MILITARY: One Hundred and Fiftieth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Second
Regiment, Bucktail Brigade, Chapter 17
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HISTORY OF THE
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH REGIMENT
PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS,
SECOND REGIMENT, BUCKTAIL BRIGADE.
BY
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL THOMAS CHAMBERLIN,
HISTORIAN OF THE SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION.
REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION, WITH COMPLETE ROSTER.
PHILADELPHIA: F. McMANUS, JR. & CO., PRINTERS, 1905.
PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS
CHAPTER XVII.
FROM CENTREVILLE BACK TO THE "OLD STAMPING GROUND" -
WARRENTON JUNCTION - MINE RUN - PAOLI MILLS.
THWARTED in his effort to take Meade at a disadvantage and deliver an
effective blow on his flank somewhere between the Rappahannock and Manassas
Junction - a region whose multitude of roads had more than once before
furnished opportunities of successful attack by means of rapid circuitous
marches, - Lee soon retraced his steps and led his army back to the
neighborhood of Culpeper. The Union forces were promptly in motion in the same
direction.
On the 19th of October the First Corps left Centreville and advanced to
Haymarket, over roads which had been rendered very heavy by recent rains. Next
day the column passed through Thoroughfare Gap and encamped about a mile from
Bull Run Mountain. Before the 150th and the other regiments of the brigade had
fairly relieved themselves of their knapsacks, on the evening of the 19th, a
considerable body of cavalry, which had pushed forward some miles to
reconnoitre, came back in headlong gallop, closely pursued by a superior force
of rebel horse, who in the gathering darkness rode into the very midst of the
infantry before perceiving their danger, and only by a helter-skelter retreat
escaped capture.
On the afternoon of the 22d Major Chamberlin returned and resumed the command
of the regiment, which had moved its camp close to the mountain. Two days later
the division retired through the gap to Gainesville Station, and' thence to
Bristoe, the Bucktail Brigade acting as rear-guard, and covering the wagon
trains, which moved with difficulty on account
178 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH
of the miry condition of the roads. Soon after leaving Gainesville heavy
firing of small-arms was heard some distance in the rear, and as it was
supposed that Stuart's cavalry was playing some prank with Kilpatrick, the
brigade quickly took position to receive the enemy. Mounted couriers soon
reported that Kilpatrick's command was emptying its carbines preparatory to
cleaning them, and the march was resumed and completed without further alarm.
At Broad Run there was no bridge, and wagons and men forded the stream in water
over two feet deep. Reaching Bristoe at ten P.M. thoroughly basted with mud, the
troops passed an uncomfortable night, the temperature having fallen almost to
the freezing-point.
Here the 150th remained a week or more, improving each fair day by a full
measure of company and battalion drill. Captain Jones and Lieutenant Bell, who
had been in Philadelphia on recruiting service, rejoined their companies about
the 23d, leaving Lieutenant Kilgore to make further efforts in behalf of the
regiment. Sergeant-Major Lyon returned on the 24th, having been absent since
the battle of Gettysburg. On the 27th the 143d Pennsylvania was sent to
Manassas Junction to guard the railroad. Lieutenant Fisher returned from the
ambulance train to duty with his company on the 30th.
In the early part of November a general movement of the army began. The First
and Second Divisions of the First Corps advanced to Catlett Station, November
5th, and on the 6th continued the march towards the Rappahannock. On the latter
day the Second Brigade, Third Division, moved from Bristoe to Warrenton
Junction. The Mine Run diversion had begun.
A pleasing incident, on the 6th of November, was the unexpected appearance at
regimental headquarters of Private Dennis Buckley, of Company H, 6th Michigan
Cavalry, who had borne a gallant part with the 150th at Gettysburg. He
PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 179
was warmly welcomed by all who had witnessed his admirable conduct in that
engagement. "Sure, I had lots of fun after that", he said; and he told, among
other things, how his regiment had swept over some rifle-pits near
Williamsport, where, with his own hand, he had collared a rebel colonel and
brought him back a prisoner. "He was mad as a blind bull, the uppish grayback;
but I swung my sabre in a promiscuous manner, and he came along without further
coaxing".
Dennis was a born soldier, who saw only the agreeable side of campaigning,
and never murmured at hard work as long as he could shake a ration out of his
haversack.
On the 7th the Second, Third and a portion of the First Corps (First and
Second Divisions) took the direction of Kelly's Ford, while the Fifth and Sixth
moved towards Rappahannock Station. At Warrenton Junction the sound of
cannonading could be distinctly heard from the latter point during the
afternoon, but nothing was known of what occurred until the following morning,
when news was received of the storming of the rebel redoubts near the railroad
bridge, at nightfall, and the capture of a large part of Hoke's and Hays's
brigades, with several stands of colors and a battery of guns. The prisoners
were marched back to Warrenton Junction on the 8th, and sent by train to
Washington. The beginning of Meade's movement was as brilliant as its end was
disappointing.
As the Third Division of the First Corps had no part in the Mine Run affair,
except to insure the safety of the army supplies in transit, it is unnecessary
to follow the operations of the troops in that brief and unsuccessful campaign.
For the protection of the railroad, the several brigades of the division were
at first distributed as follows: the Third (Marylanders) at Bristoe Station; the
First at Catlett; the Second (Bucktails) at Warrenton Junction, at which
last-named point General Kenly established his headquarters. This assignment
180 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH
was soon modified, the 143d and 149th Pennsylvania being sent to Bristoe and
Manassas Junction and the Maryland brigade transferred to Warrenton Junction.
The latter station was regarded of such importance, on account of the heavy
supply trains which frequently rested upon the "Y", that in addition to the
150th and the Maryland brigade (which in numbers equalled the other two
combined), General Kenly posted two batteries of artillery near his
headquarters, and kept a squadron or two of cavalry within hail. As Mosby's
independent command of mounted bushwhackers was known to be in the rear of the
Union army, a sharp lookout was kept for him all along the line, involving the
maintenance of an extended circle of pickets around each station, with heavy
patrols in almost constant motion up and down the railroad track. While the
Marylanders remained, the duty at Warrenton Junction was not excessive; but
about the 23d of November General Kenly received orders to change his
headquarters to Rappahannock Station, and on the following morning departed,
taking with him the entire Maryland brigade, the two batteries of artillery,
and the cavalry. This left the 150th, with an added detail of about one hundred
men (chiefly conscripts, newly arrived) from the 143d and 149th, to guard a
post which had previously required the services of at least two thousand troops
of all arms. Major Chamberlin, who was left in command, at once found it
necessary to contract the picket line and reduce the strength of the patrols;
but with the best dispositions that could possibly be made, at least one-half
of his force of three hundred men was on active duty each day. To better insure
the safety of the halted trains, he withdrew from the edge of the pleasant
grove, some distance back from the railroad, in which the camp had originally
been pitched by General Kenly's orders, and located the regiment on a knoll
immediately overlooking the junction. Snow having fallen on November 9th and
10th, giving promise of an early winter, snug quarters were erected as
PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 181
rapidly as the exacting demands of the service permitted, and a line of
rifle-pits was prepared encircling the entire camp. Here the men felt more
secure than before, but the details for picket and patrol purposes were
necessarily as heavy as ever, and almost nightly alarms occurring at one point
or another, from the attempts of guerillas to penetrate the lines, the nervous
tension finally became such that not a member of the command but would gladly
have exchanged places with the troops confronting the enemy at Mine Run. Near
Catlett and other stations along the railroad the bushwhacking element was
active, and several men who had gone a short distance from their camps to cut
wood or wash their clothes were shot down in cold blood and stripped to the
skin. This state of affairs at last became intolerable, and Colonel Biddle,
commanding the First Brigade, sent out details of cavalry and infantry with
instructions to scour the country for several miles on each side of the
railroad, and arrest and bring to his headquarters, at Catlett, every male
citizen who could be found. Quite a number were "rounded up" in a few hours,-a
longhaired, brigandish-looking set, in "butternut" suits,-every one of whom
probably belonged to Mosby's "Irregulars"; but being well provided with
properly signed passes, as well as certificates to the effect that they had
taken the oath of allegiance to the United States government, nothing was to be
done with them but to let them go. A few, whose papers were defective or who
lacked written evidence of their loyalty, were sent to Old Capitol Prison at
Washington.
Among others who were arrested was Dr. Catlett-a gentleman well advanced in
years-whose comparatively young and handsome wife came to Colonel Biddle to
plead for her husband's release. Arrayed in the remains of ante-bellum finery,
with gown and hat of a departed fashion, her appearance at a social gathering
anywhere north of the Potomac would doubtless have provoked a smile; but to the
war-worn
182 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH
soldier, confined by his calling to this ravaged and hoof-beaten strip of the
Old Dominion, she was a most picturesque and pleasing figure. The colonel was a
paragon of severity in manner and feature, cool and passionless as an icicle;
but the tears and entreaties of this admirable woman did their perfect work,
and her aged husband was permitted to return to his home.
Such was the feeling in the ranks towards the long-haired gentry near the
railroad, who by day were "inoffensive farmers", but were with reason suspected
to be guerillas by night, that when, in the course of the same afternoon, two of
the lank and hated tribe, who had been released at Catlett, passed near the camp
of the 150th, appeals were made to the commanding officer by several of the men
for permission to go outside and waylay them. Of course he could not
countenance such a procedure, though persuaded in his own mind that a little
shooting and hanging, and a judicious application of the torch to the
farm-houses and barns on either side of the railroad, would save the Union army
a world of annoyance.
One bright afternoon, just before Thanksgiving Day, a rickety wagon, drawn by
two melancholy looking horses whose frame-work was sharply outlined against
their hides, and whose harness was a complicated blending of leather and hemp,
drew up in close proximity to the camp. In it sat an old couple who seemed to
have fared as meagrely as their "critters"; but they were bright and chirrupy,
and had brought an assorted load of "country produce" from Brentsville, to
exchange at fair prices for greenbacks. Such an arrival was a godsend, and in a
moment the wagon was surrounded by an eager crowd of purchasers, clamorous for
bargains. Chickens, eggs, potatoes, turnips and other supplies were handed out
as fast as change could be made, and were carried off to quarters in triumph. A
dainty morsel, in the shape of a pair of fine young ducks, was coveted by many
of the men; but the three dollars
PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 183
at which they were held seemed to spoil their market, and though often
caressingly handled, they invariably found their way back into the wagon. The
roguish element is never wanting in a regiment. A fair-haired, beardless youth,
of Company E, found in the ducks an irresistible temptation. Watching his
opportunity, he slipped them from under the very noses of the old couple,
without detection, and, hiding them under his blouse, walked coolly to his
tent. The theft was soon discovered and the air filled with lamentations by the
old woman, who vowed she would stop all transactions then and there. They were
Union people, she said, who since the beginning of the war had suffered much
persecution from rebel neighbors, and had had a hard struggle for existence.
And to have her beautiful ducks stolen by Union soldiers, - it was too much!
And she refused to be comforted, even by the thought of the goodly roll of
bills which she had already pocketed.
The regimental commander, who from a distance had looked on and enjoyed the
scene, was cognizant of the rape of the clucks, and felt that it was time to
intervene. His desire was to encourage the bringing of wholesome vegetables and
other supplies to the camp. He accordingly ordered the ducks to be restored to
their owners, which was done, and the old couple drove away in their creaking
vehicle in great contentment.
The health of the regiment at this time was excellent, and Dr. Strauss, the
only medical officer present, was easily able to do justice to all his
patients. Dr. Quinan, for reasons best known to himself, failed to rejoin the
command after the battle of Gettysburg, and on the 23d of November was
dismissed the service, thus making way for the promotion of Dr. Strauss.
Shortly before this (November 15) Henry M. Kieffer,* a fair-haired
drummer-boy of Company D, in the absence of a *Rev. Henry M. Kieffer, D.D., is
best known by his "Recollections of a Drummer-Boy", which first appeared in St.
Nicholas, and since, in book form, have given pleasure to many thousands of
readers.
184 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH
hospital steward, was promoted to that position. Being a bright, intelligent
youth, of good education, and a general favorite in the regiment, his
appointment gave great satisfaction, though in its reduced condition the
drum-corps keenly felt his withdrawal.
Expressions of regret were often heard at the fact that Adjutant Ashhurst's
services were lost to the command, that accomplished officer having retired
from the army on the 10th of September, on surgeon's certificate of disability.
Highly educated, polished in his manners, of a genial disposition, conscientious
and untiring in the discharge of his countless duties, patriotic, brave and
always gentlemanly, he was sorely missed in the detail work of the regiment,
and his absence left a void in the headquarters mess which it was impossible to
fill.
Corporal William H. Hirst, of Company I, was wounded in the thigh, near
Catlett Station, on or about November 25th, while assisting to repel an attack
on an ammunition train by a portion of Mosby's command.
On the morning of November 30th, Lieutenant W.L. Wilson, acting assistant
adjutant-general, First Brigade, brought an order from Colonel Biddle (to whose
command the 150th was temporarily assigned) to send a sergeant and twenty-one
men for permanent duty at Licking Run Bridge, about two miles west of Warrenton
Junction. Major Chamberlin, wondering if the colonel had gone entirely daft,
immediately mounted his horse and rode to Catlett, hoping to have the order
countermanded. Colonel Biddle assured him that it had come down from division
headquarters and was imperative.
"But, colonel, you know as well as I do that Mosby's men are in our
neighborhood, and that placing so small a force at that distant post is simply
inviting its capture. It would not be surprising if the men were all gobbled up
the very first night."
PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 185
"I know it", said the colonel; "but there is no alternative, and you are
absolved in advance from all responsibility for the consequences."
The detail was sent out about noon, and fixed its camp at the foot of the
high embankment, on the farther side of the stream, a few yards from the
bridge. That night, about eleven o'clock, firing was heard in the direction of
Licking Run, and twenty minutes later one of the men of the detail came in
breathless, stating that the post had been attacked by Mosby and several of the
guards captured. A mounted orderly was sent in hot haste to Colonel Biddle to
report the disaster and request that a squadron or two of cavalry be despatched
to the scene. Four companies of the 150th had been instructed to sleep with
their accoutrements on, and these were promptly called out and marched with the
utmost rapidity towards the bridge. The cavalry passed them on the way, but
failed to encounter Mosby, who had had ample time to reach a place of safety.
On arriving at the bridge, the infantry found the guards at their posts, and
quickly learned the details of the attack, which was less disastrous in its
results than it might have been. The force of the enemy was variously estimated
at from fifty to a hundred, and had come down quietly on the little camp, in the
darkness, evidently with a full knowledge of its exact location and the number
of men with whom they had to deal. The sentinels on duty gave the alarm as soon
as the enemy's approach was discovered, but it was too late, and seven men were
picked up before they could get out of their tents. The rest escaped across the
run and opened a vigorous fire, which doubtless had much to do with the hasty
disappearance of the attacking party, who made no effort to fire the bridge.
Strengthening the guard, and leaving a reliable commissioned officer in charge,
the major led the four companies back to camp. A few days later a Richmond
paper, which in some way had come through the lines, reported the arrival of
[sic, some text apparently omitted.]
188 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH
A few days later (December 19) he writes, "The major has gone off on a ten
days' leave. Wise man, not to stay where he is not needed! One field-officer
is all that our small brood needs to keep it in order, and then four eyes would
see more rebel property disappear than two eyes, which would be harsh towards
men fighting for their country. Our men, one night on the march, had to give up
nine horses. When they moved in the morning they had fifteen more.
Self-preservation is a commendable trait in soldiers".
Speaking of horses, the entire region from Manassas to the Rapidan abounded
in these animals, many of which had been disabled in battle, while others had
broken down in the transportation service and had been turned loose to die at
their leisure. Rest and abundant pasture in many instances restored the
suffering beasts to a fair condition of health and strength, and such were
speedily utilized by the infantry officers in conveying their baggage from one
camping ground to another.
On one occasion, "Rody", of Company B, came into camp leading by an
improvised rope halter a wretched mule, which had been discharged for
disability and with difficulty was going on three legs. On its back he had
packed a mass of camp-kettles, knapsacks and miscellaneous articles, which
completely masked the animal's body, and rose like a mountain in the centre.
Addressing his company commander, he said,
"Captain, I've brought you a horse to carry your baggage".
"But what are you doing with that house-furnishing stock on his back ?"
"Well, you see, captain, the d-d beast kicks like h-l, and I had to load him
down to keep him from kicking."
At that moment the offended mule began to give a practical exhibition of his
attainments as a kicker, and never ceased until he had relieved himself of the
entire burden of what "Rody" was pleased to call his "equipperments".
PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS 189
It is needless to add that the captain declined the proffered pack-horse.
On the 14th of December, Lieutenant-Colonel Huidekoper writes, "Colonel
Wister made a capture of some hundred sheep a few days ago, and has still a few
left, which Rittenhouse prepares for us when we want mutton. . . .Leaves of
absence and furloughs are being granted to the number of eight to a regiment at
one time, and I am thronged by worthy applicants. As a rule, I give preference
to the married men, and the boys laughingly ask permission to go home to get
married".
On the 21st, in another letter, he says, "Thanks for the stockings for the
men, which were distributed immediately to the most needy, as requested.
Colonel Wister advised, when he heard I had stockings for the men, to give them
away at guard-mounting. The man who saluted me worst yesterday, and who was
evidently the most needy, had a pair promised him as soon as he should learn to
salute properly, which he soon did. I was almost tempted to keep one of the fine
pairs for myself, but it went to a Germantown boy . . . .Our cook, Nelson, who
is nearly sixty years of age, will not allow the `boys' to do anything for me.
He receives at my hands a ration of whiskey a day, saying, 'Massa, I need it;
I'se getting old' ".
Winter had now fairly set in, but the regiment was provided with comfortable
quarters and looked forward to weeks, if not months, of profound inactivity.
With much labor they had constructed huts of young pine timber, with generous
fireplaces and approved chimneys, and hoped to be allowed to enjoy them until
the opening of spring should summon them to fresh campaigns. In this they were
disappointed. On the 23d of December the ground was covered with snow and the
air was clear and crisp, making the atmosphere of the well-built quarters
doubly enjoyable. Before night orders came to be ready to move, and on the 24th
the division broke
190 ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH
camp and marched, over roads that would have been almost impassable but for a
foundation of recently laid corduroy, to Culpeper Court-House, which was reached
about four P. M. Here the regiment bivouacked just outside of the upper end of
the town, in a grove of young pines, not far from a large frame dwelling which
had been selected by General Kenly as his headquarters. The 143d and 149th went
into the oak timber half a mile beyond, on the property of a Mrs. Green-a comely
widow of most lady-like manners and still in the freshness of her womanhood -a
part of whose delightful old mansion was occupied by Colonel Wister and the
brigade staff.