5th U.S. Cavalry at the Stone Fence

09 Monday Jun 2025

Posted by dccaughey in 1863, 5th U.S. Cavalry, battle of Brandy Station, Reserve Brigade

Tags

5th U.S. Cavalry, battle of Brandy Station, Beverly Ford, Civil War, genealogy, history, military, Reserve Brigade, virginia

Author note: with many thanks to LTC Greg Hope, who was instrumental in obtaining a copy of Harrison’s report from the USMA library.

During the battle of Brandy Station, 162 years ago today, the 5^th U.S. Cavalry had a critical task on Brigadier John Buford’s right flank. They seized and then secured a stone fence from Confederate cavalry units under Colonel John Chambliss. This fence was bitterly contested for hours, with the Fifth Cavalry resorting to their pistols after expending all their carbine ammunition.

Captain James E. Harrison commanded the regiment on that day. Only three squadrons were present, under Lieutenants Thomas Maley, Frank Dickerson and Henry Jones. The amount of close quarters fighting is easily determined by the number of troopers captured, listed here as missing in action.

The regiment, reduced to three squadrons, under the command of Captain Harrison, was under fire until half-past six o’clock p.m., and suffered a loss of thirty-nine officers and men killed, wounded, and missing, and sixty-two horses killed. It is not clear from the monthly return where the missing companies were located.

Captain Harrison’s report, in his own hand, differs slightly from the one printed in the Supplement to the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion.

“After crossing the river, my regiment consisting of three small squadrons was detailed to support Elder’s Battery and almost immediately after, I was ordered to move forward at a quick gait for the purpose of checking a large force of cavalry that was driving in a small party of our men. I moved forward at a gallop and formed in an open field, preparatory to advancing on them when I received orders to deploy my men as skirmishers and take possession and hold a stone fence about two hundred yards in my front, having detached one squadron under Lt. Maley to support Graham’s Battery. I advanced one squadron under Lt. Dickerson to the stone fence and held the remaining squadron under Lt. Jones as a support to the skirmishers. I held my position until my ammunition was entirely expended when after having been relieved by two fresh squadrons. I retired and acted as a support to a section of Graham’s Battery during the rest of the day. At 6.30 I received orders to recross the river. I beg leave to recommend to the General Commanding Lieuts. Dickerson, Urban, Jones, Baden, Moylan, Brophy, Henly & Hastings whose conduct for gallantry and intrepid bravery while skirmishing with the enemy under a terrible fire of artillery & sharpshooters was most conspicuous. Lieuts. Dickerson & Urban were each wounded, the former in the head & the latter in the upper thigh, neither of them seriously, the rest of my casualties were (6) men killed and buried on the field, 15 wounded and 15 missing and 62 horses killed and so badly wounded as to make it necessary to leave them on the field. A correct list of casualties giving name & rank has been furnished to Bde HdQrs. “

Casualty reports for the regiment vary widely, but this is the list posted in the regimental monthly returns following the 1863 annual return:

Killed in action:

Lieutenant Otis Tillinghast enlisted George Hozzell into Company F, 5^th U.S. Cavalry on September 3, 1860 in Baltimore, MD. Born in Hesse, Germany, his enlistment documents describe him as 5’10” tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion. He was a 22 year old farmer prior to his enlistment. George was killed in action on June 9, 1863, probably at the stone wall.

Lieutenant Fitzpatrick enlisted Alexander Rayner into Company B, 5^th U.S. U.S. Cavalry on December 11, 1860 in Baltimore, MD. Born in Plymouth, NC, he was also a 22 year old farmer prior to his enlistment. His enlistment documents describe him as 5’7” tall, with hazel eyes, brown hair and a sallow complexion. Alexander was also killed in action on June 9, 1863, probably at the stone wall.

Wounded, by company:

Company A

Sgt John Kane, severely in thigh

Bugler Julius Goldring, severely in ankle

Bugler James Collins, slightly in thigh

Company B

2d Lt Gustavus Urban, severely in thigh

Pvt Henry Connolly, slightly in arm

Pvt William Muckler, slightly in leg

Company C

Sgt Jacob Buck, slightly in shoulder

Pvt Daniel Cimmino, mortally in left breast (died same day)

Pvt Richard Hanlon, severely in left thigh

Company D

2d Lt Frank W. Dickerson, slightly in head

Pvt Joseph Marshall, severely

Company G

Pvt Michael Dougherty, severely in groin

Company I

Pvt Ira R. Bailey, mortally (died of wounds June15th)

Company K

Sgt Anthony Grothern, severely in left shoulder

Pvt John Roach, slightly

Pvt Anthony Spigel, severely in neck

Missing in action, by company:

Company B

Sgt William McClean

Pvt William Breese

Pvt Richard Burke

Pvt Edward Holbrook

Pvt John Kennard

Pvt John McCarthy

Company D

Corp Thomas Wilson, supposed to be wounded

Pvt Charles M. Blair

Pvt Paul Brider

Pvt Dennis Dunn

Pvt Thomas Dunn

Pvt William Hemphill

Company F

Corp Frank Holpin

Pvt John Jones

Company K

Pvt Benjamin Allen

Pvt George Copland

Pvt Edward Fitzgerald

Pvt F.O. Rogenhart

Total loss of horses: 62

Sources

NARA, Regimental Returns, Fifth Cavalry, June 1863

USMA Library, Special Collections, James E. Harrison papers

Price, George. Across the Continent With The Fifth Cavalry. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1883.

Memorial Day: On the Death of Edward Falkner

26 Monday May 2014

Posted by dccaughey in 1863, 6th U.S. Cavalry, battle of Brandy Station, Memorial Day, poetry

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

6th U.S. Cavalry, Beverly Ford, Brandy Station, cavalry, Civil War, Memorial Day

It strikes me as appropriate on Memorial Day, formerly Decoration Day for the Civil War dead, to post on a fallen soldier. And I do not think I can do so more eloquently than this family member did in 1863. Jimmy and I both loved this poem and had hoped to include it in our history of the 6^th U.S. Cavalry, but unfortunately there wasn’t room.

“Lines on the Death of Mr. Edward Falkner, Jun., of the 6^th Regiment U.S. Cavalry, Who fell in a Cavalry Charge at Brandy Station, on the ‘Rappahannock,’ 9^th June, 1863.
The freest land the sun illumes,
Resounds with shouts of war;
The South a hostile form assumes
‘Gainst freedom’s sacred law;

And freedom’s sons pour out their life
Her Honour to sustain,
And kindred meet in bloody strife
Upon the battle plain;

And happy homes are rudely shorn
Of all that gave them joy,
For sire and son away are borne
Upon the field to die.

The maiden mourns in deep distress
For him she once caressed;
The widow strains the fatherless
Upon her sobbing breast.

Thousands that left their native land,
In search of peaceful toil,
Are stretched by war’s relentless hand
Upon the gory soil.

One home of five left England’s shore
With all she boasts behind,
And crossed the wide Atlantic o’er
A better land to fnd.

These dwelt in peace till age’s frost
Upon the parents came,
And boyhood of their sons was lost,
In manhood’s hardy frame; —

Who fired with zeal for freedom’s cause,
The Federal army join,
And in defence of righteous laws
Confront the Southern line.

The eldest chose the horseman’s ground,
Where swords and lances gleam,
And soon among his comrades found
Respect and high esteem;

For though his rough and stalwart frame
Could fearless meet the foe,
His dauntless heart knew mercy’s name,
And felt for others’ woe.

Long did the starry banner wave,
As emblem of the free,
Where manfully he fought to save
The flag of liberty.

But on the 9^th of June he fell
By Rappahannock’s side,
When in a noble charge to quell
The advanced rebel tide.

Two thousand of the choicest horse
From out the Federal band,
Were marched against the Southern force
At General Lee’s command.

The armies met, the fight began,
And tumult filled the air,
While streams of fire like lightning ran,
Midst the conflict there.

Charge! Charge!! my men, their leader cried,
And ere the bugle sounds,
The gallant horsemen fiercely ride
Across the rebel bounds.

Where, through dense clouds of dust and smoke,
The bullets fell like rain,
While the hoarse cannon’s thunder spoke
A requiem for the slain.

But in that charge our hero died,
Pierced by a musket ball,
And o’er his foaming charger’s side
Was lifeless seen to fall.

The missile through his heart had broke,
And did its work too well;
For not a word the soldier spoke
When to the ground he fell.

Swift from its cell, amid the strife,
The soldier’s spirit fled,
Nor lingered long that moral life
‘Twixt dying and the dead.

With willing hands the corpse to save,
From the stern fate of war,
His comrades bore it o’er the wave,
To a more peaceful shore;

And dug with mournful haste a grave,
For him they loved so well,
While tears of manly sorrow strayed,
Down their rough cheeks, and fell

On the uncoffin’d form that lies,
In death’s cold slumber there,
And turned to heaven their tearful eyes,
In mute but earnest prayer.

Thus broke the sacred chain that bound
That home in life and love,
But firmer will its links be found,
That bind that home above.

Green be the memory of the brave
That fought for freedom’s right,
And nobly died her flag to save
From the slave tyrant’s might.

Honour to England’s sons of toil,
That left their native shores,
And fell upon a foreign soil
For freedom’s righteous laws.

J.F.
Birmingham, 1863.”

Edward Falkner was born in England in 1838, and was a farmer in New York before the war. He enlisted into Company I, 6^th U.S. Cavalry at Rochester, New York on September 7, 1861. He was killed in action as the poem states at Beverly Ford on June 9, 1863.