time he graduated. Kimmel attended the Cavalry School for Practice at Carlisle, PA while awaiting his appointment as an officer. On August 18, 1858, he received his appointment as a second lieutenant in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry and was assigned to Company G.

Lieutenant Kimmel proceeded at once to his regiment in Texas, joining his company at Camp Radziminski under Captain William Bradfute. In a unique series of events, he assumed command of Company G on February 10, 1859. Captain Bradfute shot and killed one of the privates in Company K after a disagreement involving the private punching the captain in the face. Although found not guilty after a military investigation, Captain Bradfute was subsequently involved in civil court proceedings over the death which lasted until early 1861 when he resigned to join the Confederacy. Since the company’s first lieutenant was away on recruiting duty, command of the company fell to Second Lieutenant Kimmel. He would command the company for the remainder of his time in the regiment.

Soon after assuming command, Kimmel and Company G joined five other companies of the 5th U.S. Cavalry under Captain Earl Van Dorn for a spring campaign against the Comanche. On May 13, 1859, the regiment engaged a force under Buffalo Hump in what became known as the battle of Crooked Creek. Lieutenant Kimmel and his company served as skirmishers in the fight. Lieutenant Fitzhugh Lee was a friend of Kimmel’s. Although serving as adjutant for the campaign, he joined Kimmel’s company for the fight. It was nearly his last, as he took a nearly fatal arrow wound in the chest. Kimmel had a bullet pass through his hat, but was otherwise unscathed in his first enemy action. After the campaign, the company shifted to Fort Inge for the remainder of the year.

In 1860 they were ordered to Brownsville as a result of the hostilities there between Texans and marauders under Juan N. Cortina. Company G and Captain George Stoneman’s Company E joined Texas Rangers under Rip Ford for a brief incursion into Mexico near Reynosa in April. The remainder of Kimmel’s stay in Texas was relatively uneventful. He participated in the regiment’s withdrawal through Indianola according to the terms of General Twiggs’ surrender, and after landing in New York City accompanied the regiment to the cavalry depot at Carlisle, PA. Kimmel disembarked to learn that he was promoted to first lieutenant, but stayed with Company G. Many of his comrades, including his friend Fitzhugh Lee, resigned their commissions and rode south to join the Confederacy.

After a few short weeks of training with new horses and equipment, the regiment returned to the field. While most of the regiment moved south under Major George Thomas to near Harpers Ferry, Kimmel’s Company G was ordered to the defenses of Washington. He served there until July, when his company was assigned to a composite battalion of regular cavalry under Major Innis Palmer. The battalion was subsequently assigned to Tyler’s division, where they served in the battle of Bull Run on July 21st. It played no major part in the battle until the end. While they spent much of the day supporting artillery batteries, they formed the backbone of the rear guard during the army’s headlong retreat from the battlefield.

Evidently the battle evoked a realization that he couldn’t fight against the Confederacy. After seeing his company settled into position picketing to the west of the city, Kimmel took leave of them. The decision was apparently made due to conversations with one of his fellow company commanders from the battle, Captain Francis K. Armstrong of Company K, 2nd U.S. Dragoons. The two travelled to Louisville together, where both resigned their commissions at the Galt House. Armstrong resigned on the 13th and Kimmel on the 14th. Both went to work on the staff of Brigadier General Ben McCulloch as majors.

Kimmel never again led troops in battle, remaining a staff officer. He served as an adjutant general on McCulloch’s staff until he was killed at the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas on March 7, 1862. He was then reunited with Earl Van Dorn, now a Confederate major general. He worked as an assistant adjutant general for Van Dorn, and accidentally admitted the man who shot him on May 7, 1863. After a brief stint as the Confederate Adjutant General of Missouri, he finished the war on the staff of Major General John B. Magruder.

Fearing reprisal for his Confederate service, Kimmel fled to Mexico City from Houston when the war ended. He worked as an engineer for the City of Mexico and Vera Cruz Railroad for about a year, returning to Cape Girardeau, Missouri in late 1866.

In 1868 Kimmel married Sibbella Lambert. Their marriage lasted 48 years and produced seven children. Three of his sons joined the Navy. Not long after their marriage they moved to Kentucky. Manning worked as the superintendent of the St. Bernard Coal Company in St. Charles, KY from 1872-1885. In 1885 he settled in Henderson, KY where he worked as a coal dealer and real estate agent. He also served on the school board and city council.

Manning Kimmel died of a cerebral hemorrhage at his home on February 27, 1916. He was 83 years old. He is buried with his wife in Fernwood Cemetery, Henderson, Kentucky.

His son Husband, serving in the Navy at sea at the time of his father’s death, went on to be the admiral of the Pacific Fleet on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. 

Court Martial Insights

21 Tuesday Apr 2020

Posted by in 1864, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, Civil War, courts martial, references, research, Reserve Brigade, Uncategorized

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Court martialI first realized the possible value of court martial records when I read Dr. Mark W. Johnson’s excellent book, That Body of Brave Men. Intrigued by what he had to say about the value of the records, I did a bit of investigating.

As I perused the War Department’s General Orders for 1863 and 1864, it struck me that relatively few cavalrymen were court martialed, and even fewer regular cavalrymen. I was able to make copies of a few records on a couple of visits to the National Archives, and friend Bob O’Neill was kind enough to copy another dozen or more. Much to my delight, there is a wealth of information in these files. Nothing book worthy in and of itself, but countless smaller details that bring the larger history to life.

As a case study, let’s take a look at the court martial of Second Lieutenant Peter Rinner of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry in January 1864. Rinner was a veteran whose enlisted service started in the Mexican War, and a first sergeant in the regiment when he was commissioned the year before. I will save the other details of his service for a future post. The charge was drunk on guard. The specification was “while on Provost Guard with his squadron did become so drunk as to be unable to perform his duty as an officer. This at or near the town of Culpeper, Va. On or about the 24th day of December 1863.”

To set the stage a bit, during the winter encampment of 1863-1864 the regular cavalry regiments and possibly others rotated on provost guard duty in the town of Culpeper, Virginia. Without going into the details of the testimony, here is a sampling some of the information I discovered from just this one record.

  • A squadron strong, the guard rotated shifts daily. The squadron was responsible for guard posts in town and pickets in vicinity of the town.
  • The headquarters for the squadron on provost guard was a room in the Virginia Hotel. The officers on guard, typically a captain and two lieutenants, slept together in this room.
  • It was not customary for there to be a formal mounting of the guard when the relief happened within the regiment. Guard posts included the hotel, the Orange & Alexandria railroad depot, and “the church.” This was probably St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, built in 1821. Specific identification of guards’ names, ranks and companies validated unit roster.
  • Battery G, 2nd U.S. Artillery was located in Culpeper, and its commander, Lt. William N. Dennison, also had a room at the Virginia Hotel. One of the units of the Horse Artillery Brigade, relations between the officers of the battery and the 2nd U.S. Cavalry were cordial enough that there was a party in Dennison’s room on December 23rd which seven officers attended.
  • It was permissible for an officer of the guard to visit a party, drink and play cards as long as his duties were fulfilled and he did not become incapacitated. In this case his squadron commander was present at the time and it was not considered an offense.
  • Company morning report books were required to be signed by commanders every morning, even when the officer was on guard.
  • The regimental adjutant placed officers in arrest, not the company or squadron commander.
  • Division headquarters appointed general courts martial. Brigade headquarters selected the board members selected from the regiments of the accused’s brigade. Both volunteer and regular officers could sit on the court martial of a regular officer. Court martial duty superseded all other duties, including unit movements. The proceedings of the previous day were read to the accused and the court first thing in the morning after the court convened.
  • The 1st New York Dragoons had already joined the Reserve Brigade before the Christmas of 1863.
  • Justice was swift. The court reached its verdict on January 11th. Only two days later, the proceedings were approved by the division commander and sent to Major General Sedgwick, in temporary command of the Army of the Potomac.
  • The Army of the Potomac was cracking down on professionalism during the winter encampment. By February 18th, army headquarters had already published four general court martial orders since January 1st. Each order encompassed the results of multiple courts. This fourth order included four courts ruling on ten officers for various forms of misconduct. All ten were cashiered.

Not every court martial record contains valuable information, but this is definitely a largely underutilized source of primary source material. Another tool available to bring pieces of history to light.

Source: NARA, Record Group 153: Office of the Judge Advocate General. Folder LL1362: Court-Martial of Second Lieutenant Peter Rinner, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, January 1864.

Private John Sirrine, 2nd U.S. Cavalry

06 Saturday Jan 2018

Posted by in 2nd Dragoons/ 2nd Cavalry, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, Battle of Winchester, cavalry, Civil War, photos, Uncategorized, volunteers

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John Surine 2nd US Cavalry and 17th NYVI fom Michigan

Photo used with permission of Dale Niesen.

This is the second attempt to post this article to the blog, hopefully I will have better luck this time. I am deeply indebted to Dale Niesen for allowing me to use the image of John Sirrine from his private collection, and to Bob O’Neill for retrieving his pension record from the National Archives to add detail to the post.

John Sirrine was born in Williamsfield, Ashtabula county, Ohio on May 27, 1841. His family was Methodist, and his father a Sunday school superintendent for his church. John noted in his pension record a certificate he received at age seven for learning 73 verses of scripture. During his childhood, his family moved to Paw Paw, Van Buren county, Michigan, just west of Kalamazoo. His father died when he was 10. In his own words,

“My father went to Paw Paw Michigan in the year 1851 and purchased a nice tract of land, but two days later was called from this world to that better one, and where he had laid up greater treasures. Not having paid in full for the land in Michigan, my Mother lost nearly everything. My Mother having several children, I went to live with a neighbor farmer until I should be twenty one.”

At the outbreak of the Civil War John and many of his neighbors tried to enlist as volunteers in the Union Army. The local militia company, known as the La Fayette Light Guard, had formed in Van Buren county in 1859, and its ranks soon swelled with volunteers. The problem was that Michigan had already provided her share of the volunteers requested by President Lincoln. Not to be deterred, the company’s officers persisted in their efforts and the company became Company C, 70th New York Volunteer Infantry. John enlisted in the company on April 25, 1861, five days after his cousin Arthur.

The company departed for New York City on June 13, 1861, and mustered into federal service on June 30th. It remained on Staten Island until boarding a train for Washington July 23rd, arriving the next day. The regiment encamped on Meridian Heights through the winter, and embarked on ships for the peninsula with the rest of McClellan’s army in April 1862. It lost several men to typhoid fever during the winter, and John was nearly one of them. He was so sick that his brother travelled to Washington to care for him while he was in the hospital. He was offered his discharge, but refused it and was back on his feet in time for the spring campaign.

The company was heavily blooded during the spring and summer’s fighting. One hundred twelve men enrolled in the company, including the officers. In its first battle at Williamsburg on May 5, 1862, it lost 8 men killed and 23 wounded and missing. One soldier drowned at Harrison’s Landing, and a few weeks later at Fair Oaks it lost two more men killed and three who would later be discharged due to their wounds. Several more were wounded at Second Bull Run in August and Antietam in September. The company’s losses weighed so heavily on its commander, Captain James M. Longwell, that he resigned on November 21st and returned to Paw Paw.

When the order was published in October that volunteers could join regular army units for the remainder of their enlistments, it is unsurprising that John, his cousin Art, and six others volunteered for what they expected to be easier duty in the regular cavalry. All eight were enlisted into the regiment by Captain Samuel Starr in Alexandria, Virginia on October 28, 1862. John’s enlistment documents describe him as 5’ 5” tall, with light hair, blue eyes and a light complexion. He listed his occupation as a farmer. John and two others, Henry Crandall and Samuel Garver, were assigned to Captain Starr’s Company D. Arthur and the others were assigned to Company B.

All eight survived the heavy fighting of 1863, including the grueling Gettysburg campaign. John thought so much of service with the cavalry that he re-enlisted at Leonardstown, Maryland on March 25, 1864. The Michigan men all survived the intense fighting of the Overland campaign during the summer of 1864 more or less intact. Unfortunately, they did not fare as well in the Shenandoah Valley.

John was shot in the right shoulder during the fighting at Winchester on September 19, 1864, and nearly lost his arm. The ball entered two inches below his right clavicle and exited through the deltoid muscle, fracturing the humerus and injuring the nerves controlling the forearm and hand. As he describes the event in his pension records:

“After wounded was next day taken to a church in Winchester, where after examination by a surgeon, was labeled (sic) “Operation.” I saw other surgeons taking men out of back door marked same way, and I investigated what took place in back yard. … I quarreled with the two surgeons who came to take me to the operating table the next day. They said, ‘Then lie there and die if you would rather do that than have that arm amputated.’”

Three days later John was evacuated to McClellan Hospital in Germantown, PA. He was forwarded with the remainder of the regular cavalry wounded to Carlisle Barracks about a month later. He was discharged for disability at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania on December, a week after the other seven were discharged by order of the Adjutant General’s Office since their volunteer enlistments had expired.

John returned to Paw Paw after his discharge. He filed his pension claim in January 1866. By 1870 he was working as a painter and married to his wife Rosetta, a woman seven years younger from New York. She died childless before the next census, and John never remarried. In 1880 he was working in a furniture store in Paw Paw and living in a boarding house. His mother died there in 1887.

John entered the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 21, 1896. At the time he was receiving $8 per month from a disability pension. He was discharged at his own request February 3, 1899 and moved to nearby River Falls. In 1908, his pension was increased by Congress to $30 per month. His cousin Art had passed away the year before at the Michigan Soldiers Home. By 1912 John had returned to live in Paw Paw.

John continued to lobby the government for higher disability payments, without much success. Local doctors would examine him and recommend a higher rate, only to be denied by the Bureau’s surgeons when they examined his records. In one letter he noted bitterly:

“The trouble seems to be with some of us that we enlisted too early in the war, served too long, kept out of hospital too much, didn’t give ourselves up to be prisoners of war, didn’t drink enough “Plantation Bitters” and haven’t drank enough “Personal” or the stuff that made Milwaukee famous since.”

By 1920 John had moved to California. His brother and sister had both died in Paw Paw the year before, so there were few remaining ties to keep him in Michigan. His half-brother, B.W. Bonfoey, lived in Los Angeles. In the 1920 census he was living at 926 Wall Street in Los Angeles, with no occupation listed.

John Sirrine died chronic myocarditis and arterio sclerosis on March 5, 1923 in Los Angeles, California. He is buried in Los Angeles National Cemetery, plot 44 16.

The Civil War service of the other seven members of his company:

Abrams, James E. Resident of Paw Paw, MI. Enlisted Company C, 70th New York Infantry May 14, 1861, at Paw Paw, Michigan as a private. Transferred to Company B, 2nd U.S. Cavalry October 28, 1862 by Captain Samuel Starr in Alexandria, VA. Discharged at the expiration of his term of service on October 28, 1864 as a private. Born Clarendon county, New York. Farmer.

Crandall, Henry. Resident of Keeler, MI. Enlisted Company C, 70th New York Infantry May 14, 1861, at Paw Paw, MI as a private. Transferred to Company D, 2nd U.S. Cavalry October 28, 1862 by Captain Samuel Starr in Alexandria, VA. Discharged by order of the Adjutant General’s Office at Camp Russell, Virginia on December 6, 1864 as a private. Born Hillsdale county, MI. Farmer.

Garver, Samuel. Resident of Lawton, MI. Enlisted Company C, 70th New York Infantry April 27, 1861, at Paw Paw, MI as a private. Wounded in action at Williamsburg, VA on May 5, 1862. Transferred to Company D, 2nd U.S. Cavalry October 28, 1862 by Captain Samuel Starr in Alexandria, VA. Discharged by order of the Adjutant General’s Office at Camp Russell, Virginia on December 6, 1864as a private. Born Seneca county, Ohio. Farmer.

Reese, Henry. Resident of Porter, MI. Enlisted Company C, 70th New York Infantry April 30, 1861, at Paw Paw, MI as a private. Transferred to Company B, 2nd U.S. Cavalry October 28, 1862 by Captain Samuel Starr in Alexandria, VA. Discharged by order of the Adjutant General’s Office at Camp Russell, VA on December 7, 1864 as a private. Born Kalamazoo, MI. Farmer.

Robinson, Lyman. Resident of Paw Paw, MI. Enlisted Company C, 70th New York Infantry April 22, 1861, at Paw Paw, MI as a private. Transferred to Company B, 2nd U.S. Cavalry October 28, 1862 by Captain Samuel Starr in Alexandria, VA. Discharged by order of the Adjutant General’s Office at Camp Russell, VA on December 6, 1864 as a private. Born Van Buren county, MI. Cooper.

Ryan, Michael. Resident of Lawrence, MI. Enlisted Company C, 70th New York Infantry May 22, 1861, at Paw Paw, MI as a sergeant. Transferred to Company B, 2nd U.S. Cavalry October 28, 1862 by Captain Samuel Starr in Alexandria, VA. Discharged by order of the Adjutant General’s Office on December 6, 1864 as a private. Re-entered service in Company B, 10th Michigan Cavalry, discharged November 7, 1865. Born in Ireland. Wagon maker.

Sirrine, Art. Resident of Paw Paw, MI. Enlisted Company C, 70th New York Infantry April 20, 1861, at Paw Paw, MI as a private. Transferred to Company B, 2nd U.S. Cavalry October 28, 1862 by Captain Samuel Starr in Alexandria, VA. Discharged by order of the Adjutant General’s Office at Camp Russell, VA on December 6, 1864 as a private. Born Trumbull county, Ohio. Farmer.

Sources:

National Archives, Record Group 94, U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914.
National Archives, Record Group 94, U.S. Returns from Regular Army Non-infantry Regiments, 1821-1916: 2nd U.S. Cavalry.
National Archives, Record Group 15, Records of the Veterans Administration, Pension record #67724.
Rowland, Captain O.W. A History of Van Buren County Michigan, Volume 1. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1912. Pages 300-307.

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company…L

01 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by in 1863, 1865, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, battle of Brandy Station, buglers, Civil War

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Yes, I know that’s not how the song goes, though music afficionados can access the original 1956 song by the Andrews Sisters here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm1wuKvrxAw

The song of course must be about a cavalry unit, but we won’t get into that.

I have an affinity for buglers. The idea of someone, frequently someone too young to manage a saber or carbine, brave or foolish enough to ride a horse around a battlefield drawing attention to himself by blowing on a horn is amazing. It is not surprising, then, that the following anecdote by Wesley Merritt from Theophilus Rodenbough’s From Everglade to Canyon with the Second Cavalry is one of my favorites. The incident took place on August 1, 1863, during the ‘second’ battle of Brandy Station.

“There had been for some time “attached” to one of the companies a little waif of an urchin scarce twelve years old, who, by his constant attendance about the company kitchen in camp, as well as his equal fondness for the “front” upon a march, had endeared himself to the rollicking blades of our common Uncle. He had managed to pick up a few bugle-calls on an old battered trumpet, and to mount himself upon an equally battered and diminutive quadruped (another waif). Where he came from or why he was there no one knew – none cared to enquire.

“But the kind-hearted sabreurs asked no questions. They wanted a pet of some kind, and “Johnnie” was adopted by the troop (M).

“On the memorable 1st of August, at Brandy Station, “Johnnie” was cavorting about on his fiery untamed – and ungroomed – mustang, for our upon the skirmish-line, his face a picture of mischief and good-humor, where smiles struggled stoutly with dirt – and won; now stopping to chat with an “enlisted” friend, now rushing to the rear with orders to bring up the Lieutenant’s spare horse to replace one just disabled, or anon dismounting to pick up a trophy in a sabre without any hilt, or to explore the recesses of an abandoned haversack.

“Unconscious of the deadly missiles which whistled by or fell around him, but feeling that he was having a good time, the little Arab suddenly came upon two Confederate soldiers who had lost their bearings, become separated from their comrades, and straggled within our lines. They had evidently just discovered this, and were quietly waiting an opportunity to slip back under cover of the timber.

“To dash upon them with a huge pistol at full-cock, and “the pony” bristling under the solitary spur of his rider, was the work of a moment with this audacious youth. “Drop them guns!” he coolly remarked, and under the influence of the surprise and the undoubted size of “Johnnie’s” revolver, the guns referred to were “dropped.” “Now git right along in front o’ me” – “Quick!” said their captor, as he saw the men hesitate. This was the smallest “Yank” they had yet seen, and – they took one more look at the pistol, and moved sullenly in the direction indicated.

“Whar you tak’n us?” at last enquired one of the twain as they came in sight of the main road. “Down there” was the laconic response, with a nod supposed to designate the division headquarters, where the little warrior triumphantly turned over his prisoners, and was greeted with cheers and shouts of laughter as he came in sight. Scarcely waiting to receive the congratulations of his comrades and the pleased smile of General Buford, the waif hurried back to his favorite spot with the skirmishers. Subsequently he was taken in hand by some of the officers of the Second, and ultimately became a bugler and an excellent soldier.”

There you have it. An amusing tale of no particular consequence, since the young lad in question is not identified. Unless someone were able to find him.

This would be a task for the truly obsessed, if not for the near-requirement by publishers that regimental histories contain rosters to improve their attraction. This requirement, discovered late in the process for my last book, which my co-author superbly assembled, has consumed far more hours than expected in preparations for my next book. Particularly over the last couple of months. Occasionally one must escape the drudgery of endless enlistment documents and look at something else, unless one is Rick Allen, whose herculean roster efforts serve as a standard of measure. So when I re-read the above anecdote while seeing if there was anything I wanted to write about this month from this time period, the thought occurred to me. “There weren’t THAT many buglers in the regiment during the war, and I know who most of them are. Maybe I can find this guy.” Over 30 investigated buglers later, only one seems to fit the criteria for age and enlistment date.

Our lad couldn’t be from Company M. The English-born Whitworth brothers were the only two buglers to serve in the company during the war. James and Nelson, 19 and 18 years old respectively, enlisted on December 27, 1862 and served until December 1865.

By the time the bugler enlisted, Merritt was long gone from the regiment, as was Rodenbough himself. So they can be excused for being slightly off on the eventual company of the young man – given the information available at this point, “boy” doesn’t seem appropriate.

Enter Charles M. Elliott. Charles was enlisted into Company L as a bugler by Lieutenant Blanchard at the regiment’s camp at Point of Rocks, Maryland on March 25, 1865. Born in Philadelphia, his enlistment papers describe him as 15 years old, five feet tall, with blue eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. He stated that he worked as a clerk prior to his enlistment. He was later transferred to the regiment’s Field & Staff, still a bugler. He left the army at the expiration of his term of service on March 25, 1868 at Fort McPherson, Nebraska. Based on the anecdote, I would imagine postwar service wasn’t exciting enough for him.

 

Sources

National Archives, Record Group 94, U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914

National Archives, Record Group 94, U.S. Returns from Regular Army Non-infantry Regiments, 1821-1916: 2nd U.S. Cavalry.

Rodenbough, Theophilus F. From Everglade to Canyon With the Second United States Cavalry. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000. Page 298.

A Missing Sergeant Major

22 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by in 1861, 1862, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, officers, promotions

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I posted quite a while ago about the sergeants major of the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. Recently, however, I discovered that I missed one. Those who read the previous entry can see the missing time period in the list, but there was no record that I could find of whether there was anyone in the position during that period. Between Thomas Burton and the first entry for Daniel Mount should be an entry for Benjamin Engel.

Engel, born in Munich, Germany, originally enlisted in Company F, 1st Dragoons on February 11, 1851. He was enlisted in Rochester, New York, where he worked as a laborer, by Captain Hatch. His enlistment documents describe him as 21 years of age, with black hair, dark eyes and a dark complexion. He re-enlisted into Company D, 2nd Dragoons at the end of his enlistment in May 1856 at Fort Craig, New Mexico, then again in the same company at Fort Crittenden, Utah in March 1861. At this point in his career he was still a private.

Engel was appointed sergeant major of the regiment on November 1, 1861, technically the day before Burton’s appointment as a second lieutenant and vacated the position. Seeing the opportunity offered to Burton and others, he decided to try for a commission of his own.

“Headquarters 2nd Cavalry, Park Hotel, Washington, D.C., November 4, 1861

To the Hon. Secretary of War.

Sir:

I most respectfully forward for your consideration the following application for a commission in the Regular Cavalry of the United States together with endorsements of the officers, under whom I have served.

I am a native of Germany, twenty-eight years of age, and unmarried.

I have served in the regular Cavalry of the United States, on the frontiers, since February 1851, where I have been taught the practical duties of a soldier under Generals Sumner, Cooke and Garland and other able Officers, with whom I have served in nine different engagements with Indians.

Respectfully submitted,

Benjamin Engel. Sergeant Major, 2nd Regiment, U.S. Cavalry.

Through the Commanding Officer of the Regiment.

1st Endorsement: I have served with the applicant since 1855. I served with the applicant during the arduous Utah campaign – during all this time he was always a most efficient soldier – I most cheerfully recommend him for a commission. G.A. Gordon, Captain 2nd Cavalry.

2nd Endorsement: I have served with Sergeant Major Engle since 1858, know him to be a god and faithful soldier and cheerfully recommend him for a commission. W.P. Sanders, Captain 6th Cavalry.

3rd Endorsement: I cheerfully endorse the within application. Thos. Hight, Captain 2nd Cavalry.

4th Endorsement, Hdqrs. 2nd U.S. Cav. Harrison’s Landing, Va. August 4th 1862: Approved and respectfully forwarded – concurring with the other officers in the recommendation. Chas. E. Norris, Captain, 2nd Cav. Commanding Regt.

5th Endorsement: Office Provost Marshal General Army Potomac, Aug. 4, 1862. Approved and respectfully forwarded. W.H. Wood, Major, 17th Infantry, Actg. Provost Mar. Genl.

6th Endorsement: Headqrs., Army of the Potomac, August 5, 1862. Respectfully forwarded to the Adjutant General recommend to favorable consideration. G.B. McClellan, Major General Commanding. S. Williams, Asst. Adjutant General.”

I was puzzled by the long delay between endorsements. Then-major Alfred Pleasonton commanded the regiment in November 1861 and through the majority of the Peninsula campaign. Why would it take nine months to get an endorsement, particularly when I have several others for company first sergeants submitted by Pleasonton before and after the date of this letter.

The regimental returns revealed a likely solution. He didn’t hold the position long. Sergeant Major Engel was reduced to private and assigned to Company K by regimental Special Order No. 35 less than a month later, on December 4th. At that point Pleasonton, a notoriously harsh taskmaster, most likely considered the matter settled. He was succeeded in command of the regiment by Captain Charles E. Norris, who was apparently much softer hearted. Engel is one of the very few soldiers assigned to the regiment not submitted for commendations or a commission in July and August, and this endorsement is likely why.

Unfortunately for Engel, even an endorsement by General McClellan wasn’t enough to do the trick. A number of now Brigadier Pleasonton’s recommendations received notice of their appointments in September 1862, but he wasn’t one of them. Engel, who had worked his way back up to corporal by this time, decided to revisit the matter.

“Office of the Provost Marshal General

Army of the Potomac, Camp near mouth of Antietam, Sept. 29, 1862.

General:

The undersigned would most respectfully lay the following statement before the General:

In July last while at Harrison’s Landing, Va., the Officers of my Regiment recommended me among other Non Commissioned Officers of the 2nd Cavalry for promotion, said recommendation met the approval of the Acting Provost Marshal General, and the Commanding General of the Army of the Potomac and were forwarded to the War Department. Seven of the Non Commissioned Officers recommended as above stated, received their appointments as 2nd Lieutenants the other day, but nothing has been heard in regard to my application, which dated November 4, 1861 (“at which time I held the position of Sergeant Major of the Regiment”) but had not been forwarded until July last.

I would therefore respectfully request, that the General will use his influence in my behalf.

I have served the United States faithfully for twelve successive years, most of that time as a Non-Commissioned Officer, and all of that time on the frontiers, not speaking of services on the Peninsula and elsewhere, during all of said time I was never arraigned before a Court Martial, and always had the good will of my superiors. The General himself has known me for five months.

The General will please pardon the liberty I have taken in addressing him, but I would most respectfully call his attention to the fact, that as an enlisted man, I am denied the privilege of addressing the Hon. Secretary of War.

This statement is respectfully submitted for the favorable consideration of the General.

I am, General, Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Benjamin Engel

Corporal 2nd Cavalry and Chief of Orderlies at Hdqrs. Provost Marshal General A.P.

To Brigadier General A. Porter, Provost Marshal General, Army of the Potomac, Harrisburg, Pa.

1st Endorsement, Oct. 3, 1862: Respectfully forwarded to the Hon. E.M. Stanton, Secretary of War. I recommend strongly the appointment of Corporal Engel, he is brave, industrious and energetic and I am satisfied would be an excellent commissioned officer if appointed. A. Porter, Brigadier General Pro. Mar. General Army of Potomac.

2nd Endorsement, AGO, Oct. 27, 1862: Respectfully referred to the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Cavalry. J.P. Garesche, Asst. Adjt. Genl.

3rd Endorsement, Hdqrs. 2nd U.S. Cav. Camp near Berlin, MD Oct. 30, 62: Respectfully returned with the enclosed copy of Major Pleasonton’s letter. As Corporal Engel’s name does not appear in the list of recommendations, I cannot at present recommend him for a commission. Chas. J Whiting, Major, 2nd Cav. Commanding Regt.”

Captain Norris was placed on sick leave before the battle of Antietam, and Major Whiting would have superceded him in command of the regiment in September anyway. I don’t believe they saw one another in passing, and it doesn’t appear that they discussed Corporal Engel’s situation.

Engel finished out his enlistment, then re-enlisted as an Ordnance Sergeant in Washington, D.C. on January 18, 1864. He was discharged as an ordnance sergeant August 1, 1865 by AGO Special Order #402, but re-enlisted again two days later as a private in the General Mounted Service.

Private Engel was discharged a final time on June 1, 1866, this time to accept an appointment as a clerk in the Adjutant General’s Office. He requested copies of his commission requests from the AGO on January 13, 1887, most likely for his pension file.

Sources:

National Archives, Record Group 94, Letters Received by the Office of the Adjutant General, 1861-1870.

National Archives, Record Group 94, Letters Received by the Commission Branch, 1863-1870.

National Archives, Record Group 94, U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914

National Archives, Record Group 94, U.S. Returns from Regular Army Non-infantry Regiments, 1821-1916: 2nd U.S. Cavalry.

2nd U.S. Cavalry on the Peninsula

04 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by in 1862, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, Civil War, Peninsual Campaign

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154 years ago today, the 2nd U.S. Cavalry was serving on the Peninsula. The regiment had not participated in the Battle of Gaines Mill, and was sent by General McClellan to find a route for the army to the James River. No great battle narratives in here, but I was surprised how big a role it played in the initial consolidation. Pleasonton has been known to blow his own horn, but I think he would have been called out if he exaggerated on this one.

Headquarters Second Cavalry

Camp at Harrison’s Landing, James River, Va., July 4, 1862

General: I have the honor to submit the following report of services of my command, the Second Cavalry and the McClellan Dragoons, 489 strong, in executing the orders of General McClellan, from the 28th of June to the 3d of July:

On the evening of the 28th of June I received orders to escort Lieut. Col. B.S. Alexander, Corps of Engineers and aide-de-camp, in a reconnaissance to determine the best position for the army on the left of White Oak Swamp to cover the movement to James River. The command started from Savage Station at 8 o’clock p.m., and was all night on the road through White Oak Swamp, owing to the difficulties and obstructions on that route. Next morning at 7 a.m. I reported to Colonel Alexander, who was then beyond the White Oak Bridge, and we immediately proceeded to examine the country in front of Keyes;’ corps, at that time in the advance, and a line of battle was suggested covering the junction of the Quaker, New Market, and Charles City roads, and extending up the latter beyond the debouche of the road through the swamp, over which Sykes’ division had passed. We were occupied in this duty until near 1 o’clock, when learning the commanding general had arrived on the field, the colonel reported to him what had been done.

The general then ordered us to proceed to James River, open communication with the gunboats, and examine the country for a suitable location to establish the army. After a march of 18 miles, in which every precaution was taken to repel an attack, the command reached the James River, near Carter’s Landing, on the evening of the 29th June, at 5.30 o’clock. No gunboats were in sight, but Colonel Alexander proceeded immediately down the river in a small boat in search of one. Upon inquiring I learned that a force of the enemy had been in that vicinity that morning. I therefore kept my command ready to mount, and extended my pickets 1 ½ to 3 miles on the right, front, and left. More than an hour elapsed and Colonel Alexander did not return, (end pg 47) and knowing how necessary it was to have the plans of the general commanding carried out at an early moment, I availed myself of the kind offer of Captain Been, of the gunboat —–, who had just come down the river, and went off to the Galena, Commodore Rodgers’ flagship, which was lying 4 or 5 miles above us. The commodore offered us every assistance, and directed the Port Royal, Captain Morris, to cover our position at Carter’s Landing. Colonel Alexander returned about 8 o’clock with the steamer Stepping Stones, and having dispatched an express to General McClellan, repaired on board the Galena. I then returned to my command, which remained saddled all night in a strong position, ready for service at a moment’s notice.

Early next morning, the 30th of June, my pickets reported the arrival of the advance troops of Keyes’ corps; but in the mean time the sick, wounded, stragglers, and trains of wagons and ambulances from different corps came rapidly in on us. The former repaired in great numbers to the steamer Stepping Stones, which was at the wharf, and so great was the rush that I was obliged to clear this vessel three different times of all persons except such wounded and sick as the medical officers in attendance declared ought to be sent to Fortress Monroe. This vessel left about 11 o’clock a.m. with 500 or 600 of the worst cases of sick and wounded. To the generous kindness of the Navy were we indebted for this opportune assistance; and in connection with this subject it is proper to record the valuable services of Capt. George U. Morris, of the Port Royal, in furnishing subsistence and supplies, besides giving his own personal attention and exertions to the care of the sick and wounded.

Throughout both days, the 30th of June and the 1st of July, the sick, wounded, and stragglers kept coming in, and I can only estimate their numbers by the means I adopted to supply their wants, for they were without food or organization. The sick were established in camps according to their respective divisions, and as the different medical officers came in I assigned them to duty with the divisions to which they belonged. The wounded were sent to the Carter house to be attended to by the surgeons at that place. The stragglers were organized into two commands, viz, those with arms and those without. Captain Hight, Second Cavalry, had charge of those with arms, and they numbered over 2,000 men. The party without arms was more numerous. The trains of wagons and ambulances were parked in convenient positions to water and forage.

On the 30th of June beef and salt were issued to those who asked for them, and 1,000 rations of bread obtained from the Navy were also issued. On the 1st of July the steamer Spaulding arrived with supplies, when 8,000 additional rations of coffee, sugar, bread, salt, and meat were issued; besides, 15 head of cattle were killed and distributed by my command. From these facts there must have been 10,000 or 12,000 men in sick, wounded, and stragglers at Carter’s Landing during the 30th of June and the 1st of July. There were also some 800 wagons and 300 ambulances.

On the morning of the 2d of July I was apprised of the army being ordered to move to apposition covering Harrison’s landing, and in consequence I ordered all the trains of wagons and ambulances, with all the sick and wounded capable of moving, to start immediately for that place. My command covered the rear of all of these parties, and I have the satisfaction of reporting to the general commanding that all of these large trains of materiel and personnel reached their several destinations in the army in safety. When the state of the weather, the (end pg 48) roads, and the near approach of the enemy at that time are remembered, the duties required of all concerned for the successful accomplishment of this undertaking will be understood. Besides these arduous duties, I caused the country in the neighborhood of the Chickahominy to be explored to observe the enemy.

Captain Norris, with his squadron, performed this duty on the 30th of June, and Captain Green with an equal force went within 4 miles of the Chickahominy on the River road, while one of his detachments passed as far as Charles City Court House on the Charles City road. There was no enemy visible on either occasion, and the fact was reported by me at the time to General Marcy, chief of staff.

The squadron of McClellan Dragoons under Major Barker rendered good and efficient services in the above-named movements, and the major himself was conspicuous for the energy and activity he displayed in keeping the road clear on the march from Carter’s Landing to this place.

In conclusion, I desire to recommend to the favorable notice of the general commanding the following-named officers of the Second Cavalry, for the zeal, gallantry, and activity they have displayed in the discharge of their duties: Capts. Charles E. Norris, Thomas Hight, and John Green. Captains Norris and Green were charged with destroying two bridges over the Chickahominy after our army had crossed, and the services performed by them were highly satisfactory. Three caissons of one of our batteries having been left on the other side of the Chickahominy, Captain Green crossed with some of his men, threw the ammunition into the river, and set fire to the caissons.

First Lieut. James F. McQuesten, adjutant, and Second Lieut. Edward Ball, regimental quartermaster, have discharged their duties with great credit and ability, and are very deserving officers.

The faithful services and good conduct of the noncommissioned officers and privates of the Second Cavalry in the campaign of the last three months in this Peninsula have been a source of the highest gratitude and pride to all the officers of the regiment. I do not think this appreciation can be better expressed than by naming two of the most deserving of them to the general commanding for such promotion as the exigencies of the service will permit. I am satisfied that Sergt. Maj. Robert Lennox and Quartermaster Sergt. Edward J. Spaulding will show themselves worthy of any advancement in their profession it may be deemed proper to bestow upon them.

I remain, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. Pleasonton,

Major, Second Cavalry, Commanding.

General S. Williams, A.A.G., Hdqrs. Army of the Potomac.

Source: Official Records, Volume 11, part 2, pgs 47-49)

Battle of Wilson’s Creek report

27 Friday May 2016

Posted by in 1861, 2nd U.S. Cavalry

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The majority of the attention paid to the regular cavalry during this battle quite rightfully goes to the 4th U.S. Cavalry, but I wanted to post this report for inclusion in the record as well. Company C, 2nd U.S. Cavalry, commanded by Lt. Charles Farrand of the 1st Infantry also participated in the battle as well. At least one of the enlisted men mentioned will be appearing in a future post.

Camp near Rolla, Mo., August 17, 1861

Captain: I have the honor to report that on the evening of the 9th of August I received verbal orders from General Lyon to report with my company for duty to Colonel Sigel. I reported to the latter at 6 o’clock that evening, and by his order formed with my company the rear guard of his column, which immediately proceed towards the (end pg 90) enemy’s camp. While on the march Colonel Sigel directed me to act on the right when the enemy should be engaged. Afterwards, however, this order was countermanded, and I was directed to take my position on the left.

Nothing of importance occurred on the march until about 4.30 in the morning, when several prisoners were tuned over to the guard. One of these stated to me that their army was expecting re-enforcements from Louisiana, and that they had mistaken us for their re-enforcements. We were now very near the enemy’s camp, and continued to take prisoners in small numbers, most of whom said they were out in search of something to eat. At about 5 o’clock I was ordered with my company to the front. Soon after I reached the head of the column, a small party of men and horses was discovered in a ravine through which we were approaching the enemy’s camp. These I was ordered to take, as they were supposed t be the enemy’s picket. I advanced with a small party upon them. They discovered me ata distance, and mounted their horses. I did not succeed in taking the party prisoners, but cut them off from their camp, which was now in plain sight. I with my company now took my position on the extreme left, and the command moved steadily forward without having been discovered by the enemy, although very near, and at some points in plain sight of, their camp.

The attack was opened by the infantry on the center and left, and soon responded to by the artillery. It was but a moment before the camp was entirely cleared, and as we passed through it I saw many dead bodies and quantities of arms of al descriptions lying on the ground. Many of the latter I caused my men to destroy. There were in their camp a wagon load of Maynard rifles, of the regular rifled muskets, and several boxes of United States regulation sabers, all new.

There being no enemy in sight, I was ordered to move along the south side of camp. I was in a few minutes after ordered to return and support Colonel Sigel’s battery. When I reached the battery I discovered an immense body of the enemy’s cavalry forming in a field about 7000 yards in front of our position. The battery immediately opened on them with considerable effect, and forced them to retire. A large body of the enemy’s cavalry, who had dismounted and deployed in the brush on the south side of the field, were driven back and obliged to leave their horses. My company was on the field until Colonel Sigel’s forces retired, but as circumstances were such as to render it impossible to use cavalry, we did no particular service.

Upon finding myself with the company alone, I retired in a southerly direction, and accidentally meeting one of the guides who had been employed in taking us to the enemy’s camp, I forcibly detained him until I could collect some of the troops, whom I found scattered and apparently lost. I halted my company, and got quite a number together, and directed the guide to proceed to Springfield, via Little York. Affter proceeding a short distance we came upon one of the pieces which had been taken from Colonel Sigel. Although the tongue of the limber was broken, one horse gone, and one of the remaining three badly wounded, we succeeded in moving it on. Some distance in advance f this we found a caisson, also belonging to Colonel Sigel’s battery. I then had with me Sergeant Bradburn, of Company D, First Cavalry; Corporal Lewis and Private John Smith of own company (Company C, Second Dragoons). My company being some distance in advance, I caused the caisson to be opened, and on discovering that it was full of ammunition, I determined to take it on. I and the three (end pg 91) men with me tried to prevail upon some of the Germans to assist us in clearing some of the wounded horses from the harness, but they would not stop. After considerable trouble, my small party succeeded in clearing the wounded horses from the harness, hitching in two more and a pair of small mules I obtained, and moving on, Corporal Lewis and Private John Smith driving, while Sergeant Bradburn and I led the horses. After reaching the retreating troops again I put two other men on the animals, and joined my company with my three men.

Before reaching Springfield it became necessary to abandon the caisson in order to hitch the animals to the piece. The was done after destroying the ammunition it contained. Lieutenant Morris, adjutant of Colonel Sigel’s command, assisted me in procuring wagons, which we sent back on the road after the wounded.

I am, sir, your obedient servant,

Chas. E. Farrand,

Second Lieut., First Infantry, Comdg. Co. C, Second Dragoons (OR, Vol 3, pgs 90-92)

 

Bugler Adolph Metzger

07 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by in 2nd U.S. Cavalry

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Adolph Metzger was born in Balingen, Wurtemberg, Germany about 1834. He immigrated to the United States as a young man and settled in Philadelphia, where he worked as a laborer.

On May 29, 1855, he was enlisted into Company C, Regiment of Mounted Rifles by Lieutenant Burns. His enlistment documents describe him as 21 years of age, 5’ 5” tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a dark complexion. After service with his regiment in the southwest, he was discharged at the expiration of his enlistment at Hatch’s Ranch, New Mexico as a private on May 29, 1860.

Civilian life apparently didn’t resonate with Adolph, and he re-entered the army a few months later. On November 14th he was enlisted into Company C, 2nd U.S. Cavalry by Lieutenant Wilkins as a bugler. He was working in Newport, Kentucky as a laborer at the time of his enlistment, and it is unclear whether he was east- or westbound at the time. Miraculously, he aged only three years in the five and a half years since his first enlistment, listing his age as 24. He served through the various campaigns of the Civil War without major incident, and was discharged the day prior to his third enlistment at Light House Landing, Virginia shortly after the regiment’s return from the battle of Trevilian Station.

Bugler Metzger was enlisted into Company C, 2nd U.S. Cavalry by Lieutenant Robert Lennox on July 12, 1864. Although he had grown three inches since his last enlistment, he had aged only a single year. A few weeks later, probably during a furlough granted due to his reenlistment, Adolph married Fredericka Cooper. The ceremony took place on August 2nd, at the German Evangelical Church in Washington, D.C. The bride was only 15 or 16 at the time of the wedding, and Adolph apparently did not inform his parents back in Germany of his changed marital status.

He remained with his company through the end of the war and its subsequent recruiting and refitting in Maryland. When the regiment moved west in October 1865, his wife remained behind. Due to the numerous changes of post and their attendant dangers, this was probably a wise choice.

In November 1866, the company was assigned to Fort Phil Kearny, Dakota Territory, in present day Wyoming. Second Lieutenant Horatio S. Bingham was the company’s commander and sole officer for the assignment. Bingham, who had served as a captain in the 2nd Minnesota Cavalry during the Civil War, had been appointed an officer in the regiment in February. Lieutenant Bingham was killed in an engagement with Indians on December 6, 1866 when he and a small group of soldiers were decoyed away from the main body while attempting to assist a woodcutting party which was under attack.

On December 21st, twenty six members of the company, including Bugler Metzger, rode out of the fort to assist another woodcutting party. A mixed party of infantry and cavalry sortied from the fort under the command of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel William J. Fetterman. The force was drawn into a trap out of view of the fort and wiped out in less than twnety minutes by over a thousand Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. The only survivor was a gray cavalry horse named Dapple Dave, badly wounded by both bullets and arrows. The horse was probably Metzger’s, as it was the practice in that unit to mount buglers on white or gray horses to make it easier to find the commander during a battle.

Metzger was one of only two soldiers whose body wasn’t mutilated by the victorious Indians. The other was Sergeant James Baker, also a Civil War veteran of Company C. According to several verbal accounts from Indians who participated in the battle, Bugler Metzger fought to the very last. Once his ammunition was exhausted, he continued to fight using his bugle as a bludgeon until overcome.

The bugle is now part of the collection of the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum, who very kindly granted me one-time permission to publish a photo with this post. It was found around 1935 by early homesteader Christian Hepp, who ran cattle near the grounds of the ruins of the fort. Since Metzger was the only bugler in the expedition, it seems extremely likely that it was his.

Photo courtesy of Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum.

Photo courtesy of Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum.

The dead from the fight were brought back to Fort Phil Kearny, and initially interred there. After the fort was abandoned and when Custer National Cemetery was created at Little Big Horn, they were moved there. They now lie there in graves numbered 15-49 and 108-144.

Headstone, Custer National Cemetery.

Headstone, Custer National Cemetery.

Metzger’s wife Fredericka drew his pension. This was later disputed by his mother, who contacted the American consulate in Stuttgart to press her claim. She maintained that Adolph could not possibly have been married without informing his family in Germany. Her claim was later rejected.

Notes:

1. One account from a soldier in Company C mentions a man named Footer as the company’s bugler, but there was no such person assigned to the cavalry company or the 18th Infantry at the post at this time. Since the account was written several years later, it seems likely he confused the name of the bugler. Some accounts describe the bugler as a teenager, but there’s no evidence to support this.
2. Historian John H. Monnett maintains that the story of Metzger and the bugle is apocryphal. For more information, see his very detailed book Where A Hundred Soldiers Were Killed. He makes a very strong case.

Sources:

Brady, Cyrus Townsend. Indian Fights and Fighters. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press: 1971.
Fort Phil Kearny/ Bozeman Trail Association. Portraits of Fort Phil Kearny. Banner, WY: 1993.
Guthrie, John. “Fetterman Massacre,” Annals of Wyoming 9 (October 1932): 714-718. Accessed via Internet Archive on August 30, 2015.
Lambert, Joseph. One Hundred Years With the Second Cavalry. San Antonio: Newton Publishing Company, 1999.
Monnett, John H. Where A Hundred Soldiers Were Killed. Albuquerque: University of New mexico Press, 2010.
National Archives, Record Group 94, Letters Received by the Office of the Adjutant General, 1861-1870.
National Archives, Record Group 94, U.S. Army Register of Enlistments, 1798-1914
National Archives, Record Group 94, U.S. Returns from Regular Army Non-infantry Regiments, 1821-1916: 2nd U.S. Cavalry.
National Archives, Record Group 94, Civil War Widows Pensions. Accessed via Fold3.com on August 30, 2015.
Rodenbough, Theophilus F. From Everglade to Canyon with the Second United States Cavalry. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2000.
Utley, Robert M. Frontier Regulars. Lincoln: Univeristy of Nebraska Press: 1973.
Watson, Elmo Scott. “The Bravery of Our Bugler is Much Spoken Of,” Old Travois Trails 1 (1941): 139.

More of the 1st Minnesota at Gettysburg

04 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by in 1st Minnesota Infantry, battle of Antietam, battle of Bull Run, Civil War, Gettysburg campaign

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Thousands of visitors to Gettysburg this weekend will hear of the charge of the 1st Minnesota Infantry in the late afternoon of July 2, 1863. Tens of thousands of other visitors have heard the story and seen the three monuments to the regiment on the battlefield. Their guides will tell the story of how II Corps commander General Winfield Hancock, seeing a breach in his line, ordered the regiment to charge against a brigade of Alabama infantry under Brigadier General Cadmus Wilcox. Outnumbered nearly 5:1, the gallant regiment plunged into the fray without hesitation, buying Hancock the time necessary for other units to reach the breach and shore up the line. In the process, the regiment suffered nearly 82% casualties, the highest rate suffered by any American unit in combat (yes, cavalry afficionados, higher than the 7th U.S. Cavalry at Little Big Horn).

It’s a great story and one that should be told. It was one of the bravest acts of the war. The regiment knew what would happen if it charged, and plunged in anyway. And it wasn’t the first time they’d been in certain peril. After adjacent units fled near Henry House at First Bull Run, they suffered nearly 20% casualties and were among the last units to leave the field. The previous fall at Antietam, they suffered 28% casualties in fighting near the West Woods under General Sedgwick.

What the guides probably won’t tell the visitors is that more of the men who enlisted in the 1st Minnesota in 1861 were also on the field for the battle. Following the battle of Antietam, 64 transferred to regular army regiments. They came from across the regiment, with only Companies B and D not losing any men. Company I had the most with 12, followed by Company A with 10 and several with 8 or 9. Seven of them had been wounded in previous battles, three at Bull Run, two at Savage Station and two at Antietam.

Just over half joined cavalry units, 30 to the 1st U.S. Cavalry, 14 to the 6th U.S. Cavalry and one to the 2nd U.S. Cavalry. They fought the next day, on the Army of the Potomac’s left flank and at Fairfield. The others transferred primarily to artillery batteries, and a handful to engineer companies.

Several of them had already been killed in fighting at Beverly Ford and Upperville. Two more, former corporals James E. Seely and Lucius F. Walden of Company A, were killed in battle within the week. One died while a prisoner of war at Belle Isle and another at Andersonville. And these men definitely understood duty. Of those who didn’t die in battle, only three didn’t finish their enlistment, and one of those was discharged for disability. Only two deserted, a very low percentage for the time. Three even re-enlisted to see the war to its finish.

Here’s to the rest of the 1st Minnesota Infantry soldiers who served at Gettysburg.