Civil War, Summer through Fall, 1863

MIDDLEBURG Lee’s object was to invade the North from the Shenandoah Valley, protecting his right by holding the mountain passes with Stuart’s cavalry and Longstreet’s infantry corps. By June 15, Stuart held Thoroughfare and Aldie Gaps in the Bull Run Mountains. From June 14 to 17, Pleasanton’s cavalry corps was covering the movement of the Army of the Potomac northward. On June 17, Pleasanton was sent to find out what Lee was doing. His plan was to move on Aldie with Buford and Gregg’s cavalry divisions and Barnes’ infantry division, and to send a regiment under Duffie to Middleburg. The Second Cavalry belonged to the Reserve Brigade of Buford’s division. It was during this march to Aldie that Company C joined the regiment from service in the western theater, uniting the command for the first time during the war. Reaching Aldie June 18, the regiment remained saddled all day awaiting orders. During that night it was annoyed by guerrillas firing from stone walls and other cover. Soon after starting toward Middleburg on the morning of the 19th, the leading battalion was attacked near Goose Creek and captured several prisoners. There was desperate fighting all day by Gregg’s division at Middleburg, during which the enemy’s right flank was turned and he fell back one-half mile to a stronger position. It was during the fighting near this town that the Second and some Rebels made a rush for the same stone wall, the former reaching it first. There was severe fighting with small arms and finally the enemy was repulsed. On June 21, 1863, Stuart’s five brigades extended from Middleburg to Union as a screen to Lee’s movements. On this date Gregg’s division was placed in position against the enemy right, the infantry in the center, and Buford’s division on the enemy left. Gregg steadily drove the Confederates back to Upperville, where Buford’s Division cooperated. At four in the afternoon there was a charge of the whole regular brigade, consisting of the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Cavalry in column of squadrons. By a liberal use of the saber, severe damage was inflicted upon the foe and he was soon driven from the field. After repeated charges on both sides the Confederates were driven to Ashby’s Gap, which was occupied that night by a portion of Longstreet’s corps. Pleasanton fell back to Aldie June 22, and in a few days joined the Army of the Potomac. GETTYSBURG The cavalry corps during June succeeded in penetrating the enemy screen and at the same time prevented Lee from finding out what the Army of the Potomac was doing. The Federal cavalry had proved its ability to cope with the Southern troopers, mounted or dismounted. Stuart started on June 24, 1863, with three brigades of cavalry, to move around the Union Army in order to cut their line of communication and to threaten the capitol. He soon captured a wagon train eight miles long and committed other depredations. Kilpatrick’s cavalry division, which had recently been added to the cavalry corps, was sent to intercept Stuart. The First Cavalry Division under Buford was ordered to cover the left of the main army and watch the enemy in the direction of Hagerstown. Gregg’s cavalry division was located on the Baltimore pike covering the right of the army. After several encounters with Kilpatrick’s division, Stuart finally eluded him and reached Gettysburg after the battle began. On the afternoon of June 30, 1863, Buford’s division reached Gettysburg as the enemy entered the town. Realizing the importance of this place on account of the road net and the commanding ground, he drove the enemy back toward Cashtown. Through untiring efforts of patrols, he learned that Hill’s corps of the Confederate army was at that place. Then he decided to hold the ground until Reynold’s corps, encamped five miles south, could reach the place. To Buford, an old Second Cavalryman, must go the credit for selecting Gettysburg as a battlefield. On the morning of July 1, the First Cavalry Division fought desperately against ever-increasing numbers of Confederates and finally moved the line of battle back about 200 yards. Upon the arrival of Reynold’s First Corps, they continued to fight dismounted during the day. That night they bivouacked on the battlefield with pickets extended to Fairfield. On the evening of July 2, after a brisk fight with Confederate sharpshooters, the cavalry corps was relieved by the Third Corps and ordered to Westminster to guard the supply trains. The regular brigade of Buford’s division, of which the Second Cavalry formed a part, was detached at this time and picketed toward the left and left front of the army. In doing this it reached Emmittsburg on July 2. The next morning it moved to the right of the Gettysburg road and formed part of the Union left near Round Top Mountain. Soon after entering the line, the Second Cavalry was checked by a heavy fire from the enemy, who was stationed behind a stone wall. The artillery assisted in displacing the Rebels but they took up a position to the rear, and it was necessary for our regiment to drive them out again and again. Advancing along the Gettysburg road, the brigade of dismounted skirmishers caused the Confederates under law to detach part of his line in order to protect his flank and rear. On the morning of July 4, General Lee’s army was in full retreat, followed by the Union cavalry in hot pursuit. The First cavalry Division was joined by the regular brigade under Merritt at Frederick on July 5. From here it moved to Hagerstown, where it bivouacked on that night. Following the Confederate army it marched to Williamsport, Maryland, and attacked their train, which was crossing the Potomac. The Confederate defense stiffened after their pickets were driven in. Gamble’s brigade of the division punished the enemy severely but was not able to destroy very much of the trains on account of the large force guarding them. BOONESBOROUGH, FALLING WATERS, MANASSAS GAP Along with the rest of the First cavalry Division, Merritt’s brigade, which included the Second Cavalry, now fell back on Boonesborough. The enemy was found advancing south on the Hagerstown road, and the regular brigade was engaged in delaying him in the vicinity of Boonesborough for several days. Here on the 7th and 8th he was driven back toward Hagerstown. On the 9th, they drove him for about five miles until within three miles of Funkstown. On the 10th, the division was formed as a line of skirmishers with the Reserve Brigade on the right and they soon drove the enemy into Funkstown. Because of the shortage of ammunition on this day the division was finally forced to give up the position gained and it was later occupied by the infantry. On July 14, the division was ordered to advance and it was found the enemy had evacuated their positions. They soon came in contact with the rear of Lee’s army near Falling Waters, Maryland, and Buford decided to move to the flank and get possession of the road bridge. They soon scattered the Rebels and captured much equipment and about 500 prisoners, but the bridge was cut loose and swung to the Virginia shore. Moving down into Virginia the division reached Rectortown July 20. Here Merritt’s brigade was detached to hold Manassas Gap. On reaching this place July 21, he sent the First Cavalry forward toward Front Royal and the rest of the brigade occupied a defensive position. The Second Cavalry was later sent forward to reinforce the First and to discover the identity of the foe. After finding out that one of the Confederate corps was near the Gap, Merritt decided to attack vigorously in order to deceive the enemy into thinking the place was occupied by a strong force. In this attack he captured five officers and twenty-one enlisted men. On the 22nd he continued to skirmish with the enemy, but the latter made no attempt to capture the position. The brigade was relieved on the 23rd by French’s division of the Third Corps and marched to Orleans, where it joined the rest of the First Cavalry Division. On July 27 the regiment was at Warrenton, Virginia, and by the last of the month it was back to the Rappahannock River. BRANDY STATION, RAPPAHANNOCK STATION The First Cavalry Division was ordered to make a reconnaissance toward Culpeper Courthouse on August 1 to determine the strength of the enemy in that vicinity. So sudden and vigorous was the assault upon Stuart’s cavalry that he barely escaped being captured with his headquarters. The reconnaissance was pushed forward to Brandy Station where a severe engagement took place in which the Second Cavalry took a prominent part in the charges and counter charges. Having accomplished the end sought after, Buford was forced to fall back when attacked by Stuart’s supporting infantry. In this series of fights the Second Cavalry lost seven killed, twenty-eight wounded, and five missing. Merritt’s brigade was again involved in a fight at Rappahannock Station on August 5, with the Confederates as the aggressors this time. The latter, who were on a spirited reconnaissance, attacked the Union troops in their camp, but were soon repulsed and driven for three miles toward the river. During October, 1863, the regiment turned over its horses to other units and marched to Camp Buford, Maryland, where it received new animals and a few recruits. It needed a rest badly, as it had been constantly marching and fighting for three months in one of the most severe campaigns in military history. During the greater part of this time, the command was forced to live off the country, because the rapid marches of the cavalry did not permit the supply department to keep up with the horsemen. CENTERVILLE, CULPEPER, MUDDY RUN After a brief period of rest, the Second was suddenly ordered back to the front October 11, where it joined the Army of the Potomac at Centerville on the 14th. Meade’s plan was to force a passage of the Rappahannock and attack the Confederates south of there. During the operations, the First Cavalry Division operated on the right of the army. Buford forced a passage of the Hazel River at Rixyville and thus cooperated with Sedgewick, who commanded the Fifth and Sixth Army Corps. The Regular brigade of this division under Merritt led the advance of the army and frequently engaged the cavalry and rear guard of the Rebels, especially at Culpeper and Muddy Run on November 8. After taking position on the Rappahannock from Kelly’s Ford to Welford’s Ford, the Army of the Potomac again moved south November 26, by an advance on the enemy’s flank. General Buford, a former Second Cavalryman, was forced to go to the hospital at this time for treatment of his wounds, where he soon died. General Merritt, who was still the captain of Company C, Second Cavalry, succeeded General Buford in command of the First Division. In the Mine Run campaign from November 26 to December 2, this division guarded the trains. The Reserve Brigade, of which the Second Cavalry formed a part, moved out from camp November 26 and marched to Stevensburg, where a line of vedettes was established around the town. The next day it proceeded to Ely’s and Culpeper Fords on the Rapidan, where it protected the trains at these points. It was also given the task of guarding the fords from Germanna to the mouth of the Rapidan and Richard’s Ford. Until the brigade returned to Culpeper, Virginia, December 2, it was constantly engaged in fighting guerillas and preventing attacks upon the wagon train.