2005 Chapters 7 & 8
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CHAPTER VII.

Back to the Valley Again—Lieut. Shearer Murdered—Tracks Torn Up—Engagements at Martinsburg Snicker’s Gap, Berry’s Ford, Ashby’s Gap, Winchester and Charlestown—Scouting Through Maryland and up into Pennsylvania—The Inhabitants Treat The Men to Soft Bread and other Luxuries—Back Again to Virginia—Mosby’s Guerrillas Committing Depredations—The Regiment Reduced to seventy-five Mounted Men—Sent to Cumberland, Md., to Recruit Up.

While en route to Cumberland, Md., on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, (July 8^th), Lieut. Shearer, of Co. B was brutally murdered by one of his own company. Arrived at Cumberland at daylight on July 9^th and turned over the murderer to Provost Marshal. The train then proceeded on its way, but on arriving at Cherry Run could go no farther as the tracks had been torn up by the rebels. The horses were unloaded and were found to be more dead than alive after their close confinement. After a brief rest boots and saddles was sounded at 10 p.m. and the regiment started off for an all night march. Passed through Hedgesville at daylight on the 10th and took the road leading to Martinsburg. The effective strength of the regiment at this time was 125 men.

On nearing Martinsburg Col. Richardson detailed Lieut. Hurd and a half dozen men to make a reconnaissance and discover whether the town was in possession of the rebels or not. Leaving the main road they managed by following up ravines and alongside of hedge fences to gain a point near the main street without being discovered. The squad immediately charged down the street and discovering a number of Johnnies skedaddling out of the houses pursued them and succeeded in capturing seven of them. The balance of the command having arrived, and learning that the rebels were encamped in force just west of the town, Colonel Richardson decided that discretion was the better part of valor and withdrew a few miles back, having obtained all the information necessary.

Early the next morning, July 11^th, the command again advanced on Martinsburg and succeeded in scooping in a few more of the enemy. One of them was audacious enough to try conclusions with Lieut. Hurd, but that latter not wishing to die yet gave the rebel a dose that required the immediate aid of a surgeon and a few days later that of an undertaker. The lieutenant (who afterwards became a captain) in referring to this episode modestly avers that it was the only rebel he was positively sure of killing during the war. The command went into camp on a Mr. Faulkner’s estate and remained there for several days doing picket duty and scouting. During the day Col. Richardson was placed under arrest by order of Gen. Sullivan on a trivial charge, but Gen. Duffié learning of it speedily had him released by order of Gen. Hunter, and Gen. Sullivan himself sent to the rear.

July 14^th.- The regiment moved to Bolivar Heights and on the 15^th crossed the river at Harper’s Ferry and went to Sandy Hook. Drew rations, crossed the river again at Berlin and went into camp at Hillsborough, Loudon county, Va.

July 16^th.- The regiment acted as advance guard for a brigade of infantry during the day and night following, and at daylight on the morning of the 17^th halted for a brief rest. At 10a.m., the march was resumed. At Snicker’s Gap we had a little skirmish with the Johnnies losing four men. As it was impossible to ford the river here the command fell back a short distance and bivouacked for the night.

July 18^th.- Off in the direction of Ashby’s Gap. As the column went through the Gap and down to the river the artillery was in the road, the 15^th New York Cavalry on the right of the road marching platoon front, and the 20^th Pennsylvania Cavalry was on the left of the road, Marching in the same order. The column had nearly reached the ford when the rebels on the opposite side of the river opened up with grape and canister. The 20^th Pennsylvania scattered like sheep and ran back up the hill, and did not show up again. The two advance companies of the 15^th (F and H), were ordered to cross the road and take up a position that should have been held by the runaways. In doing so several of Co. H’s men were wounded, as was also Lieut. Phillips. They held the position until the next morning before they were recalled, only to find out that orders had been given the day before to an officer of the 20^th Pennsylvania to relieve the 15^th, but his excuse was that it was too hot down there for him. Lieut. Hurd, in the presence of Gen. Duffié and staff and the rest of the 20^th Pennsylvania, called the said officer a "coward s—n of a b—h." Said officer was cashiered and dismissed from the service shortly afterwards. The total casualties of the 15^th were sixteen men wounded and missing.

July 19^th.- The command resumed its march and attempted to cross the river at Berry’s Ford, but found it impossible on account of the vigorous opposition of the enemy. Acting Lieut. Hatch was wounded during the day. The regiment was out on picket all night.

July 20^th.- Relieved from picket by the 21^st New York Cavalry and fell back to Paris, where we encamped all night, and on the 21^st moved to Snicker’s Gap and so on to Winchester, which place we reached on the 22^nd. Ambulances were sent back to Berry’s Ford under an escort of the 15^th in command of Capt. A. O. Skiff to bring in the wounded in the affair of July 19^th.

July 23^rd.- A small skirmish took place near Winchester, but the 15^th being off on the right of the army took no active part in it.

On Sunday, July 24^th, the rebel forces under Gen. Early moved down upon our army, composed of Gen's. Crook and Averill’s cavalry and a small force of infantry, and made a furious onslaught on our position. Our troops fought bravely, but being largely outnumbered were compelled to retreat with a loss of 1,200 killed, wounded and missing. The brave Col. Mulligan of the Union army was killed during the day. The retreat was kept up all night, the enemy closely pursuing us, the 15^th having a lively skirmish with their advance guard on the outskirts of Martinsburg. The rebels giving us no rest, we continued to fall back until Williamsport was reached, where we snatched a few hours’ rest and then resumed the retreat as far as Shepherdstown and halted for the night. Our casualties for the two days were 15 killed, wounded and missing.

July 27^th—Went from Shepherdstown to Pleasant Valley.

July 28^th—Moved again and went to the vicinity of Charlestown. From this time until August 2^nd the regiment was moving from one point to another, and at the date mentioned above found ourselves at Hagerstown, Md. From thence it moved to Clear Springs. At daylight on the morning of the 3^rd of August it proceeded to near Hancock, Md., where we remained until the 4^th and then went back to Clear Springs. We lay there until the 6^th when we saddled up and went to McConnellsburg. The men being without rations, the loyal citizens of the place supplied them with soft bread and other luxuries. At 3p.m. of the 7^th we were off for Hancock again, reaching there after dark and going into camp. After a couple of day’s rest another move was made in the direction of Harper’s Ferry.

August 11^th—Reveille was sounded at 4a.m., and the march was resumed. The tow-path of the canal was taken, and after a fatiguing march reached Harper’s Ferry at sundown and went into camp near Halltown.

August 13^th—The regiment was again on the move. Its effective force consisted of seventy-five mounted men for duty under command of Lieut.-Col. Root and the following company officers: Capts. Hathaway and Skiff, and Lieuts. Maxwell and Cameron. Winchester was reached at night and on the morning of the 14^th the command passed through Newtown and encamped between that place and Middletown. Mosby’s guerrillas were committing depredations in that neighborhood, having captured and burned a wagon train a few days before near Berryville. On the morning of the 15^th the march was resumed, the command arriving at Middletown at 3p.m., from which point the 15^th were ordered back to Berryville where it remained for several days.

August 18^th—Moved camp to Charlestown. Strict orders were issued to allow no one out of camp, as Mosby was raiding between there and Harper’s Ferry destroying supply trains and boggling up stragglers. We laid here until the 21^st when we broke camp and proceeded in the direction of Shepherdstown, having a slight skirmish with the enemy en route. Skirmishing was kept up the next day and we were forced to retrace our steps as the Johnnies were showing up in strong force. We reached Halltown and from there went to Point of Rocks. On the 24^th and 25^th the regiment was maneuvering from one point to another, but it had become so reduced in numbers that active operations on its part had to cease.

August 30^th—The few mounted men that remained and the dismounted men left camp and after several days’ march arrived at Hagerstown, Md. Here we boarded the cars en route for Cumberland, Md., where we arrived on Saturday, Sept. 3^rd, 1864, and pitched camp.

Thus ended a long and tedious campaign which commenced on May 9^th. The regiment had traveled in all over 3,000 miles and had been engaged in over twenty battles and skirmishes.

CHAPTER VIII.

In Camp of Cumberland—A Beautiful Location—An Occasional Drill—Receiving Horses—Execution of a Murderer—Political Excitement—The Men discuss Their Favorites for President—Casting There Votes—The Paymaster’s Welcome Visit—The Fight at Green Springs Run—Death of Lieut. Hatch—Break Camp Again—Cold Weather—Distressing Accident—The Shenandoah Valley—The View from Maryland Heights.

The men hardly knew how to act. They had been so long used to being called up at all hours of the night to start off on a march or a scout that they could scarcely realize that their marches and skirmishes were over for the present. Our camp was located just across the river from Cumberland on a knoll overlooking the place. The Baltimore & Ohio railroad ran alongside the camp. The location was a beautiful one. Cumberland was a village of about 6,000 or 7,000 inhabitants at that time and was a place of considerable importance during the war.

The men soon settled down to the usual routine of camp life which was varied occasionally by company or battalion drill on foot. Guards were stationed at the railroad bridge and on the road leading to town to pick up all stragglers from camp who were without passes. Those who were so unfortunate as not to have one were confined in the guard house or were set to work picking up stones around the camp for a day or two as a mild form of punishment.

Great pride was taken in fixing up the tents and keeping the grounds clean, and everything was as comfortable as could be. Horses were continually arriving and were apportioned off to the different companies, and soon the regiment began to put on its old warlike appearance. Company commanders were kept busy in making out their ordnance and clothing rolls, which was not an easy task after their arduous campaign of the past summer. Good news was occasionally received from General Sheridan’s forces then operating in the valley, which served to keep the men in the best of spirits and eager to take a hand again in the fracas.

On September 30^th the regiment was ordered out to witness the execution of Joseph Prevost, a member of the First New York Cavalry, which occurred on the outskirts of the town in the presence of a large crowd of soldiers and civilians. A detail of the Fifteenth acted as a guard from the jail to the place of execution. The condemned man bravely mounted the steps, the rope was adjusted, the rap sprung, when to the horror of the spectators the rope broke letting the man fall heavily to the ground. He appeared dazed at first but soon recovered and with the aid of assistants mounted the scaffold. The rope was again adjusted and he was launched into eternity. The troops were then marched back to their respective camps and dismissed.

Politics now began to engross the attention of the soldiers, as by a law of Congress the troops at the front, or those of age, were allowed to cast their votes the same as if they were at home, the only difference being that their ballots were put in an envelope, sealed up, and sent to some responsible person in their native place, designated by them, who took and saw it deposited in the ballot box on election day.

On The 25^th of October the paymaster made his welcome visit and commenced distributing the greenbacks. The veterans who had re-enlisted in the 15^th received their first installment of the bounty promised them, if I recollect right, and in consequence had quite a snug little sum due them. The clerks at the express office in town were kept busy in writing receipts for money sent home by the married men to their families. The storekeepers also reaped a rich harvest in disposing of there wares. Pipes, tobacco, pens, paper and envelopes, needles, thread, etc., made up the sum total of the necessaries purchased, while the "sweat board" had its admirers and many dollars changed hands.

On the same day that the paymaster made his appearance a detail of sixty-eight men from the regiment were sent to Green Spring Run, a station several miles east of Cumberland, to guard the B.& O.R.R. The force was under the command of acting lieut. Hatch of Co. A. At 2a.m. on the morning of November 1^st, just a week after their arrival, while the men lay asleep in their tents, they were suddenly awakened from their slumbers by a terrific volley and the bullets came crashing through their frail habitations. A force of rebels had succeeded in surprising and capturing the pickets before they could give the alarm, then following up their success took the camp unawares. The men rallied as quickly as possible in the darkness and confusion and made a vigorous resistance, but the death of Lieut. Hatch deprived them of their leader and becoming disheartened were easily taken prisoners. The casualties were sixty-four killed, wounded and missing, only four managing to escape. The death of Lieut. Hatch cast a gloom over the regiment. His commission as a lieutenant was received a few days after the sad event.

But the enjoyments and comforts of camp life must come to an end sooner or later. The regiment having received its full complement of horses and part of their arms were ordered on the 16^th of November to pack up and get ready for another move.

November 17^th—Left Cumberland at 4a.m. in a drenching rain storm. The men were all in good spirits and were eager once more to take an active part in putting down the rebellion. We passed through Springfield during the afternoon and encamped for the night a few miles beyond. Resuming the march on the 18^th, nightfall found us at a place called Bloomery, and on the 19^th we reached Martinsburg once more, going into camp on a knoll just outside of the village. The weather by this time had become raw and chilly and the shelter tents with which we were provided afforded the men but scant protection from the wintry blasts, and in consequence they suffered severely.

November 22^nd—Six companies under command of Major Hyde left for Winchester in charge of an immense wagon train, arriving at their destination in safety at 9p.m.

November 24^th—The remaining six companies left Martinsburg at 10 a.m., and at night went into camp at Halltown. The next day they proceeded to Harper’s Ferry, crossed the river and went into camp in Pleasant Valley, Md., where the rest of the regiment rejoined us.

While lying in camp here a distressing accident happened to Myron Ostrander, a member of Co. F. On returning to camp from picket duty on the morning of November 30^th, and while in the act of dismounting, the hammer of his carbine got caught in some manner, causing the weapon to be discharged. The bullet lodged in his right leg causing an ugly looking wound and necessitating amputation of the limb.

We remained in Pleasant Valley until December 3^rd when we moved camp to Charlestown, Va., and on the following day passed through Winchester and went into camp a few miles beyond.

To the lovers of nature, the Shenandoah Valley presents an ever varied scene of beauty. From the summit of Maryland heights the view is magnificent. In the distance one can see Martinsburg, Charlestown, and Winchester; beneath lies the historic town of Harper’s Ferry, while the Potomac river, whose waters have been dyed crimson with the blood of brave men on both sides, can be traced for miles upon miles in the distance. To your left towers Loudon Heights dark and gloomy, while at its base flows the Shenandoah river. Standing on the shores of the Potomac at Point of Rocks on a moonlight night and looking up towards the valley, the scene is one of the most magnificent that one can imagine.

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