CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 The Gift of 
 
 NEWTON C. FARR 
 
 Class of 1909 
 
Cornell University Library 
 E547.H2 W45 
 
 Hampton and his cavalry In '64. 
 
 olin 
 
 3 1924 030 921 450 
 
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 the Cornell University Library. 
 
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JfoAMlvflTK^ 
 
Hampton and His Cavalry 
 in 64. 
 
 EDWARD L. WELLS, 
 
 CHARLESTON, S. C. 
 
 RICHMOND, VA.: 
 B. F. JOHNSON PUBLISHING COMPANY, 
 
 1899. <''r'(."r-'<, 
 
 / 
 
 
Copyright, 1899, 
 
 BV 
 
 B, F. Johnson. 
 
TO 
 
 CONFEDERA TES, 
 
 LIVING AND DEAD, 
 
 AND TO 
 
 ALL OTHER TRUE SOLDIERS, 
 
 WHATEVER 
 
 THEIR FLAG OR FAITH, WHO WOULD 
 
 FIGHT TO THE DEA TH IN A 
 
 RIGHTEOUS CAUSE, 
 
 THIS BOOK 
 
 IS 
 
 DEDICA TED. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This book is intended to be a sketch of that por- 
 tion of the military career of Lieutenant-General 
 Wade Hampton embraced in the campaign of 
 1864, when he commanded the Cavalry, which was 
 then an important part of the fighting power of the 
 Army of Northern Virginia. 
 
 The facts related are based upon documents and 
 letters in the possession of General Hampton and 
 memoranda prepared by him, to which he has been 
 kind enough to permit me to have access. Most 
 of these were, by General Robert E. Lee's request, 
 arranged for his use when he had the intention of 
 writing the history of his campaigns. Other 
 sources of information and verification, of which I 
 have made use, are official reports and correspond- 
 ence contained in the " Official Records of the 
 Union and Confederate Armies," published by the 
 United States War Department, and also authentic 
 evidence furnished by eye-witnesses of the events, 
 or by those conversant with the facts referred to. 
 
 It has been the writer's purpose to avoid in this 
 narrative all exaggeration and artificial description, 
 believing that the facts alone best tell the story of 
 that momentous period, when the fate of the North- 
 ern as well as of the Southern Confederacy was 
 daily trembling in the balance. 
 
 E. L. W. 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 General Wade Hampton . .... ... Frontispiece 
 
 TJie bather surprised by General Hampton 31 
 
 Colonel Wade Hampton, of the War of 1S12, father of Gen- 
 eral Wade Hampton . . . .... 53 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Hampton, slain in the battle of 
 
 Brandy Station, younger brother of General Hampton, 69- 
 The battle of Brandy Station, Culpeper county, Vd., June 
 
 9, 1S63 8^ 
 
 Preparing for the field. From many of the humbler homes 
 
 came many of the finest soldiers 105 
 
 Map of Central Virginia 119 
 
 Wade Hampton, Lieutenant- General, G. S A . ... 143- 
 An improvised hospital. This was a barn turned hurriedly 
 
 into a receimng station for wounded men . . . 163 
 
 Capturing a Federal loagon train. Uncle Sam aiding the 
 
 Confederate Quartermaster's Department .... 179^ 
 
 The explosion of the caisson, which seemed to give the signal 
 for the victorious charge at Trevilian's, Louisa county, 
 
 Va.,June lZ,186It 207 
 
 Infantry capturing a Federal battery 221 
 
 General Hampton's sword . . 233- 
 
 A night's rest. Typical scene in a Confederate cavalry 
 
 camp 251 
 
 General Wade Hampton of the tears of 1776 and 1812. The 
 
 grandfather of General Hampton 261 
 
 Fitz Simons house, Hasel street, Charleston, S. C, birth- 
 place of General Hampton ... 275 
 
 The beefsteak raid. Prince George county, Va 297 
 
 South of the James . .,.,... 315 
 
 Lieutenant William Preston Hampton, A. D. C, mortally 
 
 wounded at battle of Burgess Mill . . 331 
 
 Father and son 347 
 
 Lieutenant Wade Hampton, eldest son of General Hampton, 
 
 wounded in the battle of Burgess Mill £71 
 
 A favorite tree of General Hampton's in the grounds at 
 
 Millwood 395 
 
 Buins of Millwood — General Hampton's home — near Co- 
 lumbia, 8. C, destroyed by Sherman's armicH 417 
 
OOISTTENTS. 
 
 <;haptee. Page. 
 
 I. BIRTH, ANCESTRY, AND EARLY LIFE 
 
 CHARACTERISTICS SPORTSMAN— COT- 
 TON-PLANTER: — THE WAR IN THE 
 
 INFANTRY TRANSFERRED TO CAV- 
 ALRY. ..... 9 
 
 II. THE CAVALRY IN 1 864 SUBSISTENCE, 
 
 ARMAMENT, HORSES, &C. . . 78 
 
 III. PO.SITION OF THE ARMIES BEFORE THE 
 
 OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 
 
 1864 SURPRISE OF KILPATRICK's 
 
 FORCE DAHLGREN RAID. . . I07 
 
 IV. REORGANIZATION OF HAMPTON's DIVIS- 
 
 ION COMMENCEMENT OF THE CAM- 
 PAIGN WILDERNESS SHERIDAN's 
 
 RICHMOND RAI D DEATH OF 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 Chaptbk. Page. 
 
 STUART HAMPTON IN COMMAND 
 
 COMPOSITION AND NUMBERS OF THE 
 
 CORPS — Sheridan's CORPS, and num- 
 ber OF men HAWES' SHOP MA- 
 
 TADEQUIN CREEK ASHLAND COLD 
 
 HARBOR. . . . . .124 
 
 V. THE TREVILIAN CAMPAIGN. . . 187 
 
 VI. THE WILSON RAID. . . . 229 
 
 VII. PICKETING SHERIDAN TRANSFERRED 
 
 TO COMMAND IN THE SHENANDOAH 
 VALLEY DIVISION COMMANDERS OR- 
 DERED TO REPORT DIRECT TO HAMP- 
 TON CHANGE OF STAFF. . .250 
 
 VIII. CHANGES IN THE FEDERAL AND CON- 
 FEDERATE CAVALRY FORCES, AND THE 
 
 NUMBERS OF EACIi ENGAGEMENTS 
 
 OF AUGUST I 6th AND I 7TH ON THE 
 
 NORTH SIDE OF THE JAMES BUTLER's 
 
 SUCCESS ON AUGUST 2 3D AT REAMS 
 
 STATION BATTLE OF REAMS STATION 
 
 ON AUGUST 2 5Tri. . . .267 
 
 IX. THE CATTLE-RAID THE SCOUTS. . 287 
 
CONTENTS. T 
 
 Chaptek. Page. 
 
 X. ROSSER AND THE " LAUREL BRIGADE " 
 
 DETACHED THE FIGHTING SOUTH 
 
 OF THE JAMES DURING THE LAST 
 
 DAYS OF SEPTEMBER BATTLE OF 
 
 BURGESS MILL, OCTOBER 27TH 
 
 FIVE FORKS AND LEe's LETTER TO 
 HAMPTON ABOUT THE RESULT. . 312 
 
 XI. CAMP CORRESPONDENCE STONY 
 
 CREEK MILES TRIES TO ATTACK THE 
 
 RIGHT FLANK WARREN's RAID ON 
 
 THE WELDON RAILROAD END OF 
 
 THE CAMPAIGN OF '64 HAMPTON 
 
 ORDERED TO SOUTH CAROLINA 
 
 MORALE OF EUTLEr's DIVISION 
 
 CAPTURE OF KILPATRICK's CAMP 
 
 THE LONE DAMSE L BUTLER's 
 
 CHARGE " BUCKLAND RACES " 
 
 THE CHALLENGE. . . . 368 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY 
 
 IN 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 BIRTH, ANCESTRY, AND EARLY LIFE CHARACTER- 
 ISTICS SPORTSMAN COTTON-PLANTER THE 
 
 WAR IN THE INFANTRY TRANSFERRED TO 
 
 CAVALRY. 
 
 ilEUTENANT- GENERAL WADE 
 HAMPTON, C. S. A., the subject 
 of this sketch, was born in Charles- 
 ton, S. C, on March 28, 18 18. In Hasel 
 street, within sound of the chimes of old Saint 
 Michael's bells, he first saw the light. The 
 
10 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 watchman's voice from the tower giving assur- 
 ance that "All's well!" had that day special 
 meaning in the light of future events. 
 
 The orreat-orrandfather of our General came 
 from Virginia to the Colony of South Carolina 
 previous to the Revolutionary War, and settled 
 in Spartanburg District. Here he and most of 
 his family were murdered by the Indians in 
 1775. Several of his sons, including the grand- 
 father of the present General Hampton, were 
 absent from home at the time, and thus escaped 
 the massacre, and all of them afterwards served 
 in the war waged for its independence by the 
 colony against the British Crown. Wade 
 Hampton, the grandfather of the subject of 
 this sketch, belonged to the cavalry commanded 
 by Colonel Washington, and was lieutenant- 
 colonel at the battle of Eutaw. In all the fio-ht- 
 ing of those stirring days that cavalry was ever 
 prominent, and the swish of Hampton's sabre 
 always heard in the charge. This sword has 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 11 
 
 been carefully preserved in the family of its 
 bearer, and has the look of one made for use. 
 The blade is much curved, broad, and scimiter- 
 like, suitable, when wielded by a stalwart arm, 
 for dealing telling blows, but not so well adapted 
 for thrusting, which is now accounted more 
 deadly. 
 
 The Colonial forces operating in this section 
 at that period were small in proportion to 
 those of their adversaries. They experienced 
 trying times, but fought stoutly and well, and 
 their work largely contributed to, if it was not de- 
 cisive of, the final general result of the contest. 
 Modern imperialists, who are carried away with 
 the fallacy that God always favors the heaviest 
 battalions, may sneer, if they can find it in their 
 hearts to do so, at the smallness of the numbers 
 of the Colonial fighters in this section, but one 
 has never yet heard the Spartans of Ther- 
 mopylae twitted or belittled on the same ground. 
 The authority of McCrady, the historian of 
 
12 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 South Carolina, unsurpassed in research and 
 conscientious statement, may well be quoted 
 here : 
 
 "We shall attempt to show to how great 
 an extent the ultimate result of the whole 
 Revolutionary struggle in the country was 
 dependent upon the operations of the parti- 
 san bands of South Carolina and her two 
 neighboring States. 
 »** * * *#* 
 
 " We shall undertake to show that it was 
 by these voluntary uprisings of the people 
 of South Carolina, with the assistance of 
 their friends in North Carolina and Georgia, 
 that the whole of the enemy's plans were 
 foiled, frustrated, and broken up, and the 
 grand culmination of Yorktown rendered 
 possible. 
 
 " We venture to believe that the record 
 we shall present will show that no one of 
 the thirteen original States of the Union suf- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALR7. . 13 
 
 fered so severely in the War of the Revo- 
 lution as the State of South Carolina ; that 
 in no one was there so much actual warfare ; 
 in no one was there such an uprising of the 
 people ; in no one was there so much accom- 
 plished for the general cause, and that with 
 so little assistance." 
 
 The author from whom we have just quoted 
 adds that he has a Ust of 130 battles, engage- 
 ments, etc., which took place in South Carolina 
 during the Revolutionary struggle, and that the 
 records show " there was actual fighting in 
 every county in the State, at present organ- 
 ized, but three, and that these three were 
 traversed by both armies." 
 
 In the War of 181 2 the Wade Hampton of 
 Revolutionary fame was one of the generals 
 sent to the Northern frontier, and there again 
 he battled for the common cause of the States. 
 That the military successes in that theatre were 
 not more brilliant was due to no fault on his 
 
] 4 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VA LB T. 
 
 part, but to reasons not necessary here to 
 revive. 
 
 The wars ended, the old General resumed 
 his agricultural pursuits. He was among the 
 very first, if not the first, to grasp the idea of 
 the paramount importance, for his section, of 
 cotton culture, and entered largely into it with 
 the same good judgment and sturdy resolution 
 that had distinguished his military career. As 
 a consequence, he amassed a fortune, and left 
 to his descendants a very large estate, in which 
 were comprised extensive tracts of productive 
 land in Mississippi and Louisiana as well as in 
 South Carolina. As we have said, he came to 
 South Carolina from Virginia, the " Old Domin- 
 ion," the mother, whose vigorous blood can be 
 traced in a large proportion of the most 
 prominent men of action in the South and 
 West which our country has produced. Hamp- 
 ton is another instance of this descent. His 
 characteristics were marked, and would have 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 15 
 
 made themselves felt in any occupation he 
 might have pursued. To his dying day he re- 
 tained an imperious will, which would brook no 
 interference with his own rights, nor tolerate it 
 if attempted against weaker neighbors. To 
 maintain right and fair play, and, in doing this, 
 not to count closely the odds against him in 
 war or peace, were his actuating principles, and 
 those disposed to give heed to the laws of 
 heredity, inexorable for weal or woe, are not 
 surprised to recognize the same traits in his 
 distinguished grandson. A little thing will 
 sometimes better illustrate the bent of charac- 
 ter than a greater. Old General Hampton in 
 his later years was on his way one summer to 
 the Virginia springs to drink the waters and 
 take a rest. It was the custom of those hospi- 
 table days for the traveler to stop with his horses 
 for the night and lodge at almost any con- 
 venient house where darkness overtook him. 
 It was in this way, as local philologists assert, 
 
16 HAMPTON AND Hia CAVALRY. 
 
 that was originated the name of a well-beloved 
 Southern dish, "hopinjohn." At the door of a 
 planter whose larder, strange to say, happened 
 just then to be slenderly provided, appeared 
 one evening the genial face of an acquaintance, 
 who announced that he had ridden in to pass 
 the night, and to him cordial welcome was given. 
 Said the kindly planter, as he warmly shook his 
 guest's hand, and conducted him to the house : 
 
 "Right glad to see you. Sorry I have no- 
 thing for you to eat except rice and peas and a 
 chine of bacon, but we will do the best we can 
 for you. Hop in, John ! " 
 
 So John "hopped-in" doors, and for so doing 
 deserves immortal fame, for he christened an 
 excellent dish. 
 
 Old General Hampton, on the occasion above 
 mentioned, stopped for the night at a friend's 
 house, and, being an early riser, was found by 
 his host next morning quietly sitting in the shade 
 of a tree near the porch, on one of the branches 
 
HAMPTON AND 'HIS OAVALBY. 17 
 
 of which were hanging the decapitated mortal 
 remains of a huge turkey-gobbler. In reply to 
 the look of surprise on his host's face, the old 
 General remarked : 
 
 "I had to kill him. He was strutting about 
 and beating all the smaller fowls, and I could 
 not endure it. It was not fair play." 
 
 The unhappy owner of the offending bird 
 admitted that his favorite's fate was deserved, 
 comforting himself with the reflection how 
 steadfastly the old gentleman had formerly fol- 
 lowed the same principle in dealing with Tarle- 
 ton's fierce troopers. 
 
 Colonel Wade Hampton, father of the present 
 General, was a planter with extensive interests 
 and large estate. He was very fond of thorough- 
 bred horses, and raised some of the finest this 
 country has produced. Noted as a patron of 
 the turf, his motives were only the sport and 
 improvement of the breed of horses, and not 
 
 the greed of winning stakes. At his fine old 
 ■z 
 
18 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 place, Millwood, some five -miles from Colum- 
 bia, where the spacious mansion was burned by 
 Sherman, was a private race-track, to be seer; 
 to-day, where his horses were exercised and 
 trained. His heart was as large as his means, 
 and his generosity as broad as his acres, and 
 he was beloved by everyone. It was said hq 
 never was so happy as when presenting a well. 
 bred horse or bull of pedigree to some friend, 
 who especially admired the animal. His homq 
 was one where the charm of plantation life was 
 well illustrated, and where fat, contented ne- 
 groes gave living proof of happiness in their 
 sheltered existence. In this circle, where kindly 
 feelings and gentle, attractive manners held 
 sway, unostentatious bountiful hospitality was 
 to be found by all comers ; planters, sportsmen, 
 and men of culture, all worthy of it, found wel- 
 come without reference to the depth of their 
 purses. Among others, George Bancroft was 
 a visitor. That was in the days of the first edi- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 19 
 
 tions of his history, before the results of the 
 Civil War had induced him to re-write, in a dif- 
 ferent sense, for later editions those portions 
 dealing with the States' Rights controversy. 
 Times change and we change, it is true; but 
 how can facts change ? 
 
 A young friend of the Hampton family was, 
 at one time, a student of the South Carolina 
 College at Columbia, and each week, on Fri- 
 day afternoon, was in the habit of riding out to 
 Millwood, where he remained a guest until the 
 following Monday morning. His horse he kept 
 during the week at a public stable in the town. 
 Now, Colonel Hampton was a trustee of the 
 South Carolina College, and it was prohibited 
 by the letter of the law of the Institution for 
 any student to keep his horse, as it was sup- 
 posed to be a source of distraction from studies. 
 It was, however, a law more honored in the 
 breach than the observance. But the Colonel 
 was punctilious in his regard of rules, and could 
 
20 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 not countenance any infraction of them, and, on 
 the other hand, was so kind-hearted that it 
 made him miserable to interfere between his 
 young friend and his horse. So he contrived 
 a way out of the dilemma. One day he said : 
 
 " I think you had better sell that horse." 
 
 This was, of course, accordingly done. When 
 the following Friday came round the student 
 went to a stable in the town to hire a horse to 
 ride out to Millwood for his accustomed visit. 
 But the stableman led forth a fine thorough- 
 bred, saying : 
 
 " Colonel Hampton sent this horse here and 
 said he was to be kept for your use as long as 
 you are at college." 
 
 Colonel Hampton was not much concerned 
 in politics, but in war, true to his blood, he was 
 to the front. He served on the staff of Gen- 
 eral Jackson at the battle of New Orleans, that 
 brilliant victory won by the hardy men of the 
 Southwest against great odds, largely composed 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS OA VALRT. 21 
 
 of Wellington's Peninsula Veterans, the stout- 
 est fight ever made on American soil, until the 
 actions of the Civil War eclipsed it in glory. 
 
 He was sent as bearer of dispatches announc- 
 ing the glad news of the victory at New Or- 
 leans, and his was the first authoritative infor- 
 mation of that memorable event received by 
 "the President. Those were times before steam 
 and electricity had been harnessed by man, and 
 to accomplish his purpose the Colonel found it 
 necessary to ride overland to Columbia, S. C, 
 a distance of about seven hundred and fifty 
 miles. Accompanied by his negro servant, 
 mounted, and with one led horse, he performed 
 the journey in ten days and a half, averaging 
 seventy-two miles a day, including one day, 
 when, owing to the streams being swollen by 
 a freshet, only seven miles were made. In the 
 greater portion of the route he traversed a very 
 sparsely-settled region, much of which was 
 wild, primeval forest. For three hundred miles 
 
22 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALST. 
 
 it was necessary to carry subsistence for man 
 and horse. Bridgeless rivers and swamps were 
 encountered. He rode the same horse from 
 start to finish, and, strange to say, the gallant 
 animal was not one of his own thoroughbreds, 
 but had been picked up by his father a year or 
 two before from a cattle-drover, whom he had 
 met one day on the road when traveling. The 
 old General had the keenest of eyes for a fine 
 horse, and fell in love with this one at first sight. 
 So he stopped the man and offered to buy his 
 mount. The fellow refused to sell, but was 
 willing to exchange. "But, man," said the 
 General, "my horse is worth five hundred dol- 
 lars." "So is mine to me," replied the drover, 
 and the bargain was made accordingly. No 
 doubt the animal was well-bred, although of un- 
 known pedigree, for he proved his blood. 
 
 At nearly the same time that Colonel Hamp- 
 ton made this famous ride, a very different kind 
 of traveling party was wending its way from 
 
HAMPTON AND HI8 CAVALRY. 23 
 
 the North towards Washington. It consisted 
 of five commissioners sent by Massachusetts 
 and Connecticut, in pursuance of the report of 
 the Hartford Convention of the New England 
 States, to confer with the President of the 
 United States in regard to certain amendments 
 to the Constitution, styled by them " The Fed- 
 eral Compact," which they were to insist upon 
 as a condition precedent to their States con- 
 senting to remain in the Union. When arrived 
 at their destination these gentlemen found 
 themselves in an awkward position and were 
 greatly perplexed, for the first sounds which 
 greeted their ears were the shouts of the peo- 
 ple hailing with transports of joy the proclama- 
 tiort of peace. But, like sensible men, as they 
 were, they concluded to make the best of the 
 situation, said nothing about their mission, left 
 the official documents in their trunks, put on 
 evening dress and paid their respects to the 
 charming hostess at Mrs. Madison's reception. 
 
24 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 This was, in fact, a Peace Juljilee. In the 
 rooms all was gaiety and happiness, every face 
 beaming with smiles, but when the Commis- 
 sioners entered a funereal silence fell upon 
 the company. Matters were soon set right, 
 however, by Mrs. Madison's admirable tact, and 
 the pleasures of the evening resumed ; but we 
 may well doubt whether the five gentlemen in 
 question enjoyed themselves overmuch. 
 
 In the sunshine of Millwood the present 
 Wade Hampton learned the sturdy virtues " to 
 ride, to shoot, and to speak the truth," and in 
 its charming atmosphere was imbued with the 
 refinements of life, acquired the scholastic 
 knowledge suitable for a gentleman, and evolved 
 the attractive personality which has exerted so 
 powerful an influence on all with whom he has 
 come in contact ; which has made him dear to 
 friends and proved a spell to open the hearts of 
 his foes. This marked characteristic was of ereat 
 service to the masses of his countrymen of the 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 25 
 
 North, as well, as of inestimable benefit to those 
 of the South during the terrible culmination of 
 the Reconstruction Period in 1876. Then, in 
 his State stood arrayed against each other — 
 grasping their weapons — on one side educa- 
 tion, intelligence, property, and civilization ; on 
 the other, the reverse of all these — the negro 
 and the carpet-bagger, leaning for support on 
 the then existing Federal administration. The 
 former demanded either a return of representa- 
 tive government, or else the rule of the naked 
 bayonet pure and simple. This was no vague 
 threat of non-combatant politicians or idle boys, 
 but the stern — If despairing — resolve of veteran 
 soldiers, well proven on many an historic field. 
 If the fires of civil war had been then relighted 
 no one can say where or when they would have 
 been extinguished, but it is certain the effect on 
 the North, as well as on the South, would have 
 been lamentable, and not improbably subver- 
 sive, eventually, of free government through- 
 
26 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 out the entire land. There was no man then 
 living, except Hampton, able to stand forth 
 from among his fellows as the Great Pacificator, 
 who could extract out of chaos a modus vivendi 
 between the discordant elements. This was 
 rendered possible by his previous record, and 
 largely by that indefinable personal influence 
 which men, for lack of a better term, call 
 "magnetism," and the conviction among all 
 classes that he would act with generosity as well 
 as with justice, and that the weak were as safe 
 as the strong under the aegis of his protection. 
 The inner history of this period, properly writ- 
 ten, would prove very interesting, and it is to 
 be hoped it will be taken up by some compe- 
 tent hand while there is yet time, for death is 
 constantly at work removing the actors and 
 those behind the scenes. Such an account of 
 mere facts would indeed be stranger than 
 fiction ; would abound in pathos and romance, 
 thrilling adventures, almost incredible situa- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 27 
 
 tions, revealing much that is most exalted as 
 well as most debased in human nature. It 
 would exhibit a vivid picture of the most re- 
 markable descent, for a time, to primitive con- 
 ditions, which has probably ever been witnessed 
 among Western nations since the days of 1793. 
 Imagine the necessity imposed on every man, 
 however averse to violence, of always — day and 
 night, at his office or club, his home or at 
 church — being armed to the teeth, ready at any 
 moment to protect his own family or assist his 
 neighbors, well aware that no remedy from law 
 existed, but that a constant menace from its 
 perverted forms was ever present. 
 
 The amiability of Hampton's nature was re- 
 markable and it is not a little singular that, 
 though personally the hardest of fighters, he was 
 scarcely more popular with his own men than 
 with those of his enemy. Once in Virginia he 
 came upon a Federal who was taking a bath in 
 a stream of water, having left his clothes upon 
 
28 HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALRY. 
 
 the bank. So the General quietly told him he 
 was a prisoner. The man was dumfounded 
 at this, not being aware the Confederates were 
 near at hand, and supposing himself quite se- 
 cure. He begged and plead to be let off, 
 using every argument he could think of, per- 
 haps (among others) that he was a non-combat- 
 ant detailed to the Quartermaster Department, 
 which at the time furnished about as many sup- 
 plies to the Confederate as to the Federal army. 
 The General thought it was needlessly hard to 
 pick up the poor fellow in this way, but still he 
 would have his joke. After amusing himself by 
 letting his captive continue his supplications for 
 some time, Hampton at length consented to let 
 him go free, at which the man was delighted, 
 and most profuse in thanks, and came ashore 
 to put on his clothes. But the General said : 
 
 "Ah ! No ! I can't let you have them. My 
 men are too much in need of clothes. I can't 
 spare them." 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBY. 29 
 
 After fruitless entreaties the Federal finally 
 left for his camp, naked as when he was born, 
 and the last words heard from him were thanks, 
 and 
 
 " I'll name my first son Wade Hampton ! " 
 
 Many years after this occurrence, the then 
 Senator Hampton stepped into an elevator in a 
 hotel in Washington ; as he did so a young man 
 said to him, 
 
 "Are you General Wade Hampton ? " 
 
 On his replying that he was, the stranger 
 asked if he remembered capturing and releasing 
 a naked Federal prisoner at a certain time and 
 place in Virginia. 
 
 "Yes. I recollect it perfectly," answered 
 Hampton. 
 
 "Well," said the stranger, "he is my father. 
 My name is Wade Hampton. Good morning, 
 sir — 
 and stepped out of the elevator at his floor. 
 
 Early on the morning of March ii, 1865, 
 
30 HAMPTON AND BIS C AVALS Y. 
 
 Johnston's army was crossing the Cape Fear 
 river at Fayetteville, N. C. The infantry, artil- 
 lery, and wagon-trains had nearly effected the 
 crossing, which the cavalry were covering. 
 Sherman's forces in overwhelming numbers 
 were pressing up. General Hampton was near 
 the hotel in the town, when one of his best 
 scouts, Hugh Scott by name, galloped up, and, 
 told him that the enemy were close by in the 
 next parallel street, a company of them having 
 come through a by-road, which had not been 
 picketed, and that more were behind them. 
 The situation was critical. If the enemy suc- 
 ceeded in wedging in between the rear of the 
 retreating army and its cavalry, the rear-guard, 
 it would entail disaster. The cavalry would 
 thus be cut off from covering the retreat, and 
 the bridge across the river, which it was essen- 
 tial to burn after the crossing was completed, if" 
 left intact, would afford the Federals the oppor- 
 tunity of swift pursuit. Not a moment was to 
 
i \ 
 
 ^ 3^ 
 
 '•* _^^ 
 
 '*■ 
 
 Ti^e JaiAer surprised by General Hampton. [31] 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS QAVALBY. 33 
 
 be lost. A cavalry leader must be able both to 
 think and to act with the rapidity of a flash of 
 lightning, and that Hampton did on this occa- 
 sion. He realized that an ounce of prevention 
 is worth a pound of cure in war as well as in 
 disease, and that one man's services at the nick 
 of time may be more valuable than those of a 
 thousand a few minutes later. So calling to 
 the scout and two members of his staff to follow 
 him, and picking up three privates from Com 
 pany K, 4th S. C. C. (Charleston Light Dra- 
 goons), then serving as escort to General Butler, 
 and also one man said to be from Wheeler's com- 
 mand, whose name is unknown, and who was 
 perhaps killed in the melee, the General dashed 
 round the corner and gave the order, "Charge ! " 
 His seven followers (there were no others in 
 the charge), obeyed with alacrity, and all, the 
 General leading, flung themselves upon the 
 Federals, who were drawn up in the street. 
 These fired a volley with their carbines, but by 
 
 3 
 
34 HAMPTOM AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 that time the Confederates had struck them, 
 and confused by the suddenness of the attack, 
 the fierce yells, and the powder-smoke, they did 
 not realize the small number of their assailants. 
 So they tried to wheel about to run, but among 
 them there were pistol bullets at close quarters, 
 and the hack and thrust of sabres. Less than 
 a hundred yards down the street was a turn at 
 right angles to the left into the by-road by which 
 they had entered the town, and by which they 
 were endeavoring now to escape. Here they 
 became jammed together in confusion, all or- 
 ganization lost, and their pursuers cut and thrust 
 like devils incarnate as the fugitives probably 
 thought. Eleven Federals were killed and 
 twelve captured, and the rest, many of them 
 wounded, fled in wild panic carrying conster- 
 nation to their friends, with excited tales of 
 hundreds of "men in buckram," as the best 
 will do in such circumstances. Strange to say, 
 so far as known, the only casualty in the attack- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 35 
 
 ing party was suffered by a handsome well-bred 
 mare ridden by one of the privates mentioned. 
 A rifle bullet struck her fair in the chest and 
 came out just behind the saddle-girth, and yet 
 the plucky little thing showed no signs of 
 diminished vitality for ten minutes afterwards, 
 and then patiently lay down to die. The pa- 
 thetic expression in her soft, dark eyes would 
 have elicited compassion from a heart of stone. 
 Thus had Hampton grasped the situation, and 
 applied the remedy, for the crossing of the river 
 was then made without further trouble. The 
 Captain, Duncan, of the Federal company, was 
 among the prisoners. He reported his com- 
 mand as numbering sixty-eight by the morning 
 report that day. There was also taken in the 
 charge a Federal spy, David Day by name, 
 dressed in Confederate uniform. When he was 
 brought in General Hampton told him he had 
 no time to attend to him then, but that when he 
 had got across the river, he would have him 
 
36 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBY. 
 
 hanged. The spy was turned over with the 
 other prisoners to the keeping of some Junior 
 Reserves, and when inquired for at night, it 
 was found he had escaped from his guard. 
 When General Hampton soon afterwards, in 
 company with General Johnston, met some of 
 the Federal officers prior to the capitulation, 
 they told him that this man was one of the best 
 scouts in the army, and that he had been cap- 
 tured three times since they had left Savannah. 
 They also said, they thought, if he did not turn 
 up the next morning after the Fayetteville fight, 
 he would not be seen again, but that he reported 
 on time. And now for the sequel and the point 
 of the story. 
 
 Thirty-one years after this fight Hampton 
 was in Denver, Colorado. A stranger called 
 upon him at his hotel and spoke of having been 
 among the Federals in the Fayetteville charge. 
 Hampton told him of the spy in gray whom he 
 had intended to hang. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GATALRY. 37 
 
 "I'm the man," remarked the stranger. 
 
 "Well," replied Hampton, "I said I would 
 have you hanged as soon as we got across the 
 river. I certainly would have done it if you had 
 not got away, but I am glad the hanging did not 
 come off." 
 
 " So am I," said the other, laughing. 
 
 Day published an account of the fight in the 
 local newspaper the next morning and was very 
 laudatory of Hampton, and the number of killed 
 he credited him with was fabulously large, when 
 the correct bag was surely heavy enough to 
 satisfy the most exacting. He was apparently 
 quite proud of being connected with the General 
 even in this way, just as others during the war 
 took credit to themselves in being hacked by 
 his sabre, if they lived to tell the tale. 
 
 Wade Hampton was a graduate of the South 
 Carolina College, at Columbia, S. C, but re- 
 ceived no military education. Many of his sum- 
 "Tiers were passed among the mountains of 
 
38 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 Western North Carolina. There are to be 
 seen the loftiest peaks and highest plauteaus 
 east of the Rocky Mountains, the scenery com- 
 bining the grand and the picturesque in a man- 
 ner altogether unique. As, standing on some 
 height, you look northward towardsA sheville, 
 against the sky-line runs the long chain of the 
 Balsams, crowned with the trees from which their 
 name is derived, and further on the Blacks rise 
 seven thousand feet in altitude, Jput wrapped to 
 their summits in rich verdure, and of these Mount 
 Mitchell is monarch by divine right. Nearer to 
 you, but many a mile away, is Pisgah, of moun- 
 tains made the queen by plebiscite, in virtue of 
 her beauty, her profile clear-cut, like a handsome 
 human face, with form soft, graceful, and lovely 
 as some fair girl's. To the west are towering 
 upward the Smokies on the Tennessee line, 
 which countless ages ago in vain arose a mighty 
 physical protest against the invasion of civiliza- 
 tion. Close at hand are Whitesides and his 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 39 
 
 lovable old comrades, hoary with age, mellowed, 
 softened, and beautified by years, like those of 
 our own kind with whom time has dealt gently. 
 Southeastward, as far as the sea, three hundred 
 miles away, stretches an immense plain dotted 
 with towns and villages, farms and forest, but 
 in every other direction are countless mountain 
 ranges and their outlying foothills, in the dis- 
 tance not unlike Titanic waves of a vast ocean. 
 Scanning the scene you soon detect the back- 
 bone of the system, the Blue Ridge, running 
 north and south, farther than eye can follow, 
 through Virginia and Pennsylvania, forming the 
 water-shed between the Atlantic and Western 
 States. Then you will probably be led to reflect 
 upon the fact that this rocky wall and its gigantic 
 flankers once represented the geographical line 
 of demarkation, the racial "great divide," be- 
 tween the rivals during centuries, opposites in 
 civil and religious creeds, the Saxon and Celt. 
 You will recall that in the struggle between 
 
40 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 these for mastery in America, and in the world, 
 Wolfe, dying victorious on the Heights of 
 Abraham, pictures one grand achievement, but 
 that the contest was finally and forever settled 
 by Thomas Jefferson through the acquisition of 
 that vast region, then mostly unexplored, known 
 as Louisiana, extending, according to French 
 titles transferred to us, from the Mississippi to 
 the Pacific, and as far north as the Great Lakes. 
 
 Climate and scenery are moulders of body 
 and mind. It is a belief, old as history and 
 widespread as the family of man, that the 
 mountain ranges and their rocky fastnesses 
 have ever cradled the hardiest and freest of 
 races. It is pleasant to think that this beautiful 
 country may not have been without influence 
 on the character of the greatest cavalry leader 
 of our civil war. 
 
 By hereditary tendency and personal habit 
 Hampton was an accomplished sportsman, and 
 that region then abounded with deer and bear, 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALR T. 41 
 
 as well as smaller game. At times, in the still- 
 ness of night, the fierce shriek of the panther 
 might be heard. In the immediate section he 
 frequented, east of the water-shed, near Cash- 
 ier's Valley, there were at first no trout, although 
 they existed at the time in the streams of the 
 western slope. Hampton carried live fish in 
 buckets across the ridge and liberated them in the 
 eastern waters. They increased rapidly in their 
 new habitat, and the finest of speckled beauties 
 soon abounded there. It is said that he who 
 causes one seed of grain to grow in ground 
 which never before produced human food, has 
 conferred a greater boon upon his fellow-men 
 than anything statesman or warrior has ever ac- 
 complished. There must be credit due to him, 
 then, who, besides stocking the waters with 
 useful food, furnishes sport to the enthusiasts 
 of the rod. 
 
 Hampton's skill as a fisherman was great ; 
 trout, black bass, and salmon could rarely resist 
 
42 HAMPTON AND SIS CA VALBT. 
 
 the attractive cast of his fly, but no less at- 
 tractive was his companionship to all sorts and 
 conditions of men. Only last summer (1898) 
 a friend of the writer made a fishing trip in 
 New Brunswick, where he enjoyed fine sport. 
 His guide, a past-master with rod as well as 
 paddle, a half-breed, or rather mixture of many 
 breeds, speaking English broken into small 
 pieces and with much difficulty, somehow dis- 
 covered that his charge was from South Caro- 
 lina. So he said one day, eking out the con- 
 versation with gestures and many pauses : 
 
 " You iz fro' Sous Caliny ? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 "Then the swarthy face lighted up and he 
 continued : 
 
 " Me know one great, great fisher fro' Sous 
 Caliny ; kill de big salmon ; much, much ; tree, 
 four year 'go. Right here ! " patting the birch- 
 bark canoe. 
 
 " What was his name ? " 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 43 
 
 " He name ? One big, large, grand Seigneur, 
 grand Gin'ral — Gin'ral — Gin'ral " — pausing re- 
 flectively — "me no tink de name. Only one 
 eg e iz. 
 
 "General Hampton?" 
 
 " Yiz, yiz ! him, him ! " 
 
 And the fellow beamed with delight and 
 smiled all over. 
 
 But, fond of sport though Hampton was, 
 rnany was the morning in Cashier's Valley 
 when he neglected his rod, good-naturedly 
 amusing children, teaching them to fish, some- 
 times with no better tackle than a bent pin, a 
 piece of cord, and a light sapling, or "pole," as 
 the " natives " term it. 
 
 Nor were the summers spent by the Hamp- 
 ton family in their mountain home a mere pas- 
 time of tourists, but of material and lasting 
 benefit to their surroundings in the improve- 
 ment of manners and morals. Many of the in- 
 habitants of this sparsely-settled region were 
 
44 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 descendants of those who, coming from other 
 communities, had left their country for their- 
 country's good to seek a refuge where trackless 
 forests and mountains barred the service of 
 legal process, and where the equally rugged 
 borders of three other States near ' at hand 
 offered a ready asylum to anyone too much 
 "wanted" at home. It was related of one 
 worthy residing in this district that his house 
 consisted of only three rooms, but each of these 
 was in a different State, and consequently it 
 would require three sheriffs, from three different 
 States, duly provided with warrants, and all pres- 
 ent at the same time, to abridge this citizen of 
 his personal liberty when within his castle. To 
 these people in that day was thus afforded by 
 the Hamptons the civilizing, educating influence 
 exerted by those of gentle birth and culture. 
 Fair hands and kindly hearts dispensed charity 
 by gracious words and deeds in many a rude log- 
 cabin clinging to the mountain-side, or nestled 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALMY. 45 
 
 in the lonely "cove." No wonder that among 
 them. Hampton became a name to conjure by. 
 Later on, towards the end of the Civil War, in 
 that inaccessible section, military as well as civil 
 power became practically nullified, and thou- 
 sands of deserters from both the Federal and 
 Confederate armies congregated there. Deser- 
 tion, from whatever flag, "Nothing cans't thou 
 to damnation add," not even slander of poor 
 Desdemona, "greater than that," and well was 
 this exemplified by this brotherhood of traitors, 
 whose only article of belief was the socialistic 
 creed that for anyone, except themselves, to 
 hold property was a sin against "humanity." 
 But even in those disjointed times all ears were 
 not deaf to the spell of the Hampton name, and 
 the traveler will still find it potent there after all 
 these years. 
 
 Prior to the Civil War Hampton's very ex- 
 tensive planting interests were in Mississippi, 
 where he usually resided during the winter 
 
46 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALBY. 
 
 months. The acreage which he had under cul- 
 tivation in cotton the year before the war was 
 estimated to be good for a crop of 5,000 bales, 
 and, besides this, food supplies were raised. To 
 give some idea of the value of such a cotton 
 crop, one need but calculate what it would have 
 sold for in New York at the average price for 
 i860 of bales of the weight then customary 
 from that section, which would have been- a 
 quarter of a million of dollars in gold. At the 
 average value of 1864 it would have brought 
 three millions of dollars, or at the maximum 
 price of that year four and a quarter millions in 
 United States currency, but that was during the 
 cotton famine and in depreciated greenbacks. 
 The occupation for brain and body furnished by 
 such a large agricultural business would be of 
 an exacting character. The habit of command 
 over so many hundred negroes, and numerous 
 agents and overseers thus necessitated, was not 
 a bad school for some of the practical details of 
 
HAMPTOIT AND Hia OAVALRT. 47 
 
 war. But time was found for field-sports, and 
 he was noted throughout that region as a bear- 
 hunter, and was reputed to be the only man 
 who, after killing one of these animals, could 
 without help lift the carcass upon a horse to 
 carry it home, a feat requiring great strength as 
 well as skill. 
 
 In regard to Hampton's political attitude in the 
 controversy between the Northern and Southern 
 States of the Federal Union, little need here 
 be said. He would naturally, we must sup- 
 pose, hold the doctrines now styled "States' 
 Rights ; " for these were then almost univer- 
 sally current in the South and common in all 
 other sections, having hardly been seriously 
 called in question anywhere until the second 
 quarter of the present century. He would be 
 aware that these principles were not only or- 
 thodox, according to the Jeffersonian school, but 
 were also strictly in accordance with the faith con- 
 scientiously held by a large majority of the best 
 
48 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 and most influential people in New England. 
 Such well-known and esteemed men of that 
 section as Johnson, Ellsworth, Sherman, Hill- 
 house, Quincy, Gardener, King, Lowell, Dwight, 
 John Quincy Adams, and very many others had, 
 as all well-informed persons know, put them- 
 selves on record as endorsing the most ex- 
 treme views of "States' Rights," including se- 
 cession, either by direct assertion or necessary 
 implication. It was a matter of public noto- 
 riety that New England newspapers of stand- 
 ing and influence, as well as their public meet- 
 ings and Legislatures, had declared absolute 
 adherence to these dogmas, and the Hartford 
 Convention had put for all time its most solemn 
 seal of approval upon them. To anyone holding 
 these views, the denial of the right of secession 
 and oposition to it by armed force, would seem 
 absolutely revolutionary, without any sanction in 
 law — a rebellion ; and, like all rebellions, having 
 no legal standing, unless acquiescence was ob- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS C AVALS T. 49 
 
 tained through successful exertion of physical 
 power. To those of this generation, educated 
 from childhood in the belief that the subject con- 
 tended for in the war by the South was the per- 
 petuation of negro slavery, and by the North its 
 extinction, the inner history of the War of Seces- 
 sion will ever remain as a sealed book. Mr. 
 Lincoln and the Congress of the States remain- 
 ing united again and again declared, in the 
 most solemn and candid manner, that negro 
 slavery was not the casus belli, but that the pres- 
 ervation of the Union was ; in other words, the 
 denial of the right of secession was the cause. 
 Undoubtedly the right to own slaves was an in- 
 cident of the struggle, in the same sense as was 
 the right to own houses, lands, mules, or any 
 other species of property, recognized as such 
 by law. If you desire to grasp the actuating 
 idea which fired with valor the Confederate 
 armies, you must first read their hearts and un- 
 derstand that they beHeved themselves dying, 
 
 4 
 
50 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 as their Anglo-Saxon forefathers were wilUng 
 to die for "life, liberty, and property." 
 
 But to believe in the right of a State to 
 secede from the Union was a very different 
 thing from desiring the principle to be put in 
 practice. 
 
 The idea that the writer has formed of Gen- 
 eral Hampton's views on this subject are that, 
 like Robert E. Lee, he was very far indeed from 
 being an "original Secessionist," but that he. 
 thought it his duty to abide by the decision ar- 
 rived at by his State, and bear true allegiance 
 to her. No one can for a moment suppose that 
 men like Lee and Hampton, whose families had 
 done so much towards winning the independ- 
 ence of the States forming the Union, would 
 lightly wish to witness a disruption of the asso- 
 ciation. These were riot penniless, embittered 
 adventurers, but gentlemen of position, and 
 when they pledged to the cause "our lives, our 
 fortunes, and our sacred honor," they furnished 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBY. 51 
 
 three very substantial hostages for their good 
 faith and the sincerity of their convictions. How 
 many, on either side in the controversy, can say 
 so much? 
 
 But the die being cast, there was no morbid, 
 nervous hesitation on the part of Hampton. 
 The season for argument was passed and the 
 time for action come, and vain regrets worse 
 than useless. He thought as the old Moorish 
 king said when refusing payment of tribute to 
 the Spaniards : " Our mint coins nothing now 
 but sabre-blades and lance-heads." 
 
 He raised the Hampton Legion, which he 
 commanded with marked ability at the first bat- 
 tle of Manassas (Bull Run), where he received 
 a wound in the head. This Legion was com- 
 posed of six companies of infantry, four troops 
 of cavalry, and one battery of artillery (Wash- 
 ington Artillery). Such an organization proved 
 ill-adapted to the requirements of a great war, 
 and consequently the different arms of the service 
 
52 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 were separated, and each became the progeni- 
 tor of a famous body of its kind. It was corps 
 d'elite. Of its original members two became 
 Lieutenant-Generals, Hampton and Stephen D. 
 Lee; one a Major-General, M. C. Butler; three 
 Brigadier-Generals, Conner, Gary, and Logan. 
 Many more were prominent in other ranks. 
 Hart's battery, in which Halsey and Bamberg 
 were lieutenants, and which thundered on nearly 
 every battle-field in Virginia, formed at first a 
 part of the Legion. 
 
 On the bloody field of Seven Pines, Hampton 
 was again wounded, after performing gallant 
 and effective service. 
 
 On July 28, 1862, he was transferred to the 
 cavalry in Virginia, as Brigadier-General, his 
 command consisting of the Hampton Legion of 
 Cavalry (afterwards Second South Carolina 
 Cavalry, Colonel M. C. Butler), Jeff. Davis 
 Legion, Cobb Legion, First North Carolina Cav- 
 alry, and Tenth Virginia Cavalry. That brigade 
 
\ 
 
 Colonel Wade Hampton, of the tear of 1812, father of 
 
 General Wade Hampton. 
 
 [From a tust by Powell, burnt at Millwood.] 
 
 (53) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALBY. 55 
 
 figured very prominently in making the early 
 history of the cavalry of the Army of Northern 
 Virginia. At its head, and second in command of 
 the cavalry of the army, rode Hampton in J. E. 
 B. Stuart's famous raid in August, 1862, round 
 Pope's flank and rear. This Federal general it 
 was, who issued some very .spirited despatches 
 dated " headquarters in the saddle." It was well, 
 for he was left with little else. Not only were all 
 the headquarter's papers, correspondence, and 
 other property taken, but also Pope's private lug- 
 gage. A full-dress uniform of his, all gorgeous 
 with gold lace and epaulettes and profusely de- 
 core with medals, was afterwards exhibited in the 
 show-window of a store in Richmond and created 
 much amusement. This was done in joke, by 
 way of retaliation. It had happened that shortly 
 before, Stuart, when accidentally separated from 
 his command and accompanied by only two or 
 three members of his staff, was very near being 
 killed or captured by the Federals, and though 
 
56 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 
 
 he escaped, lost his hat and cloak. These were 
 shown as trophies, and fun was made at his ex- 
 pense. But he vowed he would "get even," 
 and this he accomplished in a mere than ample 
 manner, as just described. 
 
 In the Chambersburg raid in Pennsylvania 
 (October, 1862,) Hampton was at the front as 
 second in command. It was an expedition 
 memorable for its daring and success, but, bet- 
 ter still, for the magnificent discipline of the 
 troops, and the scrupulous respect for private 
 property which always characterized their move- 
 ments. Only subsistence was taken, and horses 
 impressed, and for these regular official receipts 
 were in all cases given according to the system 
 practiced by civilized armies, thus furnishing a 
 voucher entitling the owner to make claim to 
 compensation by his own government. The 
 nature of their conduct was brought into un- 
 usual prominence through the accounts of the 
 affair written by Colonel A. K. McClure, of the 
 
HA MPTON AND HIS CA VALR T. 57 
 
 Philadelphia Times. This gentleman had a 
 "model farm" at the outskirts of Chambers- 
 burg, and was one of three citizens who surren- 
 dered the place to General Hampton, to whom 
 Stuart had assigned the duty of preserving 
 good order. He thus describes his first meet- 
 ing with General Hampton when acting as one 
 of the town committee : 
 
 " After traveling a mile westward we were 
 brought to a halt by a squad of mounted men, 
 and were informed that General Hampton 
 was one of the party to whom we should 
 address ourselves. It was so dark that I 
 could not distinguish him from any of his 
 men. Upon being informed that we were a 
 committee of citizens, and that there was no 
 organized force in the town, and no military 
 commander at the post, he stated, in a re- 
 spectful and soldier-like manner, that he 
 commanded the advance of the Confederate 
 troops, that he knew resistance would be 
 
58 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 vain, and he wished the citizens to be fully- 
 advised of his purpose so as to avoid need- 
 less loss of life and wanton destruction of 
 property. He said that he had been fired 
 upon at Mercersburg and Campbellstown and 
 had great difficulty in restraining his troops. 
 He assured us that he would scrupulously 
 protect the citizens, would allow no soldiers 
 to enter public or private houses, unless un- 
 der command of an officer upon legitimate 
 business ; that he would take such private 
 property as he needed for his government or 
 troops, but that he would do so under officers 
 who would allow no wanton destruction, and 
 would give receipt for the same, if desired, 
 so that claim might be made therefor against 
 the United States Government. All property 
 belonging to or used by the United States he 
 stated he would use or destroy at his pleasure, 
 and the wounded in hospitals would be pa- 
 roled.' Being a United States officer myself 
 I naturally felt some anxiety to know what 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALR T 59 
 
 my fate might be, if he should discover me, 
 and I modestly suggested that there might 
 be some United States officers in the town 
 in charge of the wounded, stores, or of re- 
 cruiting offices, and asked what disposition 
 he would make of them. He answered that 
 he would parole them, unless he should have 
 special reasons for not doing so ; and he 
 warned us that none such should be in- 
 structed by us to leave the town. 
 **** * * ** 
 
 " I resolved to stay, as I felt so bound by 
 the terms of surrender, and take my chances 
 of discovery and parole." 
 
 One can hardly avoid laughing now on read- 
 ing McClure's story — so quiet, agreeable, and 
 gentlemanly did he find these fierce-reputed 
 sabreurs, whose names then were in all men's 
 mouths. While occupying the town some of 
 the officers accepted his invitation to take coffee 
 and smoke with him in his library, and they had 
 
60 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 a pleasant time together. Not only this, but 
 he relates that not a private ever drew water 
 from the well without first asking his permis- 
 sion and afterwards "giving a profusion of 
 thanks." He could not help liking them and 
 admiring, too, their fine soldierly appearance ; 
 but all the while there was an uneasy feeling 
 lest these pet lions devour him all of a sudden, 
 especially as he was at the time a United States 
 officer. Like a hen with a brood of ducks he 
 was in constant dread of some awkward thing 
 happening. But when at length the bugle 
 sounded and they took their leave, and not one 
 of those Alderney calves on the model farm, of 
 which he was so proud, had been disturbed ; 
 nor even a sing-le one of those fine, bie trout 
 in the cool spring he loved so well ; nor the 
 beautiful, tempting pears, all ripe and lus- 
 cious, he breathed freer, and was thankful to 
 speed the parting guests, of whom, however 
 agreeable, he stood in some awe. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIIS CAVALRY. 61 
 
 It was upon this raid that the baby-eating 
 joke was made, which went the rounds at the 
 time. A trooper, grim and sunburnt in face, 
 with dust-stained, weather-worn clothes and 
 empty stomach, stopped at a house and asked 
 for a morsel of food, for which he was ready to 
 pay. The men of the family had fled, but there 
 were several women at home, who peered with 
 curiosity and alarm at the unwelcome visitor, 
 and one of them had with her a baby. When 
 asked for food they refused to give it, protesting 
 they had none. 
 
 "Well," said the half-starved cavalryman, 
 affecting a fierce expression and eyeing the 
 baby with an ogreish look, " I believe I am 
 hungry enough to eat a nice, fat baby." 
 
 Exit instanter the mother in horror, pressing 
 the infant to her bosom, and quickly a plentiful 
 meal was tendered to the child-eater to dampen 
 temporarily the appetite for his normal diet. 
 
 The Chambersburg raid was made under 
 
62 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 Stuart's orders, but Hampton was second in 
 command, and upon him, therefore, would have; 
 fallen the responsibility of bringing the cavalry- 
 out safely, if an unfortunate chance bullet had 
 ended the chief's career. The seal of success, 
 with most of us, suffices in military matters — 
 the end gained justifies in this sense the 
 means ; but still there were such great risks 
 necessarily to be encountered upon this expe-. 
 dition, so much depended upon good luck as 
 well as good management, and the loss of the 
 cavalry by capture or destruction would have 
 been a disaster so grievous, that it may, perhaps, 
 be questioned whether the proportion between 
 the quid and the quo was favorable ; the French- 
 man might possibly have remarked about it, as 
 he did of the Balaklava charge, that it was "mae- 
 nificent, but not war." The fruits of success 
 were not offset by any disasters, but in them- 
 selves were not great. 
 
 On October 9th this raid was begun, the 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 63 
 
 force being one thousand eight hundred picked 
 men, taken in equal numbers from the brigades 
 of Hampton, Fitz Lee, and Robertson. The 
 destination and purpose were kept secret from 
 all, but an inspiring address was issued to the 
 troops. Starting from Darksville, some fifteen 
 miles north of Winchester, a northerly course 
 was taken, and Hedg-esville reached after dark 
 where the command quietly bivouacked that 
 night, so as to escape observation by the Fed- 
 eral signal station on the opposite side of the Po- 
 tomac. From here during the night General 
 Hampton personally reconnoitred the ford at 
 McCoys, about five miles distant, and selected 
 the place for crossing. Thirty men were de- 
 tailed to rush across the river at daylight and 
 demoHsh the picket stationed there, which they 
 succeeded in doing, cutting them off from their 
 reserve and thus preventing, a report of the 
 attack being made. M. C. Butler, who was in 
 command of Hampton's advance, was on the 
 
64 HAMPTON AND JUS CAVALRY. 
 
 qui vive, and as soon as he heard the sounds 
 indicating that the attack on the picket was be- 
 ing made, galloped into the river and quickly 
 possessed himself of the ford. The advance 
 was immediately resumed in nearly the same 
 direction as on the previous day, and the Ha- 
 gerstown turnpike was crossed at right an- 
 gles. Near here was a Federal signal station, 
 which was captured, and news of the raid thus 
 prevented from being immediately forwarded. 
 A division of infantry had passed along this 
 road that morning, and Butler, favored by the 
 screen of fog, rode so close to their rear as to 
 pick up ten prisoners who were straggling 
 somewhat behind the main column. Informa- 
 tion, however, of the raid was imparted to the 
 Federals by country people, but the news could 
 not be promptly communicated where most 
 wanted, because of the remoteness of the route 
 from telegraph lines and railroads. General 
 McClellan was at the time suspicious of an in- 
 
HAMPTON AND 318 OAYALBT. 65 
 
 tended expedition by the cavalry, and was on 
 the watch, but was looking for them in the 
 wrong places. The farmers in Pennsylvania 
 were so astounded at the appearance of the 
 Confederate cavalry among them that many 
 mistook them for Federals, and were left 
 under that impression. Chambersburg was 
 reached about eight o'clock at night on October 
 lOth. The next morning ordnance and other 
 Government stores were destroyed and the re- 
 turn march began. Unfortunately rain had set 
 in, which caused anxiety lest the crossing of the 
 Potomac should be obstructed by high water, 
 and so it was a race which should reach the 
 ford first, the cavalry or the swollen mountain 
 streams. M. C. Butler, who, in the forward 
 movement, had led the advance, now conducted 
 the rear guard. Stuart was well aware that by 
 this time the Federals in every direction were 
 aroused, and that it would furnish him a diffi- 
 cult task to elude the numerous bodies sent 
 5 
 
66 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 out in pursuit of him, and to cut through their 
 lines at a point enabling him to cross the river 
 back to "Old Virginia." He concluded they 
 would expect him to retreat by the shortest 
 route westerly, and would be looking most 
 actively for him there ; so he adopted the oppo- 
 ite course. Taking the road east, in the 
 direction of Gettysburg, he turned off at right 
 angles at Cashtown and pursued thence a 
 southerly route. The cavalry crossed the Ma- 
 ryland line, and when Emmitsburg was reached 
 were the recipients of an enthusiastic welcome 
 from the inhabitants. Meantime the Federal 
 infantry as well as cavalry were scurrying about 
 seeking the raiders, disproving the saying, 
 "Seek, and ye shall find." At Mechanicstown, 
 Pleasanton, with his command of Federal 
 cavalry, was within four miles of .hem, but was 
 not aware of it at the time. At Emmitsburg, 
 where the Confederates had arrived about 
 dark, some troopers belonging to a detach- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 67 
 
 ment of Pennsylvania cavalry were captured. 
 From there the Potomac was distant forty-five 
 miles southerly, and for it on a trot through 
 the night rode the raiders. Dodging by turns 
 and skirmishing with bodies of Federals, they 
 reached the river at White's Ford about 
 eight o'clock in the morning. The cross- 
 ing was held by hostile infantry, but a bold 
 demonstration caused them to retreat. From 
 all sides, however, their foes were pouring for- 
 ward to cut them off. But across the river, in 
 spite of them, rode the cavalry — all but Butler 
 and his rear guard, who were skirmishing to- 
 cover the ford. Four couriers had been sent to 
 order him to come back with all possible haste ; 
 the enemy were closing in with large numbers — 
 his escape seemed impossible. Another mes- 
 senger — an officer — was despatched to him as 
 a last chance, to order him to withdraw at a 
 gallop. But Butler replied that he feared he 
 could not save his gun. 
 
68 Hampton AND ms cavalry. 
 
 "Leave your gun, then, and come." 
 
 "I don't want to lose it," answered Butler 
 with his invariable sang-froid, "but we will 
 see what we can do." 
 
 And to the great surprise of all, he brought 
 off his gun and every man, and as they came 
 galloping round the turn of the road and into 
 the ford amidst the scattering: bullets of the 
 enemy, the delight of the beholders broke out 
 into a cheer. And thus the raid came to a tri- 
 umphant end. The march from Chambersburg 
 was eighty miles in length, and it was done 
 in twenty-seven hours. The only losses were 
 one man wounded and two captured. In Gen- 
 eral McClellan's report concerning this expedi- 
 tion he says that he did not think it possible 
 for the raiders to re-cross the river, and be- 
 lieved that the capture or destruction of the 
 force was a certainty. 
 
 On the hotly contested field of Brandy Station, 
 on June 9, 1863, General Hampton's younger 
 
Lieutenant- Colonel Frank Ha/mpton, slain in tlie battle of Brandy 
 Station, younger brother of General Hampton. 
 
 (69) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBY. 71 
 
 brother, Lieutenant-Colonel Frank Hampton, of 
 the Second South Carolina Cavalry, was killed, 
 shot through the body while fighting hand to 
 hand with sabre, literally "facing fearful odds." 
 He died leaving every man his friend who had 
 ever known him, and without a private enemy. 
 Here, too, M. C. Butler, then colonel of the 
 same regiment, lost his leg. On another part 
 of the field General Hampton was that day 
 performing brilliant service in many a charge. 
 One of these, a mounted charge against a fine 
 Federal brigade, was said to have been the most 
 hotly contested and magnificent horse encounter 
 of the war, but Hampton's star lighted the path 
 and his sabre cleft the way to victory. As the 
 General dashed to the head of his command to 
 lead them on this occasion, his eyes " snapping 
 fire," as the men used to say, he threw off his 
 overcoat to leave his sword-arm free, and flung 
 it to his son Preston, acting Orderly, a mere 
 boy, who was afterwards killed at Burgess' Mill 
 
72 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 "Press" held the coat for a second or two, and 
 then cast it on the ground, exclaiming in so- 
 liloquy, "I came here to fight, not carry coats ! " 
 and galloping after his father was soon by his 
 side in the charge. The old soldiers who no- 
 ticed the incident smiled and said, "A chip of 
 the old block." But I must not be led away to 
 linger among the picturesque memories of that 
 attractive period, for my duty is only to recount 
 the story of '64. 
 
 In Stuart's march round Hooker's 'rear and 
 right flank before Gettysburg, Hampton was 
 present as second in command. Without enter- 
 ing at all into the controversy about the effect of 
 this movement on Lee's dispositions at Gettys- 
 burg, it is necessary to emphasize the fact that 
 Hampton had no responsibility whatever for the 
 general scope of the march. He carried out 
 his part of the programme in accordance 
 with orders received from Stuart. What the 
 orders were which the latter had received from 
 
- HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBY. 73 
 
 Lee, was entirely unknown to anyone except the 
 leader of the expedition, and their exact nature 
 will ever remain a secret buried with the dead. 
 Major McClellan, Stuart's Adjutant-General, 
 says that a long letter from Lee marked ' ' Con- 
 fidential " was received by him during the night 
 preceding the march, and that, as his General 
 was asleep, he opened the letter and read its 
 contents. Finding these to be important, he 
 awoke Stuart and read the despatch to him, 
 when the latter told him to take charge of it, 
 and went to sleep. Apparently this letter must 
 have been lost during the expedition, or per- 
 haps purposely destroyed to avoid the risk of 
 its falling into the hands of the enemy through 
 some accident or capture. It seems never to 
 have been seen after the night of its receipt, and 
 the only clue to its contents would be the gen- 
 eral recollection derived by the adjutant from a 
 hasty perusal. This could establish little, as 
 so much would depend upon the spirit as well 
 
74 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 as the exact wording of such a communica- 
 tion. 
 
 The wagon-train, the bringing of which to 
 Lee's army has been charged with causing the 
 chief delay in the march, was captured within 
 three miles of Washington. It is stated by one 
 of his staff officers that at this time General 
 Hampton advocated a dash on Washington, 
 contending that great mischief could be done 
 and consternation and demoralization produced 
 by such an enterprise, and that, if it proved 
 necessary afterwards, the cavalry could make 
 their way back to Virginia by swimming the 
 river at a practicable point. Of course this 
 proposition was made on its merits at the time, 
 without reference to Lee's orders or to the ob- 
 ject of the movement then going on, all of 
 which were unknown to him. 
 
 The cavalry, as is well known, only reached 
 its army in time for fighting at Gettysburg, and 
 were too late to be of any service in locating 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 75 
 
 the position of the enemy prior to the battle. 
 Here General Hampton was severely wounded. 
 Five out of the six chambers of his revolver 
 snapped, the pistol having been exposed to 
 much wet weather during the night before, and 
 a Federal succeeded in getting in a sabre cut on 
 the side of his head and forehead, but the one 
 discharge did its work. Afterwards, seeing one 
 of his men hard-pressed, Hampton dashed to 
 his assistance, when the trooper escaped, but 
 the Federal, a good swordsman, turned upon his 
 new adversary. The blood from the wound in 
 the head interfered somewhat with the General's 
 vision, which enabled the Federal to cut under 
 his guard, inilicting a bad wound in the head ; 
 but it was the man's last stroke, for Hampton's 
 sabre cleft his head down to the chin, a feat 
 which novels and newspapers airily ascribe to 
 their heroes, but which is rarely performed, and 
 never, except by a stalwart arm and skillful 
 hand. Soon after this a shrapnel struck him on 
 
76 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 the right thigh, and he was obHged to dismount 
 and permit his wounds to be attended to. 
 
 In reviewing Hampton's achievements in his 
 miHtary career, in spite of all the obstacles en- 
 countered, it should not be forgotten that the 
 fact of his not being a West Point graduate 
 worked much to his disadvantage. It is beyond 
 argument that the lack of this military training 
 would prove an impediment at first, until prac- 
 tical experience in the field, developing the 
 natural bent, had supplied its place. But, be- 
 sides this, it would continue long afterwards to 
 stand in the way of promotion. Mr. Davis and 
 nearly all the higher officers of the Confederacy 
 were graduates of West Point, and had done 
 much to shape and build up the institution, and 
 they would unavoidably have a feeling about it 
 similar to that entertained by those from univer- 
 sities and colleges concerning their almcB inatres. 
 Their strong tendency would be, therefore, to 
 have leanings against officers not educated at 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 77 
 
 West Point, nor even at any other military 
 school. The man who surmounted this very 
 natural prejudice and outranked all the other 
 officers in his branch of the service could have 
 attained his rank only by demonstrating in the 
 field his unquestionable title to such position. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE CAVALRY IN I 864 SUBSISTENCE, ARMAMENT, 
 
 HORSES, &C. 
 
 lOST people have some general knowl- 
 edge of the events of the Virginia 
 Campaign of 1864, the most splen- 
 did of Lee's achievements. The Federal Army, 
 countless in numbers and unsurpassed in equip- 
 ment, in early May, commenced its march on 
 Richmond. At the battles in the Wilderness, 
 about Spotsylvania Courthouse, and in minor 
 engagements, it met bloody repulse by "the 
 slender line of gray," and finally suffered deci- 
 sive defeat at Cold Harbor. During this mo- 
 mentous month of fighting. Grant's losses about 
 equalled the entire number of troops with which 
 
 (78) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA 7ALB T. 79 
 
 Lee had commenced the campaign. Their rel- 
 ative forces, including reinforcements received 
 by each, compared as one hundred does to forty, 
 or two and a half to one. After Cold Harbor, 
 Grant was compelled to abandon his original 
 plan of capturing Richmond, cross to the south of 
 the James river, and lay siege to Petersburg, 
 strategically an outwork of Richmond. All the 
 while immense Federal reinforcements were 
 being received, but the Confederate ranks could 
 procure few recruits. Yet, in spite of all this, 
 Lee successfully held at bay his antagonist, and 
 the campaign closed in December with Peters- 
 burg and Richmond intact. 
 
 It matters not what may be one's "politics," 
 nor whether he is born among the snows of the 
 North or under the fervid sun of the South; pluck, 
 fortitude, and military prowess command admira- 
 tion, apart from creed or clime. Thus it has 
 come about that Lee has won a place in the 
 hearts of all brave men. In America's imperial 
 
80 HAMPTON AND EIS CAVALRY. 
 
 city overlooking the Hudson, -the monument in 
 honor of Grant commemorates the glory of Lee. 
 
 The infantry of the Arm.y of Northern Vir- 
 ginia have written "with blood and iron" the 
 record of their campaign of 1 864 : the names of 
 their battle-fields are landmarks in history. 
 But little is known of the story of the cavalry. 
 And yet they endured privation and death on 
 the lonely picket with only the dead for com- 
 pany ; they went down, rider and horse, in the 
 desperate charge, the hand-to-hand encounter, 
 in unnamed "skirmishes"; dismounted to fight, 
 transformed into infantry, as brave and stubborn 
 as ever grasped the rifle, they fell on fields, 
 styled " cavalry affairs," unknown to fame. May 
 a day come when justice will be done to their 
 memory. The aim of the present attempt is 
 only to recount some facts in the career of their 
 greatest leader. 
 
 As most of us in these days know more about 
 streets than strategy, tea than tactics, it might 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 81 
 
 be well to explain what the chief duties of the 
 cavalry were, and their relation to the rest of 
 the army. 
 
 During Grant s attempt to bi;eak through or 
 flank Lee's lines in the movement on Richmond, 
 it was necessary for the cavalry to discover the 
 points at which the enemy was seeking to con- 
 centrate for attack. For this purpose they had 
 to picket all approaches, and report movements, 
 and frequently attack cavalry and drive them 
 in to ascertain the real intentions of the enemy. 
 When ascertained, they had to do their best to 
 defeat them, and failing this, make delay so as 
 to gain time for their own infantry to come up. 
 Frequently, also, they were obliged to fight to 
 mask the movements of their own army. They 
 had also to cover the lines of communication by 
 which supplies were obtained, and to protect 
 Richmond from dashes of raiding-parties. Be- 
 sides this, they were always on the alert to cap- 
 ture or destroy the enemy's trains and. depots ; 
 6 
 
82 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 to threaten and interfere with his lines of com- 
 munication, and worry him in every conceivable 
 manner. After Grant established the siege of 
 Petersburg, it was necessary for them to sup- 
 plement the infantry in the trenches protecting 
 the exterior of the flanks, and in resisting at- 
 tacks. They were thus not only " the eyes and 
 ears of the army," but also its claws : faithful 
 watch-dogs trained to bite, guarding the gate- 
 ways. The campaign was successfully con- 
 ducted by Lee, and very able handling of the 
 cavalry was absolutely essential to make such 
 a result possible. 
 
 In estimating the merit of the work done by 
 any man, it is proper to take into consideration 
 the means at his disposal for doing it. We 
 must bear in mind, then, not only the number of 
 men under Hampton's command during the 
 campaign of 1864, but also understand about 
 their subsistence, equipment as to arms, supply 
 of horses, and the means of feeding them. I 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS 0AVALR7. 83 
 
 say nothing about deficiency in clothing and 
 shelter, because, though from this they suffered 
 hardships and an increase of mortality, yet the 
 fighting power of these hardy men was proba- 
 bly not impaired by this cause. 
 
 The regular rations intended for each man 
 daily consisted of a half pound of bacon or salt 
 pork and a pint of corn meal or flour, but fre- 
 quently this was reduced by one half, and even 
 the half ration would be, during a great part of 
 the time, curtailed from necessity. The cav- 
 alry — because of the nature of their service, 
 their numerous and unexpected movements, 
 and picketing — were more irregularly supplied 
 than the other branches of the service. There 
 could be, usually, no foraging upon the coun- 
 try, for this was precluded by discipline, and, 
 besides, the sections in which they operated 
 were denuded of supplies. Much misappre- 
 hension seems to exist about the surroundings 
 of the cavalry compared to those of the in- 
 
84 HAMPTON AND HIB CAVALBT. 
 
 fantry. The term " dashing dragoon," appHed 
 to the Confederate, was a very inappropriate 
 figure of speech. Any one enlisting under this 
 misconception was Hkely to have a speedy and 
 rude awakening-. An instance of this kind will 
 illustrate what is meant. One night the south- 
 ern bank of the Chickahominy was being pick- 
 eted, the enemy sociably near on the other side. 
 There had been enough fighting to give every 
 one a stomachful, with little else to do it. So 
 thought a new recruit — tired, hungry, dirty, and 
 generally miserable and disgusted. The ma- 
 laria seemed visible in the misty exhalations 
 rising from the swamp, and the swarms of mos- 
 quitoes were certainly of thoroughbred stock, 
 with whom it was impossible to arrange a modus 
 vivendi. To make things more comfortable, 
 two bodies — whether of friend or foe no one 
 knew — had been buried close at hand in such 
 shallow holes as to be partly visible. All night 
 long, from time to time, two dogs, though driven 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 85 
 
 off again and again, would come back and try 
 to scratch away the earth from the corpses, 
 either from affection for the dead or in order to 
 devour them. At length, after a long, gloomy 
 silence, the new recruit said to a comrade : 
 
 "Did you ever read Charles O'Malley? It 
 is a blanketty, blanketty blank pack of lies from 
 beginning to end ! " 
 
 It seems a strange thing, but is nevertheless 
 a fact, that the soldiers who, on the whole, best 
 sustained privations and hardships were not 
 those whose previous habits would be expected 
 to fit them for a rough mode of life. You 
 would look for the dandy to be a hard fighter, 
 for such he has been in all ages. But when it 
 comes to living on half-rancid bacon and husky 
 corn meal, one would suppose him to be at a 
 disadvantage compared with a man brought up 
 among very primitive domestic conditions. 
 Such was not the case — the well-nurtured man 
 would outrough the other. You may, some- 
 
86 HAMPTON AND EIS CAVALRY. 
 
 times, have observed the same principle illus- 
 trated by your travelling companions, and that 
 those who grumble most about "bed and 
 board " are the ones who have lived most slen- 
 derly at home. Shortly after the war the buyer 
 of goods for a country store in a remote sec- 
 tion of the South happened to be at dinner in 
 a good hotel in New York. After scanning for 
 a long time in bewilderment the bill of fare 
 with all its French names for familiar dishes, he 
 at last said to the waiter : 
 
 " Gim'me bacon." 
 
 But, then, he was a connoisseur of bacon. 
 The same fellow, when at breakfast, had ven- 
 tured upon a codfish ball. After the first 
 mouthful was taken it was returned to his 
 plate with more haste than elegance, and, turn- 
 ing to his companion, he remarked : 
 
 " By jimminy ! Bill, there's somethin' dead 
 in that tart ! " 
 
 Beyond the rations above mentioned, there 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 87 
 
 was not any other food regularly issued until 
 the early autumn, when Hampton had made his 
 celebrated capture of Federal beeves. After 
 that time beef instead of pork was given out 
 occasionally. Now and then in the late au- 
 tumn, but not at any earlier period of the cam- 
 paign, a very little sugar and coffee would be 
 dispensed, but so rarely and in such small 
 quantities as to be practically valueless for 
 maintaining health. There were never rations 
 of wine, whiskey, or any alcoholic stimulant, 
 and there was no possibility of procuring any- 
 thing of the kind from outside sources, even if 
 there had been the money for buying, so the 
 men were " teetotalers " from necessity. At 
 rare intervals a little tobacco in the form of 
 "plugs" was issued, and smoking tobacco 
 could . generally be bought comparatively 
 cheap. To make purchases, however, it is 
 necessary to have money, and this must come 
 from "home," for pay-days were like angels' 
 
88 HAMPTON AND BIB CA VALE Y. 
 
 visits, and the currency, even when received, 
 was so depreciated as to have a very limited 
 purchasing power. It will readily be seen 
 what a great disadvantage the Army of North- 
 ern Virginia labored under, fighting on such 
 slender subsistence, compared to the amply fed 
 and well cared for Army of the Potomac. It is 
 a grave question how far this condition of 
 affairs was unavoidable and how far it was due 
 to lack of good management in the Depart- 
 ments at Richmond, and to want of zeal in the 
 Quartermasters and Commissaries, and their 
 underlings at depots and with wagon-trains. 
 If the army could have been properly supplied 
 merely with sound bacon and corn meal or 
 flour, these rations would have been sufficient 
 to maintain its physical strength and efficiency 
 and to have prevented much mortality from 
 wounds and sickness, which proved fatal be- 
 cause of the depleted condition of the poor 
 fellows. Certain it is that the bravest, most 
 
Co 
 
 CO 
 
 C3 
 
 
 c 
 K 
 
 
 (89) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 91 
 
 energetic, and ambitious men were to be found 
 at the front, where were danger, glory, and 
 promotion, and also the self-respecting satisfac- 
 tion earned by well-performed duty, whereas 
 "bomb-proofs" were greatly in demand by 
 persons, as a rule, of an inferior grade, content 
 to be non-combatants. This may and probably 
 does account in a measure for less able conduct 
 of the Quartermaster Department and the con- 
 sequent privations of the troops. After the 
 continuous fighting of a month from the Wil- 
 derness to Cold Harbor, it was desired by Lee 
 to have the rations of the men, temporarily at 
 least, increased somewhat, and coffee or some 
 other stimulant issued, to bring up the physical 
 condition, but the Department stated it was 
 impossible to do this. 
 
 In armament the cavalry were sorely over- 
 matched by their opponents. Lee's Infantry 
 were armed with muzzle-loaders, but then the 
 Federal Infantry used similar weapons, and 
 
92 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 therefore they were on the same footing in this 
 respect. Hampton's Cavalry generally pos- 
 sessed only muzzle-loaders. The regiments 
 from the Carolinas and Georgia had no breech- 
 loaders at all. It is true some of the Virginia 
 regiments were provided with Sharp's breech- 
 loading carbines (single-shooters), but there 
 were comparatively few. On this point Gen- 
 eral Rosser writes: " Our cavalry had no breech- 
 loading arms, except those captured, and with 
 these the ' Laurel Brigade ' was pretty well 
 supplied. Nearly all my men were armed with 
 captured arms, and supplied with captured sad- 
 dles, bridles, and halters." But General Ros- 
 ser's Brigade had been detached for service in 
 the Valley, and had therefore enjoyed excep- 
 tional opportunities for thus equipping itself, as 
 the Federal armies there had been throughout 
 the war in a measure an adjunct to the Con- 
 federate Ordnance Department. The repeating 
 carbines captured could not be utilized during 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 93 
 
 the campaign of 1864 for lack of ammunition, 
 because the Confederate work-shops were un- 
 able, at that time, to manufacture the metallic 
 cartridges. They learned to do this late in the 
 autumn, and could have furnished them for the 
 next campaign. And by that time, too, they 
 would have been able to supply breech-loaders 
 of their own manufacture ; some were already 
 rriade and in the arsenal in Columbia, S. C, 
 when the city was burned by Sherman, where 
 were also produced the heavy, long, straight, 
 double-edged swords, very serviceable and 
 crusader-like, with cross-hilt. The Sharp's car- 
 bines captured were at best only single-shooters, 
 and besides the cartridges were of paper and 
 easily injured by wear in the boxes and by 
 weather. In August, 1864, an order was 
 issued taking away from the men any captured 
 magazine rifles in their possession, because the 
 impossibility of procuring fresh supplies of car- 
 tridges would make them useless at critical 
 
94 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 moments. Hampton's Cavalry, therefore, as a 
 rule, had only muzzle-loaders. These were 
 mostly Enfield rifles, but many of them less 
 serviceable weapons, and not a few mere ar- 
 tillery carbines, little better than cross-bows. 
 Grant's Cavalry, on the other hand, were pro- 
 vided with breech-loading carbines, and largely 
 with magazine rifles, chiefly Spencer's. The 
 muzzle-loader is a thing of the past, and there- 
 fore hardly known to this generation, except by 
 name, being almost as unfamiliar as the Queen 
 Anne flint-lock musket. It is therefore difficult 
 to appreciate the terrible disadvantages the 
 Confederate Cavalry labored under in this mat- 
 ter. To load the Enfield was slow work at 
 best, the difficulty greatly increasing as it be- 
 came foul from repeated discharges. It could 
 hot well be loaded by a man lying down on the 
 ground behind cover, thus necessitating greater 
 exposure of the person in fighting. The car- 
 tridges, being of paper, were liable to injury by 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS CA 7ALRT. 95 
 
 dampness and rain, and the rifles often would 
 miss fire and cause much delay and trouble. 
 The breech-loading carbines and magazine 
 rifles were free from all these drawbacks, be- 
 sides possessing rapid-firing power, and troops 
 armed with them ought to have been equal to at 
 least double their number carrying only muzzle- 
 loaders. In respect to revolvers, Hampton's 
 men were also sadly deficient, a considerable 
 percentage being without them, whilst their 
 enemy was amply provided. But not only were 
 the rifles inferior in quality, but they were also 
 insufficient in number to equip all the men. If 
 appears from the " Armament Report of the 
 Cavalry Corps, December 15, 1864," that the 
 number of men in the command was then 5,552, 
 of whom 1,100 were unarmed, and 925 did not 
 have long-range guns, and a large proportion 
 were without revolvers. This report was of 
 course intended to apply only to the Govern- 
 ment property issued to the men, and not to 
 
96 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 personal weapons, which, being private property, 
 would not be returned in the schedule. The 
 deplorable deficiency in arms was not caused 
 by any fault of the Ordnance Department of 
 the Confederate Government, which, on the 
 contrary, was ably managed, and did good 
 work in proportion to its available resources. 
 The stringent blockade, hampering imports, and 
 the paucity of work-shops and mechanics, and 
 financial straits, were responsible for this. Gen- 
 eral Hampton was unceasingly endeavoring to 
 minimize the difficulty by urgent correspondence 
 with the Department, by captures, and by 
 efforts to import arms. The powder, at least, 
 was always good, which was largely due to the 
 skill and energy of Colonel Raines, detailed to 
 superintend the Powder Works of Augusta, 
 Ga. When he died recently it was a request 
 in his will that his body should be wrapped in a 
 Confederate flag, which he had provided for the 
 purpose, and buried on the site of his old works. 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS OAVALBT. 97 
 
 But the horse supply was the weakest point 
 of all in the organization of the cavalry. When 
 a man enlisted he brought with him his own 
 mount. If the horse was killed in action, he 
 would be entitled by law to compensation, but 
 this was nominal, not real, for, if he ever re- 
 ceived the money at all, it would be at a fixed 
 valuation for the horse in depreciated currency 
 equivalent to only a small fraction of the actual 
 value of the animal. If the horse was lost or 
 disabled by wear and tear or disease, he re- 
 ceived no compensation at all. In any case, if 
 dismounted, he must provide himself with 
 another horse, or be transferred into some 
 other branch of the service. Good men were 
 often lost to the cavalry by being unable to 
 buy a fresh mount. Where the trooper could 
 manage to afford to purchase another animal, 
 it was necessary to give him a furlough to go 
 home for this purpose, obtain his mount, and 
 bring him back to the command. And so the 
 
 7 
 
98 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 disablement of a horse meant either the elimi- 
 nation of a man from the force altogether, or at 
 least his absence on furlough for a long time, 
 and this would, of course, most frequently 
 occur when the work was hardest and men 
 most needed. This feature was the fatal defect 
 of the system, and it may well be wondered 
 how, in these circumstances, the cavalry was 
 kept in existence at all. The entire system, 
 however, is not to be condemned because of 
 this vital fault, for it possesses many merits, 
 and it may be necessary to utilize it again on 
 a large scale in some future wars, but it is 
 essential that the supply of fresh horses should 
 be provided for when those originally furnished 
 by the troopers are worn out. In raising cav- 
 alry in this way many important advantages are 
 gained. Better men and better horses are ob- 
 tained on the average. The recruits will be 
 largely composed of substantial countrymen 
 who can ride and shoot and understand the 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 99 
 
 care of horses, with a fair sprinkUng of young 
 fellows from towns who are fond of horses and 
 are quick to acquire the discipline of a soldier. 
 Though, according to law, captured horses be- 
 came the property of the Government and not 
 of the men in the command taking them, yet, 
 after a time, unwritten law largely overrode this 
 red tape, and captured mounts would be re- 
 tained by the captors in lieu of their own dead 
 or unserviceable animals. General Thomas L. 
 Rosser says in this connection : 
 
 " I often went into battle or on a raid with 
 one-third at least of my men dismounted, and 
 generally succeeded in mounting them from 
 captures." 
 
 The daily forage ordered to be issued for the 
 horses, when practicable, was ten pounds, equal 
 to about five and three-fourth quarts of corn 
 (maize) and ten pounds of long forage for each 
 animal ; but this quantity was, in point of fact, 
 never given out, because it could not be pro- 
 
100 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 cured. Often only five pounds of corn per 
 horse and no long forage would be issued, 
 and not infrequently only two and one-half 
 pounds. Sometimes there would be no corn at 
 all, and merely scant rations of hay, or even 
 straw. Not infrequently the only subsistence 
 would be unthreshed wheat. The privations 
 were most severe during the active period of 
 the campaign, but even when that was ended 
 the lack of forage was keenly felt. A more 
 distressing sight than to witness the daily dete- 
 rioration of the horses under this treatment can 
 hardly be imagined. The deprivation of grain is 
 very bad for them, but the absence of long forage 
 is worse ; the animal's digestion becoming so 
 completely upset by this that even with a suffi- 
 ciency of corn he would not derive the normal 
 benefit from it. The unsatisfied craving for 
 long forage produces a morbid appetite, and 
 the horse will then greedily seize and swallow 
 almost anything to distend the stomach. Where 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 101 
 
 a camp had been located for a few days one 
 would notice the trees to which the horses had 
 been fastened stripped of bark from the ground 
 to as high up as the animals could reach, and 
 where the place was occupied for a week or 
 two many of the smaller trees would be eaten 
 entirely away. Empty bags, scraps of paper, 
 and similar things would often be voraciously de- 
 voured. Unfortunately the supply of long forage 
 was much less in proportion than that of corn. 
 Even in summer there were very few opportu- 
 nities for grazing, and in the autumn and winter 
 none. All this was lamentable in a humane 
 point of view and extremely painful to those 
 fond of their horses, but it was also an im- 
 mense injury to the efficiency of the cavalry. 
 General . Hampton fully appreciated the vast 
 importance of bettering the food supply for the 
 horses, and his efforts in this direction were 
 most energetic and untiring, and every possible 
 expedient which his wide and life-long experi- 
 
102 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 ence of the subject could suggest was put in 
 practice. No doubt tlie department of the Con- 
 federate Government charged with attending 
 to this subject had, at that time, very great diffi- 
 culties to grapple with. 
 
 Another drawback to the efficiency of the 
 cavalry was the difficulty of obtaining horse- 
 shoes, and an unshod horse meant, for the time 
 being, the loss in action of one sabre and one rifle. 
 
 Of course the disparity of relative numbers 
 was, of all, the most serious disadvantage to 
 the Confederates. It has been, throughout this 
 narrative, the conscientious intention to report 
 correctly the military results attained and the 
 actual numbers engaged and losses sustained. 
 For this purpose the " Records of Union and 
 Confederate Armies," published by the War 
 Department from original or authenticated 
 documents, are invaluable, but they are not in- 
 fallible. Official reports are frequently more or 
 less colored by the interest or prejudices of the 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBY. 103 
 
 officer making them. As to numbers, losses, 
 prisoners, and recruits there is room in these 
 "Records" for serious mistakes without any 
 intention of deception, and the documents them- 
 selves sometimes contain internal evidence of 
 this. In keeping accounts involving returns of 
 vast numbers daily changing, it would be too 
 much to expect uniform accuracy, but, besides 
 accidental inaccuracies, documents at headquar- 
 ters and in the wagons were occasionally lost 
 or captured. This occurred most frequently 
 from May to September, 1864, often with the 
 infantry, but still more commonly with the cav- 
 alry, because of the more active nature and 
 varied vicissitudes of that service. Where pa- 
 pers containing the data of corps, divisions, 
 brigades, or parts of them are thus lost, accu- 
 racy cannot be expected from returns made up 
 afterwards in the absence of such data. It 
 would be like the effort of a banker to establish 
 the previous debits and credits of his accounts 
 
104 HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALR T. 
 
 with his customers after he had lost all of his 
 books in a fire. Moreover the cavalry on both 
 sides, for days together, had more pressing busi- 
 ness to attend to than bookkeeping, which would 
 be relegated to more convenient occasions. As 
 instances of the loss of or inability to obtain 
 data, the following may be cited. General 
 Meade, endorses on the report of the Army of 
 the Potomac of June 30, 1864 : 
 
 " The last trimonthly report previously ren- 
 dered was for April 30th. In consequence of 
 the movements of the troops between the dates 
 mentioned and the absence of all facilities for 
 the preparation of the stated trimonthly re- 
 ports, it was found altogether impracticable to 
 render such reports when due." 
 
 On the returns of the Army of the Potomac 
 for July 31, 1864, there is an endorsement stat- 
 ing that the records of the First and Third Di- 
 visions of Cavalry had been "lost or cap- 
 tured," and therefore could not be given. 
 

 S 
 IS, 
 
 "&> 
 
 
 
 (105) 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 POSITION OF THE ARMIES BEFORE THE OPENING 
 
 OF THE CAMPAIGN OF 1 864 SURPRISE OF KIL- 
 
 PATRICK's FORCE — DAHLGREN RAID. 
 
 AJOR-GENERAL J. E. B. STUART, 
 commanding the cavalry of the Army 
 m^-iuuM^^ l of Northern Virginia, was mortally 
 wounded on May ii, 1864, and, by his death 
 on the following day, Hampton became rank- 
 ing Major-General of the command. This 
 narrative, strictly speaking, should commence 
 at that date, but a clearer understanding of the 
 situation will be arrived at by a brief reference 
 to some occurrences which preceded May nth. 
 During the winter of 1863-64 General 
 Hampton, with headquarters at Milford, had 
 
 two brigades of his division — Butler's and Gor- 
 do?) 
 
108 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRT. 
 
 den's — stationed near Fredericksburg, about 
 sixty miles north of Richmond, picketing the 
 Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers, on the 
 right of the army. The other brigade of the 
 division — Rosser's — had been ordered to the 
 Shenandoah Valley in December. The two 
 brigades mentioned numbered together seven 
 hundred and nineteen, "present for duty and 
 with serviceable horses," by the field return for 
 February 28th. The infantry occupied, for about 
 twenty miles, the southern bank of the Rap- 
 idan, extending on the left to near Orange 
 Courthouse, and Meade's army was some ten 
 miles to the north of their centre. 
 
 On February 29th occured what may be con- 
 sidered the first movement in the cavalry cam- 
 paign of 1864. On that morning General 
 Hampton received information from a scout 
 that the Federal infantry were supposed to be 
 moving, and that Kilpatrick was in motion with 
 his cavalry division. 
 
HAMPTON AND BIS CAVALRY. 109 
 
 This information was correct as to Kilpatrick, 
 but the infantry movements as well as the cav- 
 alry demonstration around the left flank were 
 merely feints, intended to distract attention 
 from the real object in view. Kilpatrick had 
 received orders to march with a force of four 
 thousand men, and with about this number and 
 six pieces of horse artillery he started on his 
 expedition on Sunday evening, February 28th. 
 The purpose was to dash round the right flank 
 of Lee's army and capture Richmond, which had 
 only a feeble garrison, consisting largely of home 
 guards. His force was composed of men selected 
 from all of the three divisions of the corps. 
 Pleasanton, then commanding the Federal cav- 
 alry, speaks of them as " picked men," and says 
 that, for this reason, their absence seriously 
 impaired the efficiency of all his three divisions. 
 Probably there were also some of the " house- 
 hold troops," as General Meade used to style 
 men detailed to serve around army headquar- 
 
110 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALB T. 
 
 ters. Colonel Dahlgren led the advance with 
 four hundred and sixty men. The plan was for 
 him to press forward, unencumbered with wag- 
 ons, cross the James river, seize the bridge and be 
 ready to attack Richmond from the south side in 
 co-operation with Kilpatrick, who counted upon 
 reaching the northern side by Tuesday morn- 
 ing. The expedition accordingly quietly crossed 
 the Rapidan at Ely's ford during Sunday night, 
 having captured or killed the whole picket from 
 Butler's brigade — fourteen men and an officer — 
 and set out on their race for Richmond, some 
 fifty miles in a straight line to the southward. 
 Kilpatrick duly reached the neighborhood of 
 Richmond on Tuesday about midday, but Dahl- 
 gren had not been able to keep his appoint- 
 ment. Kilpatrick made a feeble attack upon 
 the outworks of Richmond, but drew off early 
 in the evening and went into camp near Atlee's 
 station, intending to renew his attempt upon 
 the city in the morning, by which time he hoped 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. Ill 
 
 Dahlgren would be in position, or would have 
 joined him. 
 
 Meantime, as soon as he had ascertained the 
 direction taken by the raiders, Hampton started 
 energetically in pursuit. His force consisted of 
 three hundred and six troopers from the First 
 and Second North Carolina regiments, of Gor- 
 den's brigade, and Hart's battery of horse 
 artillery — these being all the men that could 
 be spared without denuding the picket posts, 
 Sunday night had been a beautiful, bright, 
 moonlight evening, mild and spring-like, so 
 much so that a signal-corps officer, with an 
 unpronounceable Sclavonic name, attached to 
 Dahlgren's band, in his official report moralizes 
 most edifyingly upon the calm of nature being 
 in striking contrast with the angry passions of 
 man, and a little latter on becomes eloquent 
 over the beauty of a bonfire made by buildings 
 burned. But the weather suddenly changed^ 
 completely, and on Tuesday there was a -severe; 
 
112 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 Storm, accompanied by snow and sleet, and the 
 night closed in black as ink, cold and wet. To- 
 wards ten o'clock Hampton made out the camp- 
 fires of the enemy — one portion near Atlee's 
 station, about ten miles north of Richmond, 
 and the others just back of it. He decided at 
 once to attack the brigade nearest the station, 
 and set his men in motion in that direction, 
 with orders when the enemy's pickets were 
 met not to return their fire. When this oc- 
 curred he dismounted one hundred of his men, 
 supporting them with the remainder mounted, 
 and advanced steadily upon Kilpatrick's camp, 
 whilst two pieces of artillery were opened upon 
 it at short range. At first a stout resistance 
 was encountered from the brigade attacked, 
 but Hampton dashed in and carried the camp 
 at a rush. About one hundred prisoners were 
 captured, the rest making off in the darkness, 
 leaving many horses. Arms, rations, and cloth- 
 ing were found scattered about. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAYALBT. 113 
 
 Until they struck the camp itself the advance 
 of Hampton's men had been made in as noiseless 
 a manner as practicable, so as to effect a sur- 
 prise, but when the charge took place the men 
 tried to create all the noise possible, because this 
 would produce the impression of greater num- 
 bers. The " rebel yell," derived from the in- 
 spiring view-halloo of the hunting field, could 
 express, on fitting occasions, an intensity of 
 fierceness quite upsetting to the nerves. 
 
 Meantime General Kilpatrick, with the bri- 
 gades camped in the rear, "in guarded tent," 
 like the Turk of old, was snugly snoozing in 
 warm blankets regardless of the pitiless storm 
 without, and "was dreaming of the hour" when 
 he would sack Richmond and become the next 
 President. He " woke," not " to die 'mid flame 
 and smoke," nor " death-shots falling thick and 
 fast," but to leap upon his horse in hot haste 
 and gallop away into the darkness, followed by 
 
 his intact brigades, forgetting to take with him 
 8 
 
114 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 a loaded wagon, with horses hitched, and a cais- 
 son of ammunition, and having experienced a 
 very "unpleasant quarter of an hour." 
 
 In consequence of the extreme darkness 
 Hampton could not take up the pursuit until 
 daylight. In the interim the victors made bold to 
 use the fires, provisions, coffee, and other "home 
 comforts" left behind by their departed hosts. 
 
 Kilpatrick says in his official report, that 
 after his involuntary night march he reached 
 Old Church, where he rested until one o'clock 
 P. M. the next day, but hearing that Hampton 
 was "after him," as he expresses it, and that 
 it was he, with " a large force of mounted in- 
 fantry and cavalry and four pieces of artillery" 
 who had attacked him the night before, he 
 " decided to move by the nearest route to Gen- 
 eral Butler's lines at New Kent Courthouse." 
 It should be remembered that " the large force " 
 numbered, after deducting necessary details for 
 scouts and pickets, less than three hundred men.. 
 
HAMPTON AND BIS CA VALR 7 115 
 
 After resting and receiving reinforcements at 
 Yorktown, Kilpatrick essayed to force his way 
 back to liis own army, but Hampton barred the 
 way, having somewhat increased his force by 
 that time. And so it turned out that Kilpatrick 
 was cut off from Meade's army, to which he 
 belonged, and, compelled to seek refuge in 
 General Butler's bosom, became "bottled up," 
 thus setting an example soon followed by But- 
 ler. His losses, according to Federal returns, 
 were only 340. His friends were obliged to 
 send steamers to Yorktown to bring him back 
 to his army, where, as Pleasanton states, the 
 absence of his "picked men" and the "house- 
 hold troops " was severely felt. This seems 
 rather a droll ending for the affair. Old Ben 
 Butler, too, had shortly before this got up an 
 expedition with similar purpose against Rich- 
 mond, which, like all his sensational attempts 
 at war, had come to speedy grief. 
 
 Dahlgren had endeavored to carry out his 
 
116 HAMPTON AND Elb CAVALBT. 
 
 part of the programme. After burning some 
 mills, barns, and other private property, encoun- 
 tering no organized resistance, he had tried to 
 cross the James river, about twenty miles 
 above Richmond, but had not succeeded in 
 effecting this. Suspecting that a negro boy, 
 whom he had employed as guide, was deceiv- 
 ing him about the ford, he hanged- the poor 
 creature. A party of five or six of his scouts 
 rode up to a country house near by. On the 
 piazza were two young men, soldiers on fur- 
 lough, and the ladies of the family. The young 
 people were not aware of raiders being in 
 the neighborhood, and were so busy chatting 
 together they did not perceive the intruders 
 until they were almost among them. Then, 
 quick as thought, the two men ran through the 
 hall, escaped by the back door, rushed to the 
 stable, mounted, and galloped away into the 
 fields in the rear. Meantime the raiders de- 
 manded that the ladies should, tell them where 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 117 
 
 the men were, whom they had seen leaving, 
 and also required to be informed of the road to- 
 the nearest river-ford. This being refused, 
 they threatened their lives, and levelled cocked 
 pistols at their heads, but did not succeed in 
 extorting any information from these brave Vir- 
 ginia girls. Soon the two young men, discover- 
 ing that the Federals numbered only five or six, 
 came dashing round the corner of the house, 
 yelling as if leading a charge, and chased them 
 away with their pistols. One, the most insolent 
 of the gang, endeavored to escape by making 
 a short cut across the lawn to the gate on the 
 main road. On his way was a deep excavation, 
 which had once been an ice-house, but which 
 had gone to ruin, and was then concealed by 
 debris and grass. Into this the rider and horse, 
 at full speed, fell. Both were found there quite 
 dead, their necks broken, and there they lie 
 buried now. It i:^ not surprising that these 
 girls should always have believed the arm of 
 
118 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 the Great Avenger had been present with them. 
 Despairing of crossing the river, Dahlgren made 
 a fruitless ride to the outskirts of Richmond, 
 but drew off without accomplishing anything 
 Hearing that Hampton had driven off Kil- 
 patrick, and was interposed between him and 
 his friends, he seemed to lose his head, and 
 blindly endeavored to escape. His command 
 became divided in the darkness, and he with a 
 part of it was encountered by an irregular 
 band made up of citizens and a few soldiers on 
 furlough, and thus met his death, and those 
 accompanying him shared his fate or became 
 prisoners. On his body was found a note-book 
 and papers containing memoranda, and his in- 
 tended programme after capturing Richmond, 
 which included the burning of the city and the 
 assassination of the Confederate President, 
 proceedings which would have been in viola- 
 tion of the laws of civilized warfare. It is 
 probable that from this attempt was suggested 
 
(119) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 121 
 
 the idea of the equally abhorrent crime of which 
 Lincoln was the victim. The one atrocity 
 begot the other. Naturally enough friends of 
 Dahlgren tried to discredit the evidence against 
 him, but unfortunately the facts speak for them- 
 selves. 
 
 As to the documentary evidence against 
 Dahlgren, General Hampton says : 
 
 "As the authenticity of these papers has 
 been denied, it may not be out of place for 
 me to state here what I know regarding 
 them. As already said, I followed Kil- 
 patrick, when he retreated, and I halted on 
 the night of the 2d of March near the house 
 ot Dr. Braxton, and not far from that of Mr. 
 Lewis Washington. I remained during the 
 night at the house of the former, and moving 
 off at a very early hour the next morning 
 I met Mr. Washington, who asked me if I 
 had seen a courier who was in search of 
 me. Replying to him in the negative, he 
 
122 HAMPTON AND RIti CAVALRY. 
 
 informed me that this courier had stayed at 
 his house the night previous, and had ex- 
 hibited to him the note-book of Dahlgren, 
 in which he read the diabolical plan, which 
 was subsequently made public. The details 
 of this plan, as stated to me by Mr. Wash- 
 ington, were precisely similar to those pub- 
 lished ; so, unless the parties who killed 
 Dahlgren, or the courier who bore the 
 despatches on to Richmond on not finding 
 me, wrote tlie orders and memoranda in the 
 captured note-book, a supposition entirely 
 incredible, there can be no shadow of a 
 doubt that Dahlgren was the originator 
 of a plot to burn and sack Richmond, and 
 to assassinate the President of the Southern 
 Confederacy." 
 
 For his services in driving away Kilpatrick, 
 Hampton received the thanks of Major-Gen- 
 eral Elzey, as the following extract from Gen- 
 eral Orders will show. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 123 
 
 " G. O. No. 10, Headq'rs Department 
 of Richmond, March 8, 1864. 
 
 " The Major-General commanding begs 
 leave to tender to Major-General Hampton 
 and his command his sincere thanks for their 
 co-operation in following up the enemy, and 
 their gallant assault upon his camp at Atlee's 
 station on Tuesday night, in which the 
 enemy's entire force was stampeded and 
 completely routed, leaving in the hands of 
 Gen. Hampton many prisoners and horses." 
 
 This attack on Kilpatrick, considering the 
 odds, was certainly one of the boldest ever 
 made, but it was not done in a spirit of wild 
 adventure or dare-devil recklessness, but, on 
 the contrary, was sagaciously planned and 
 coolly executed, as the best available means 
 for driving off the raid from Richmond. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 reorganization of hampton s division com- 
 mencement of the campaign wilderness 
 
 Sheridan's Richmond rai d — death of 
 stuart hampton in command composition 
 
 AND NUMBERS OF THE CORPS SHERIDAN's 
 
 CORPS, AND NUMBER OF MEN HAWES' SHOP 
 
 MATADEQUIN creek ASHLAND COLD HARBOR. 
 
 ilFTER the events just related, it was 
 expected there would be compara- 
 tive quiet until the opening of the 
 spring campaign by the infantry. General 
 Hampton, therefore, availed himself of this 
 opportunity to accept, for a short time, the leave 
 of absence which had been tendered him some 
 time previously. His chief object in this was 
 to return to South Carolina to superintend the 
 
 (124) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA7ALRY. 125 
 
 transfer to Virginia of the Fourth, Fifth, and 
 Sixth regiments of South Carolina cavalry, 
 who would relieve the First and Second South 
 Carolina cavalry then in Virginia, and thus 
 permit the latter to return home to recruit. 
 This, it was hoped, would bring nearly 2,400 
 fresh men and horses to Hampton's division in 
 place of the depleted regiments mentioned. 
 It had been decided to do this after his re- 
 peated and urgent requests to the War Depart- 
 ment, and at the recommendation of General 
 Lee. It had also been arranged to recruit, as 
 far as practicable, with men and horses the 
 other regiments of his division, but, in regard 
 to these, changes were made which will be ex- 
 plained later on. It was absolutely necessary 
 to increase the numerical strength of his com- 
 mand, if it was to be of any material service in 
 the coming campaign. 
 
 On May 2d General Hampton returned to 
 his headquarters at Milford, and reported to 
 
126 HAMPTON AND SIS OAVALBT. 
 
 General Stuart, commanding the corps. He 
 officially stated his effective force then to be 
 only 673 men. On May 5th his division was 
 reorganized, Gorden's brigade being trans- 
 ferred from it. After that it consisted of Ros- 
 ser's. Young's, and Butler's brigades, the latter 
 to be made up of the three South CaroHna 
 regiments just referred to, which were coming 
 from home. 
 
 On May 4th the Army of the Potomac com- 
 menced to move, and thus was begun the cam- 
 paign of 1864. A splendid army it was. All 
 that money could effect in creating and perfect- 
 ing an armed force, with the resources of the 
 whole world at hand to draw from, had been 
 accomplished. The winter had been spent in the 
 camps north of the Rapidan industriously pre- 
 paring, organizing, drilling — and this was the re- 
 sult. The soldiers, recruited from every race the 
 sun shines upon, were better cared for, clothed, 
 and fed than most of them had been when at 
 
SAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 137 
 
 home, and, in numbers and equipment, far sur- 
 passed any army that had ever been mustered 
 on American soil. By count there were about 
 one hundred and fifty thousand of all arms, in- 
 cluding those detailed to the Quartermaster 
 Department, and nearly fifty thousand of rein- 
 forcements were destined to join them during 
 the next four weeks. These are "official" 
 figures, but how many more may have been 
 really there within that horrible month no one 
 can know, for, in the continuous smash of bat- 
 tle and resulting disorganization, accounts for 
 receipts and consumption of "food for gun- 
 powder" could not be accurately kept, and 
 records must be often made up by " forced bal- 
 ances." 
 
 General Meade had struck his gorgeous 
 headquarters tent at Culpeper and unfurled 
 his beautiful silken flag, embroidered in silver 
 and gold, at much cost of "greenbacks," sug- 
 gesting,, as General Grant sarcastically re- 
 
128 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 marked in his downright way, the magnificence 
 of the conquerors of imperial Rome. An array 
 of horsemen, some sixteen thousand strong, 
 clattered in the advance, brilliant in all the 
 bravery of handsome uniforms and glitter- 
 ing steel ; much larger in numbers and better 
 mounted and accoutered than any cavalry the 
 army had ever before possessed. Then marched 
 the infantry, the sunlight flashing from their 
 rifle-barrels, in high heart and splendid phy- 
 sique, with hundreds of brilliant standards wav- 
 ing, the air filled with the strains of martial 
 music and the tramp of armed men. The rum- 
 ble of the wheels of the artillery swelled into a 
 volume of sound resembling distant thunder, 
 as well it might, for never before since man 
 gave proof of his kinship to Cain by making 
 gunpowder had so many guns of such calibre 
 been attached to any army. Wagon-trains — 
 consisting of thousands, which, in a single line, 
 would have stretched over sixty miles in length, 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 129 
 
 conveying ample and luxurious rations and pro- 
 vision for sick and wounded, and swarms of 
 camp followers of both sexes — like flies follow- 
 ing a carcass — brought up the rear. 
 
 Thus they crossed the Rapidan to the south- 
 ward, filling all the roads with dense masses of 
 moving blue like swollen tributaries to some 
 great river, and overflowing into the open 
 spaces and fields as spring streams will inun- 
 date the meadows. It is not to be wondered 
 at that some who watched the spectacle from 
 an overlooking height could almost fancy they 
 were witnessing one of those vast migrations of 
 nations which, it is believed, occurred in pre- 
 historic times, when — set in motion by stress of 
 changed climate and impoverished soil, or over- 
 crowding of the maternal hive — they wandered 
 off by thousands and thousands in search of abid- 
 ing places in more favored climes. And this 
 migration, too, was from the North, hardly as 
 yet released from the ice-grip, into the genial 
 
130 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 Southern lands — to Virginia, smiling in the 
 spring sunshine, wreathed with verdure and 
 flowers, well styled the " Virgin Queen." 
 
 In this manner — in all the "pomp and cin 
 cumstance of war" — the Army of the Potomac 
 proceeded on its way into the Wilderness, there 
 to encounter disaster and defeat, and narrowly 
 to escape entire destruction ; to lose within 
 thirty days considerably more than sixty 
 thousand of its best and bravest. 
 
 And what barrier existed against this mighty 
 tidal wave of conquest? Merely "a slender 
 line of gray" — unpaid, ill-fed, ragged men. 
 True; but that "line," however "slender," 
 though in numbers hardly equal to two-fifths of 
 its enemy, was composed of the veterans of the 
 Army of Northern Virginia — Americans tried 
 and true, mostly descendants of the British race, 
 whose ancestors had thrown off only the Eng- 
 lish Crown and titles, but retained all else — the 
 dearly-loved traditions, laws, and liberty ; and 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 OAVALRY, 131 
 
 these had, mingled in their veins, the blood of 
 fiery Cavalier and fighting Roundhead, deriving 
 from each strain its best qualities. And there 
 were not wanting the offspring of that people 
 true to their faith, who followed the white plume 
 of Navarre at Ivry. To all such men comes 
 from their birth facility of military organization 
 and skill with weapons, and to their hearts the 
 word "liberty" always sounds like a bugle-blast. 
 As for the cavalry they were chiefly country-bred, 
 hardy in habits, horsemen from the cradle, and 
 much leavened with the love of field-sports ; 
 from the stirring cries of the hunting-field and 
 the mad gallop after the hounds it was an easy 
 transition to the Confederate battle-yell and the 
 dashing, fierce, furious charge. Above all this, 
 that " slender line " was imbubed with almost 
 superhuman strength by the genius and moral 
 power of Lee. 
 
 The writer will venture to make a short di- 
 gression here to relate an incident occurring 
 
132 HAMPTON AND HIS CAYALBT. 
 
 during the autumn of 1 863, which will far bet- 
 ter illustrate than any words of his can do, the 
 nature of the leader and of the army confront- 
 ing Grant in 1864. The exact date, the names 
 of persons, and the locality are omitted for ob- 
 vious reasons. It is to be feared that the inter- 
 pretation of this anecdote will not be clear to 
 many a worthy well-to-do citizen, whose com- 
 bative experiences have been confined to the 
 battles between "bulls" and " bears," whose 
 greatest personal peril has been incurred in 
 dodging bicycles and trolley-cars, whose priva- 
 tions have consisted of dinners not quite comme 
 il faut, and whose patriotism is a love for " the 
 old flag and an appropriation." But the 
 women will comprehend it, however white their 
 hands or delicate their nurture. 
 
 A commander of a considerable force of 
 Confederate infantry had, by an error of judg- 
 ment but with the best intentions, made a 
 movement which placed his troops at a great 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 133 
 
 disadvantage and cost fruitlessly much pre- 
 cious blood. As they would have said in those 
 days, he "butted his head against a stone 
 wall." General Lee came upon the scene just 
 then — calm, dignified, and grand ; the personi- 
 fication of mind versus matter. The lines were 
 restored and affairs set right. The infantry 
 officer whose blunder had wrought all this 
 mischief was a gallant and devoted soldier, 
 and his heart was wrung with grief as he 
 looked upon the stiff and stark and the poor 
 fellows writhing with their wounds. He rode 
 up and was about to make some explanation 
 of the mistake, but Lee interrupted him very 
 gently, saying : 
 
 "Well, well, General ! bury your'*poor dead ! " 
 Only those few simple words, but they ex- 
 pressed a pathos that is indescribable. Many 
 dead lay there, and far too many wounded. 
 These latter saw their loved General's look, 
 and some heard his words, and these tried to 
 
134 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALRT. 
 
 cheer from their dying throats, and the cry was 
 taken up by others more distant, until at length 
 the very sky shook with the swelling battle-yell 
 of the army. It was magnificent, because it signi- 
 fied the supreme height to which human hearts 
 can reach in love, loyalty, and absolute trust ; 
 and surely never since darkness brooded over 
 the face of the waters did a more acceptable 
 anthem ascend to the throne of the Most High. 
 The Army of the Potomac during its career 
 had served under many different leaders. 
 Meade was now nominally at its head on this 
 momentous 4th of May, but Grant, in fact, ex- 
 ercised personal control and direction. In the 
 cavalry also an important change had occurred 
 since the clfise of the last campaign. General 
 Pleasanton, during the previous year, had com- 
 manded and had much increased the efficiency 
 qf this branch of the service. He had consoli- 
 dated into a corps of three divisions a force 
 which before that had been composed of dis- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAYALUY. 135 
 
 connected regiments and brigades. But his 
 relations with Meade became strained and he 
 felt compelled to resign. Then Grant and 
 Hallet consulted together and selected Sheri- 
 dan, who was brought from the West to lead 
 the cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, and 
 took command on April 5th. He it was who 
 was destined to be pitted against Hampton in 
 the coming campaign. Some distinction had 
 been gained by him in the West, but chiefly 
 at the head of an infantry division. He hap- 
 pened to have been born in New York, but 
 both his parents, less than a year previous to his 
 birth, had emigrated from Ireland, and he was, 
 therefore, as much an Irishman in racial char- 
 acteristics as if a native of Cork. From this 
 race has come, during modern times, much raw 
 material for soldiers of fortune, and most of 
 them have shown good fighting qualities. 
 Sheridan was no exception to this rule. Of 
 humble parentage, his early education had been 
 
336 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 meagre, but he entered West Point from Ohio 
 and graduated in 1853, thirty-fifth in a class of 
 fifty-two members. From this time to his death 
 he lived in the army. When assigned to the 
 command of the cavalry corps of the Army of 
 the Potomac he was thirty-three years of age, 
 and in personal appearance very far from im- 
 posing. 
 
 On May 7th, in pursuance of orders, Gen- 
 eral Hampton reached Shady Grove, and, un- 
 der Stuart, took part in the fighting with the 
 Federal cavalry on that flank. On May 8th 
 Grant, having suffered bloody repulse in the 
 Wilderness fights of the three preceding days, 
 commenced to make a rush to his left to turn 
 Lee's right flank. Time was of vital import- 
 ance, for Lee must arrive first at the point of 
 attack, and thus be able to confront his antago- 
 nist. So the Federal cavalry tried their utmost 
 to clear the roads for their infantry, and the 
 watch-dogs of Lee assailed them for delay, and 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 137 
 
 thus Hampton was again engaged. On May 
 9th and loth he was encountering the enemy's 
 infantry, and in the heavy fighting of the 12th 
 his artillery did good service. On every day, 
 from the commencement of the campaign to 
 the battle of Cold Harbor, the cavalry were 
 ^"g^gsd, always striving their utmost to delay 
 che forward march of the Federal columns, and 
 always forced to fall back gradually before their 
 larger numbers. This is a sort of service 
 which is the hardest that can be put upon 
 troops, for they know full well each morning 
 that the struggle is, for them, a hopeless one, 
 and yet that they must encounter it day after 
 day, forced back always, but disputing every 
 inch. Troops that can endure this, undemoral- 
 ized, are veterans tried and true, and such can- 
 not be bought for bounties. 
 
 On May 9th Sheridan made a detour round 
 Lee's right flank and marched in the direction 
 of Richmond. He had detached a portion of 
 
138 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 his command to remain with the infantry, but 
 had with him the remainder of his three divisions, 
 numbering over nine thousand men, and seven 
 batteries of horse artillery accompanied them. 
 Stuart started in pursuit, his force being about 
 one-third the strength of that of Sheridan, and 
 by hard riding he interposed himself between 
 the raiders and Richmond, having detached 
 General Gorden, with his very small brigade, 
 formerly of Hampton's division, to attack their 
 rear. On May iith a severe fight ensued at 
 Yellow Tavern, nine miles from Richmond, 
 during which, after many hours, Stuart's line 
 was broken through by force of numbers. He 
 himself was mortally wounded and died the 
 following day. Thus fell a gallant, devoted 
 soldier and a lovable man. His personal dash 
 was splendid and his handling of mounted cav- 
 alry spirited. The daring raids and adventur- 
 ous expeditions conducted by him are capti- 
 vating to the imagination and surround his 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GA VALRY. 139 
 
 memory with romantic associations. Brigadier- 
 General Gorden, too, an excellent officer, lost 
 his life in this unequal contest, fighting stoutly 
 in the front, as was his wont. 
 
 Sheridan, having succeeded in passing 
 through Stuart's line, proceeded to the fortifi- 
 cations of Richmond, where he made an attack 
 and was repulsed. The garrison consisted, to 
 a great extent, of citizen soldiers, supplemented 
 by some troops which General Bragg, -com- 
 manding the defences, brought up from below 
 Richmond, and was, therefore, not a very for- 
 midable body, either in numbers or quality. 
 However, Sheridan gave up the attempt to 
 capture the city and returned to his infantry, 
 arriving there on May 25th. His losses in this 
 expedition, according to Federal returns, were 
 six hundred and twenty-five. 
 
 The results accomplished by this raid 
 amounted to very little of military value. The 
 appearance of Federal cavalry behind the lines 
 
140 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 
 
 caused the withdrawal from Lee of no infantry, 
 and of only about one-third of the number of 
 troopers comprised in Sheridan's force ; in 
 other words, it required three of his men to 
 neutralize one of the cavalry of the Army of 
 Northern Virginia. The public stores burnt, 
 and the railroads only slightly and temporarily 
 interfered with, did not at all diminish the effi- 
 ciency of the troops then operating against 
 Grant. Nether did the destruction of private 
 property damage anyone but the individual suf- 
 ferers, and, indeed, it was of benefit rather 
 than injury to the Confederate cause, on ac- 
 -count of the exasperation of feeling thus en- 
 gendered. The attack on Richmond proved a 
 failure, and caused no diversion in any other 
 direction. It is true Stuart was killed, but that 
 can hardly be called a " result," for we do not 
 wage war, like Indians, for human scalps, but 
 only to obtain military ends. 
 
 What, then, was the purpose of this expedi- 
 
HAMPTON AND ma CAVALBT. 141 
 
 tion ? It has been said that one object was to 
 draw off cavalry from Lee, and thus render 
 more easy Grant's flanking movements, but, as 
 remarked above, this was a three-for-one ' ' ex- 
 change." The attack on Richmond was so 
 feeble that it could hardly have been the ob- 
 jective point. One writer has said the chief 
 purpose of the march was to recruit the horses, 
 but a hard raid in a country swept of supplies 
 would certainly be a strange method, • and 
 surely no commander would, at a critical junct- 
 ure, separate his cavalry from his infantry for 
 such an inadequate reason. The true explana- 
 tion of the proceeding probably is, that Grant 
 overconfidently expected to hammer to pieces 
 Lee's columns at Spotsylvania, and placed 
 Sheridan in the rear to pulverize the fragments. 
 Thus to denude the army of cavalry would 
 seem to have been a frightful risk, and might 
 well have ended the war in exactly an opposite 
 manner to that intended. 
 
142 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALMT. 
 
 By the death of Major-General J. E. B. 
 Stuart on May 12th, Hampton, as senior 
 Major-General, became commander of the cav- 
 alry of the Army of Northern Virginia. He 
 was then forty-six years of age. Of impressive 
 personal appearance — full-bearded, tall, erect, 
 and massive ; a horseman from life-long habit 
 and natural aptitude — he looked a grand mili- 
 tary chieftain. The cavalry of that army con- 
 stituted a corps. There were at that time 
 •three divisions — the First consisting of M. C. 
 Butler's brigade, the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth 
 South Carolina, Young's brigade, Cobb's Le- 
 gion, Phillips' Legion, Jeff. Davis Legion, 
 Seventh Georgia regiment, Millens' battalion, 
 and Lewis' battalion, Thomas L. Rosser's bri- 
 gade. Seventh, Eleventh, and Twelfth Virginia, 
 and White's battalion. This division was com- 
 manded by Major-General Hampton. The 
 Second division was made up of Wickham's 
 brigade, First, Second, Third, and Fourth Vir- 
 
(143) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALRT. 145 
 
 ginia and Lomax's brigade, Fifth, Sixth, and 
 Fifteenth Virginia. Major-General Fitzhugh 
 Lee commanded this division. The Third divi 
 sion was composed of Gorden's brigade, First, 
 Second, Third, and Fifth North Carolina and 
 ChambHss' brigade, Ninth, Tenth, and Thir- 
 teenth Virginia. This division was under 
 Major-General W. H. F. Lee. 
 
 General Fitzhugh Lee was a nephew and 
 General W. H. F. Lee, a son of Robert E. Lee, 
 and both were graduates of West Point. 
 
 When General Hampton took command 
 after May 12, 1864, the three divisions were 
 composed as above stated, but all the regi- 
 ments were not present. The three regiments 
 of Butler's brigade had not yet reached Vir- 
 ginia, nor the larger part of Young's brigade, 
 nor two regiments of Gorden's brigade. The 
 regiments not present on May 12th reported 
 at different dates during the rest of the month. 
 
 The number of effective men present for duty 
 10 
 
146 HAMPTON AND SIS OAVALBT. 
 
 with serviceable horses never exceeded, at any 
 time during the campaign, seven thousand as a 
 maximum. This statement is confirmed by 
 General Hampton. The force was undergoing 
 constant reduction by dismounts, caused by 
 broken-down horses as well as by casualties, 
 whilst new recruits were necessarily few, and, 
 therefore, this maximum existed for only a mo- 
 ment, so to speak. Gary's brigade — consisting 
 of the Hampton Legion (ten companies), 
 Seventh South Carolina Cavalry and Twenty- 
 sixth Virginia. cavalry — was not attached to the 
 corps, but belonged to the Richmond-defence 
 force, and operated only north of the James 
 river. 
 
 The cavalry of Sheridan consisted also of 
 three divisions, styled First, Second, and Third, 
 commanded by Generals Torbert, Gregg, and 
 Wilson — ranking in the order named. The 
 number of brigades comprised in the corps 
 was seven and the number of regiments 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 147 
 
 thirty. By the " abstract of the tri-monthly 
 return of the Army of the Potomac for April 
 30, 1864," the number of officers and men then 
 "present for duty" in the cavalry corps was 
 fifteen thousand eight hundred and twenty-five, 
 and "serviceable horses" fifteen thousand and 
 thirty-six. Their numerical strength was, there^ 
 fore, at that time considerably more than dou- 
 ble the maximum of Hampton's force, and very 
 far more than double its average. Sheridan's 
 troops were admirably clothed, equipped, 
 armed, and fed, and were kept mounted by 
 fresh supplies of horses, and the ranks con- 
 stantly replenished with new recruits. Their 
 arms consisted of breech-loaders (chiefly Spen- 
 cer and Hall magazine rifles of the best kind, 
 using metallic cartridges), revolvers, and sabres. 
 The sad contrast to this presented by Hamp- 
 ton's command in food, armament, horses, and 
 forage has been pointed out, and the paucity 
 of recruits to be obtained by him needs no fur- 
 
148 HAMPTON AND SIS OAVALBT. 
 
 ther comment. Notwithstanding this great 
 disparity in men and material, it can be shown 
 that, within the four months during which Sheri- 
 dan commanded the cavalry of the Army of 
 the Potomac, Hampton was never routed in 
 a single engagement, and generally achieved 
 substantial successes. The same assertion 
 is equally true of that period of the campaign 
 of 1864 subsequent to August 2d, at which 
 date Sheridan was transferred to command in 
 the Shenandoah Valley. With the advent of 
 Hampton to the control of the cavalry of the 
 Army of Northern Virginia came a great 
 change in tactics. Before this time the prac- 
 tice had been to operate cavalry mounted, the 
 dismounted men, or sharp-shooters, being gener- 
 ally merely auxiliary to the mounted men, cov- 
 ering their flanks when needed. Much bril- 
 liant manouvering had been done, many enter- 
 prising raids executed, and some very good 
 service performed in confusing the enemy and 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALR T. ] 49 
 
 obtaining an insight into his plans. But the 
 time had arrived when a change in system 
 was necessary. The Federal cavalry, thanks 
 to Pleasanton, were better organized and equip- 
 ped and stronger in numbers than ever before. 
 A new man was now at their head, who was 
 bent upon obtaining promotion. Sheridan's ex- 
 periences in the West had been almost entirely 
 as an infantry officer, and he was disposed to 
 fight his cavalry harder than his predecessor had 
 done. This of itself would have brought about 
 a change. The nature of most of the country 
 campaigned in made mounted charges by the 
 Confederates on a large scale against reliable 
 troops armed with magazine rifles usually im- 
 possible or suicidal. But, besides this, there 
 were other reasons for the change. Hampton 
 was born a soldier. He grasped the situation 
 confronting him. The only way in which his men, 
 relatively few in numbers and badly equipped, 
 could be made to check Sheridan was by abler 
 
150 EAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 handling and harder fighting- as well as finer 
 strategy. In dismounted fighting, performed 
 skirmish-style in cover, where practicable, in a 
 thin line to be strengthened, when advisable, the 
 muzzle-loaders and smaller numbers were not 
 at such a great disadvantage, for man to man 
 his troopers were very much better shots than 
 their adversaries. He could dash his force, 
 mounted, to favorable points with great celerity, 
 dismount and rush them in, and, if advis- 
 able, draw them out as quickly and hurl them 
 fiercely on some other and weaker position. 
 Thus he virtually multiplied his men, and the 
 enemy would form an exaggerated impression 
 of his numbers, and frequently mistook his cav- 
 alry for their bete noir — reinforcements of in- 
 fantry. And all this did not militate in the 
 least against the efficiency of his command as 
 a mounted force ^to be thus^used, and brilliantly 
 used, too, when occasion offered. We main- 
 tain that Hampton succeeded in making his 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 151 
 
 men good, hard-fighting infantry on occasion, 
 capable of practically doubling or quadrupling 
 their strength by celerity of movement, and 
 at the same time preserved intact all their 
 good qualities as cavalry ; and we contend that 
 no man ever before had done this on the same 
 scale so thoroughly. In saying this, there is no 
 intention of belittling the military genius of 
 Forrest, which is undeniable. Only two cavalry 
 officers in the Confederate army attained the 
 commission of Lieutenant-Generals. These 
 were Hampton and Forrest — ranking in the 
 order named. Wheeler is frequently referred 
 to in newspapers as a Lieutenant-General, and 
 Appleton's Cyclopsedia of American Biogra- 
 phy states that he was so, but this is a mistake : 
 he was a Major-General. 
 
 The battles of Spotsylvania had now been 
 fought and won by Lee. Grant was compelled, 
 therefore, to make fresh endeavors elsewhere 
 to turn the Confederate flank. The cavalry 
 
152 HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBT. 
 
 were thus kept busy, the Federals in trying to 
 mask the movements of their infantry, Hamp- 
 ton in tearing away the mask and in conceaUng 
 the dispositions taking place in his own army. 
 
 Cavalry fighting went on daily : it is only 
 some of the affairs which we notice here. On 
 May 1 5th Rosser had made a daring and suc- 
 cessful reconnoissance in the direction of Frede- 
 ricksburg, driving in all the cavalry he met and 
 developing the position of Grant's right flank. 
 On May 19th Hampton was again engaged, 
 co-operating in a movement made by General 
 Ewell, and did effective service. Also on May 
 2 1 St, there was fighting in connection with 
 Grant's movement on Hanover Junction, and 
 this continued in a desultory way until he 
 moved off. Hampton then marched to Atlee's 
 station, where he received orders from Lee to 
 ascertain if the Federal infantry had crossed to 
 the south of the Pamunkey river. 
 
 Sheridan, after his Richmond raid, had rested 
 
HAMPTON- AND HIS OA YALB T. 153 
 
 3,nd recruited his force, and on May 25th reached 
 Chesterfield station, on the North Anna river, 
 there reporting back to Grant's army. On the 
 following day a further movement to the left 
 was made by the Federal army, Sheridan with 
 the First and Second divisions of his corps 
 leading. His Third division was detached to 
 the right flank. Sheridan crossed to the south 
 bank of the Pamunkey river on May 27th, and 
 the infantry followed on the next day. 
 
 It was of vital importance to discover whether 
 or not the Federal infantry in force had crossed, 
 or were crossing, the river. To ascertain this 
 promptly was necessary at any expense. To 
 do this it was indispensable to drive back Sheri- 
 dan's cavalry to such an extent at least as to 
 reveal the real position of his infantry.. If the 
 latter had not crossed the river, dispositions 
 would have to be made by Lee to confront him 
 farther to his left. 
 
 In pursuance of the orders above mentioned 
 
154 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 as received from Lee, Hampton moved out on 
 the morning of May 28th with W. H. F. Lee's 
 division, and Wickham's brigade of Fitz Lee's 
 division, and Rosser's brigade, and the Fourth 
 and part of the Fifth South CaroUna regiments 
 of Butler's brigade. It happened that Sheridan 
 was also in motion for the purpose of trying to 
 find out the position of the Confederate infantry. 
 
 The engagement which took place, and lasted 
 from about 10 A. M. until 5 P. M., has been 
 called by both Hampton and Sheridan the most 
 severe cavalry fighting of the war, and is desig- 
 nated by the name of Hawes' Shop, which was 
 near where the collision occurred. The -reader 
 has very likely never even heard the name of 
 this " cavalry affair," and will have forgotten it 
 within ten minutes. Such is the fame of the 
 cavalry ! 
 
 Only about half of the Fourth South Carolina 
 was present that day, the rest being detained 
 in camp, as their horses were temporarily dis- 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 155 
 
 abled by sore backs. All but one hundred 
 men of the Fifth South Carolina were there. 
 The Sixth South Carolina did not report until 
 the following night. These regiments, newly 
 arrived in Virginia, were well organized and 
 disciplined, but had hitherto seen but little ser- 
 vice. Some of the newest recruits had never 
 yet heard the "zip" of a bullet. As they 
 marched along the roads there would be, from 
 time to time, partial blocks and stoppages to 
 allow wagon-trains and troops to pass, as the 
 infantry were moving to new positions. Then 
 these boys looked for the first time upon the 
 columns of the Army of Northern Virginia 
 marshalling for battle, and a grand sight it was. 
 There were no bands of music nor gorgeous 
 uniforms ; none of the artificial "frills " of war. 
 There was no need of these, for here, magnifi- 
 cent in simplicity, ragged, battle-stained, and 
 gaunt, but confident and cheery, marched the 
 victors of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. 
 
156 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 So the Greek athlete was most beautiful when 
 chest was bared and limbs stripped for conflict. 
 The intervals between parts of the cavalry 
 column, caused by the interruptions mentioned, 
 would be closed up on a canter when the 
 obstructions were removed. As the place 
 where the fighting had already commenced was 
 approached, within sound of the rattle of small 
 arms and the boom of artillery, they had space 
 for a gallop, and soon reached the fringe of the 
 fire. Ah ! how their hearts beat and blood 
 coursed, and the horses, forgetting fatigue, 
 seemed equally excited. All these sights and 
 sounds, entirely new experiences, appeared to 
 be strangely familiar, probably because of the 
 hereditary memories of a warlike race. " Dis- 
 mount to fight!" Nos. I, 2, and 3 dismount 
 and attach together their horses by the bridle- 
 reins, and No. 4, mounted, must lead them, 
 sheltered from shots. Many of the horses were 
 well-bred pets from home. Aroused by the 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 157 
 
 gallop, thinking, perhaps, a hunt was on foot, 
 they are now disappointed, worried, and uneasy. 
 So their big, soft eyes look troubled, and they 
 whinny and neigh, and stretch forward their 
 heads for caresses. Then they sidle up into 
 orderly ranks and patiently await the return of 
 masters who, perhaps, never come back again. 
 When Hampton encountered Sheridan's ad- 
 vance-guard, he drove it in upon the main 
 body, which he then vigorously attacked with 
 Wickham's and Rosser's brigades, and soon 
 the two regiments of Butler's brigade were put 
 in on Wickham's right. Thus Rosser was on 
 the left, Wickham in the centre, and Butler's 
 two regiments on the right, the Fourth South 
 Carolina occupying the extreme right. W. H. 
 F. Lee's division was sent by a road leading to 
 the left In the hope of turning the Federal right 
 flank, but this proved impracticable, and he 
 could only use the artillery and cover Rosser's 
 left. . 
 
158 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 The Federals were at first pressed back, 
 having only their Second division, General 
 Gregg commanding, engaged, but being rein- 
 forced from the First division they held their 
 ground. It was discovered also from infantry 
 prisoners that the Federal infantry in force 
 were just behind their cavalry on the south 
 bank of the Pamunkey river, in supporting dis- 
 tance. It was evidently, therefore, useless to 
 pursue the fight further, the object of the recon- 
 noissance being gained on obtaining this infor- 
 mation. 
 
 The order was consequently given to with- 
 draw from in front of the combined cavalry and 
 infantry. This was effected without difficulty 
 by Rosser, and in excellent style. Wickham's 
 brigade was also got out promptly But the 
 two regiments of Butler's brigade did not fare 
 so well. General Butler had not yet returned 
 from an absence caused by a severe wound, 
 and the regimental officers, as well as the men, 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 159 
 
 had had no. experience in this sort of warfare. 
 The engagement took place in a thick wood 
 with much dense undercover. This was an ad- 
 vantage to the Confederates, who availed them- 
 selves of the trees and logs and inequalities in 
 the ground for protection, and could thus obtain 
 the benefit of their greater skill in^ shooting. 
 They were doing good execution from their 
 long rifles with the terrible Minies, and had no 
 idea they were intended to leave their position. 
 Moreover, the denseness of the cover, together 
 with the smoke, much increased the difficulty of 
 passing along the line the order to fall back. 
 So it happened that these regiments became 
 flanked and suffered considerably. General 
 Hampton, perceiving tha.t something was wrong, 
 rode in and brought them out in good order, 
 and formed them two or three hundred yards 
 back across an open field, where a thrown- 
 down fence afforded some protection. Here 
 they awaited "their friends the enemy," but 
 
160 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALET. 
 
 the latter had had enough and did not advance. 
 The presence of Hampton, calm, cool, and re- 
 assuring, had braced up every one. The men 
 never doubted it was "all right" when he 
 told them so. And his kind words to them 
 that night just before dismounting at camp, 
 and his concern for their casualties, dwelt in 
 their memories ever afterwards. 
 
 There was a squadron of the Fourth South 
 Carolina on the extreme right which suffered 
 more than the others. Couriers sent to order 
 them out were killed, and consequently they 
 received no instructions to fall back, and being 
 separated by thick cover from the rest, re- 
 mained, continuing to fight on as before. At 
 length the right company (Company K, Charles- 
 ton Light Dragoons) was surrounded on three 
 sides, perceiving which. Lieutenant Nowell, in 
 command, gave the order to retreat. This 
 they did coolly, fighting their way through at 
 close quarters in good order, and successfully 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 161 
 
 took position in good shape on the right of 
 their re-formed regimental line. Out of forty- 
 seven dismounted men taken in, they lost nine- 
 teen and an ofificer, and only one unwounded 
 prisoner, a youth only eighteen years of age. 
 As, however, they were very good shots with 
 both rifle and pistol, and did not fire in wild 
 volleys, but singly and coolly in sportsmanlike 
 style, it is not at all unlikely the company in- 
 flicted three casualties for every one received. 
 The spirit existing among them may be judged 
 by the following incident : One of their num- 
 ber had been shot through the arm, and obliged, 
 therefore, to drop his rifle, but he had come out 
 with the others, holding his pistol in the sound 
 hand. Some one offered to relieve him of the 
 pistol, but he declined, saying, 
 
 " I want that to shoot a surgeon," 
 and all who heard the remark, laughed. As a 
 matter of fact he retained the pistol in the hos- 
 pital, and his arm, too. Poor boys ! No one 
 11 
 
162 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 ever fought better, but their ranks suffered 
 heavily, far more heavily than any other com- 
 pany engaged. But not far wrong were our 
 Pagan ancestors, who believed that the souls 
 of those who bravely fell in honorable battle 
 were transported at once, all sins forgiven, to 
 Valhalla. Surely the Christian's God could do 
 no less. 
 
 The character of the fighting done in this 
 engagement may, perhaps, be best judged by 
 the impression it produced on the Federals 
 who witnessed it. General Custer refers to 
 Butler's brigade, which took into the fight less 
 than one thousand dismounted men, as con- 
 sisting " of seven large regiments, principally 
 from South Carolina," and says of his own 
 brigade : " Our loss was greater than in any 
 other engagement of the campaign. We held 
 our position until after dark, when we were re- 
 lieved by the infantry." Colonel Kester, First 
 New Jersey Cavalry, reports to the Governor of 
 
"5 
 
 •i 
 
 as 
 
 (163) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 165 
 
 his State that the battle was " the severest 
 cavalry fighting of the war. The enemy was a 
 new brigade from South Carolina, and was very 
 formidable." Alger, Fifth Michigan Cavalry, 
 says it was "an obstinate resistance, fighting 
 our men hand to hand." General Davies, in 
 his "Life of Sheridan," writes : "Much of the 
 very stubborn resistance exhibited in this action 
 was due to the presence in the field of the 
 troops from South Carolina referred to. This 
 brigade, raised in South Carolina at the begin- 
 ning of the war, had never before left that 
 State, nor had seen any active service, and when, 
 with full ranks, and weapons and uniforms all 
 fresh and untarnished by war or service, they 
 joined the veterans who had been for three 
 years exposed to the losses and trials of active 
 duty in the field, their reception was not of the 
 warmest, and it was not thought that much 
 could be expected from them. The existence 
 of this prejudice, and their own desire to show 
 
166 HAMPTON AND SIS OAVALRT. 
 
 themselves at least the equals of their com- 
 rades, caused them to exhibit a desperate 
 courage in this, their first engagement, and, as 
 was said by veterans on both sides, they were 
 too inexperienced to know when they had suf- 
 fered defeat, and continued to resist long after 
 it was apparent that the position they held was 
 turned and efforts to maintain it were hope- 
 less." A staff officer of Sheridan's has stated, 
 to the writer's personal knowledge, that his 
 General was very much worried over the losses 
 his command had sustained in this action, 
 which he said were the heaviest he had ever 
 suffered In proportion to the number engaged. 
 He remarked, "It is the first time we have 
 met those Carolinians of Butler's, and I wish 
 to God it might be the last." In his official re- 
 port he says that the Confederate force "ap- 
 peared to be the cavalry corps and a brigade oi 
 South Carolina troops reported 4,000 strong 
 and armed with long-range rifles, commanded 
 
HAMPTON AND HI8 OA VALBT. 167 
 
 by a Colonel Butler : these Carolinians fought 
 very gallantly in this their first fight, judging 
 from the number of their dead and wounded 
 and prisoners captured." It should be remem- 
 bered that that the fighting on the part of the 
 Confederates was done by two brigades and 
 two regiments of South Carolina troops, the 
 latter numbering less than 1,000 instead of 
 4,000, as stated. He speaks of it as an " un- 
 equal contest," and so it was, but in a sense 
 opposite to that intended by him. He also 
 adds that the battle " was fought almost imme- 
 diately in front of the infantry line of our army, 
 which was busily occupied throwing up breast- 
 works." This accounts for the fact that in- 
 fantry prisoners were captured by Hampton, 
 and would seem to prove that they must have 
 been engaged. 
 
 These, among many similar quotations which 
 might be given, sufficiently illustrate what was 
 thought of Butler's " long-shooters." The im- 
 
168 HAMPTON AND EI8 GAVALBY. 
 
 plication of "defeat" is absolutely unfounded, 
 the withdrawal being made as a matter of 
 course, after the enemy's position was devel- 
 oped and the fact was established that the bri- 
 gades of Rosser, Wickham, and two regiments 
 of Butler were attacking the combined cavalry 
 and infantry of the Army of the Potomac. 
 
 This reconnoissance, made in pursuance of 
 orders from Lee, was perfectly successful in its 
 chief and all-important object — ascertaining 
 clearly the position of the Federal infantry. 
 It was one of the steps in the manoeuvres of 
 Lee leading up to Cold Harbor, and, as that- 
 battle was a decisive victory for the Confeder- 
 ates, the preliminaries must have been success- 
 fully managed by Hampton both in demon- 
 strating the movements of the Federal infantry 
 and in veiling those of his own army. Per- 
 haps if Sheridan, possessing such an immense 
 superiority in numbers and equipment, had 
 refrained from the fruitless excursion to Rich- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 169 
 
 mond and confined his efforts more closely to 
 the normal functions of the cavalry of a great 
 army, the battles of the Wilderness and Spot- 
 sylvania might have had different results for his 
 friends. It is said by one writer that his Rich- 
 mond raid came about from its being reported 
 to General Grant by Meade that Sheridan had 
 said he " could beat Hampton's cavalry " if per- 
 mitted to act independently, upon which Gen- 
 eral Grant replied : 
 
 "Does he say that? Then let him go and 
 do it." 
 
 He went, but did not "do it," and meantime 
 left his army groping in the dark. 
 
 The engagement at Hawes' Shop gave a 
 serious experience to the Federal cavalry, one 
 which they never forgot, and they courted no 
 renewals of similar contests. It also increased 
 the prestige of Hampton's cavalry with the in- 
 fantry of their own army, and many kindly 
 
170 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRY. 
 
 greetings came from these veterans to the new- 
 comers during the following few days. 
 
 The Federal losses must have been heavy, for 
 some days afterwards, in passing the house 
 where their hospital had been established, 
 General Hampton was informed that one thou- 
 sand and four of their wounded had been 
 brought there. 
 
 While the fight was going on, Hampton sent 
 a note to General Early, who was then sta- 
 tioned at Pole Green church, suggesting to 
 him to move down in the direction of Old 
 Church, and then by turning to his left to gain 
 the rear of the force opposed to Hampton. 
 General Early did not concur in the advisability 
 of this movement, which subsequent informa- 
 tion showed to have been practicable, and from 
 which, it is thought, important results would 
 have been obtained. 
 
 Brigadier-General M. C. Butler reported for 
 duty on the night of May 28th, and took com- 
 
HAMPTON AND MIS OAyALBT. 171 
 
 mand of his own brigade, the Fourth, Fifth, and 
 Sixth South Carolina, which was then ordered 
 to Meadow bridge for the purpose of being 
 organized. This object, however, was not at- 
 tained. There was so much smell of saltpetre 
 in the air in those days that a fight always 
 came about easily. On May 30th Butler with 
 his brigade and a part of Gary's attacked, at 
 Matadequin creek, a force which proved to 
 be the extreme left of the Federal army. The 
 Federals were posted behind a farm-house and 
 some out-buildings, a rail fence extending on 
 each side. The attack was made across an 
 open wheat field, and then from cover of a 
 thrown-down fence on a road on the farther 
 side of the field. The enemy made a stout 
 resistance, but were driven from their position. 
 But there was an unpleasant sequel. Rein- 
 forcements came to them. To the left of the 
 Confederates, down the road they were holding, 
 marched in close order, covering it frorn side 
 
172 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 to side, a dense mass of blue. The long- 
 range Enfields fired at will into that mass could 
 not fail to do their work, but the satisfaction of 
 practicing at a large target is marred when the 
 component atoms are shooting back, espe- 
 cially as the slender cover of fence-rails, seem- 
 ing preternaturally thin, was enfiladed as soon 
 as this mass of blue deployed. So Butler's 
 force was compelled to leave, nor stand upon 
 the order of their going, as the field behind was 
 entirely open and the bullets were industriously 
 mowing down the wheat. It was a plucky 
 fight, but to have been successful it would have 
 been necessary to beat the left wing of Grant's 
 army, a feat which would have eclipsed David's 
 exploit against Goliath. This engagement is 
 sometimes designated as Cold Harbor, but is 
 more properly called Matadequin Creek. 
 
 After the Hawes' Shop engagement the Con- 
 federate cavalry continued to confront the 
 enemy, Fitz. Lee's division being stationed on 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 173 
 
 the right, W. H. F. Lee's division on the left, 
 and Hampton with Rosser's and Young's bri- 
 gades near Atlee's station. On May 31st W. 
 H. F. Lee had a sharp skirmish at Hanover 
 Courthouse, and the next morning was attacked 
 by Wilson's division and fell back in the 
 direction of Ashland. Hampton moved to his 
 assistance with three regiments of Rosser's 
 brigade, and struck Wison's column, throwing 
 it into great confusion. Rosser followed up 
 the advantage by a series of brilliant mounted 
 charges, some of them over dismounted men, 
 and drove Wilson into Ashland with the sabre, 
 capturing prisoners from eight different regi- 
 ments, about two hundred horses, and many 
 arms. Wilson made a stand in Ashland, post- 
 ing his artillery in the village-, and his men be- 
 hind the houses and the railway embankment. 
 The North Carolina brigade of W. H. F. Lee's 
 division was then dismounted and charged the 
 enemy, but did not at first succeed in dislodg- 
 
174 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 ing- him, Brigadier-General Young, tempora- 
 rily in command of the brigade, being wounded. 
 At this juncture Hampton, taking with him a 
 regiment and two squadrons, gallantly dashed in 
 on Wilson's right flank and gave him the coup de 
 grace. After that, it was simply a pursuit until 
 night compelled the victors to halt. Many 
 prisoners \(fere captured, and Wilson ^ent in a 
 flag of truce for his wounded. 
 
 General Hampton received the congratula- 
 tions of Lee for his success : Lee also expressed 
 his "gratification at the handsome conduct of 
 Rosser's command and his thanks for their 
 having so gallantly defeated the enemy." 
 
 On June 3d Hampton made a reconnois- 
 sance with W. H. F. Lee's division towards 
 Hawes' Shop, the scene of the engagement of 
 May 28th, and found the Federals posted in 
 earth-works near the shop. The North Caro- 
 lina brigade, Colonel Baker commanding, was 
 then dismounted, and, after a sharp affair, car- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALB Y. 175 
 
 ried the works in. handsome style, driving the 
 enemy to an interior line. 
 
 On June 3d also occurred a much more 
 memorable event, the battle of Cold Harbor. 
 On that morning, Grant's army there present, 
 nearly 1 1 3,000 troops, gallantly flung them- 
 selves upon Lee's columns and were repulsed 
 with the slaughter of 1 3,000 men in an incredibly 
 short space of time, about one hour. The suc- 
 cessive advances and recoils could be numbered 
 by a listener at a distance from the awful roar 
 of musketry and artillery, and then the com- 
 parative cessation for short intervals. At 
 length the Federal soldiers sullenly refused to 
 obey orders to advance again to meet in their 
 ranks the fruitless butchery of twenty to every 
 one Confederate disabled. And thus was ended 
 Grant's "Overland Campaign." Another move 
 to the left, endeavoring to turn Lee's flank, 
 would put him further from, not nearer to the 
 objective, Richmond. So he began to fortify 
 
176 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 his position confronting Lee, but soon aban- 
 doned the idea of a siege and commenced on 
 June 1 2th to move his army to the south of the 
 James river, there to sit down for ten weary 
 months before Petersburg. Thus he had 
 changed his mind, and would not " fight it out 
 on thathne, if it took all summer," Lee's logic 
 having proved convincing. 
 
 The following quotations are from "The Army 
 of the Potomac," by the Federal historian Swin- 
 ton, who is writing about an army for which he 
 had the greatest admiration and love : 
 
 " It took hardly more than ten minutes of 
 the figment men call time to decide the bat- 
 tle. There was along the whole line a rush, 
 the spectacle of impregnable works, a bloody 
 loss, then a sullen falling back and the action 
 
 was decided. 
 ****** 
 
 " The action was decided, as I have said, 
 
 in an incredibly brief time in the mornings 
 
HAMPTON AND Eia CAVALRY. 177 
 
 assault. But rapidly as the result was 
 reached it was decisive, for the conscious- 
 ness of every man pronounced further as- 
 sault hopeless. The troops went forward 
 as far as the example of their officers could 
 carry them, nor was it possible to urge them 
 beyond, for there they knew lay only death, 
 without even the chance of victory. 
 ****** 
 
 " Grant's loss in the series of actions from 
 the Wilderness to the Chickahominy reached 
 the enormous aggregate of sixty thousand 
 men put hors de combat, a number greater 
 than the entire strength of Lee's army at the 
 opening of the campaign. He had inflicted 
 on Lee a loss of twenty thousand, the ratio 
 being one to three. The Confederates, elated 
 at the skillful manner in which they had con- 
 stantly been thrust between Richmond and 
 the Union army, and conscious of the ter- 
 rible price in blood they had exacted from 
 
 the latter, were in high spirit, and the morale 
 13 
 
178 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 of Lee's army was never better than after the 
 
 battle of Cold Harbor. 
 
 » * » * » * 
 
 " The result of such assaults as that of 
 Spotsylvania Courthouse and at Cold Har- 
 bor, in the latter of which the Army of the 
 Potomac lost at least twenty men to Lee's 
 one, presents the reductio ad absurdum of 
 the theory of hammering. 
 ****** 
 
 " Now, so gloomy was the military outlook 
 after the action on the Chickahominy, and 
 to such a degree, by consequence, had the 
 moral spring of the public mind become re- 
 laxed, that there was at this time great dan- 
 ger of a collapse of tlje war. The history 
 of this conflict truthfully written will show 
 this. Had not success elsewhere come to 
 brighten the horizon, it would have been dif- 
 ficult to raise new forces to recruit the Army 
 of the' Potomac, which, shaken in its struct- 
 ure, its valor quenched in blood, and thou- 
 
e 
 &• 
 
 
 "I 
 
 
 <g 
 
 I 
 
 
 (179) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 181 
 
 ' sands of its ablest officers killed and wounded, 
 was the Army of the Potomac no more." 
 
 Probably no impartial critic will now deny 
 that the Army of the Potomac did good fight- 
 ing from the Wilderness to Cold Harbor, where 
 was met absolute defeat, rendering necessary 
 the abandonment of the campaign on the north 
 side of the James river against Richmond. It 
 is likely, too, that few well-informed men doubt 
 that at this period the question of making peace 
 or continuing the war was trembling in the 
 balance. But this is not all. Since Swinton, a 
 careful student of the events of the war, wrote 
 in 1866, there are sources of information open 
 to all which were not accessible to him at that 
 time, and which throw a flood of light upon 
 much hitherto dark and unexplorable ground. 
 We can now clearly perceive that not only were 
 Swinton' s views, which I have quoted, correct, 
 but that, more than this, the Army of the Poto- 
 
182 HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALRY. 
 
 mac, like a man only partially recovered from 
 well-nigh mortal illness with a broken constitu- 
 tion, never again exhibited the admirable vigor 
 exerted before Cold Harbor, and notwith- 
 standing all the fresh blood infused into it 
 through new recruits during the remainder of 
 the year, was, to use a familiar expression, 
 "under hack" to the end. But, besides this, 
 not only was the question of war or peace in 
 doubt during the early summer of 1 864, but it 
 was thus, too, during the entire campaign. If 
 Lee was fighting for his life at Petersburg, so 
 was Grant, and in a much broader sense, and 
 well he knew it. Above him was the sword 
 suspended by the thread which "attrition" at 
 any moment might cut. Although the with- 
 drawal of Lee from Richmond to better posi- 
 tions further inland, thus shortening and simpli- 
 fying the Confederate lines of communication, 
 and lengthening and complicating those of their 
 enemy, and depriving the latter of his advan- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 183 
 
 tages by water, would have been not without 
 political difficulties, yet it was nevertheless per- 
 fectly practicable, and we now know that this 
 course was approved of by Lee, though not by 
 Davis. But with Grant it was very different. 
 His side, in the listless silence of discourage- 
 ment, witnessed the abandonment of the attack 
 on Richmond from the north side of the James, 
 but their despair would have demanded hearing 
 in loud and imperative voice if the siege of 
 Petersburg had been raised. If anyone will 
 carefully read the " Records of the Union and 
 Confederate Armies," published under the au- 
 spices of the War Department, I think he will 
 come to the above conclusion. Those " Rec- 
 ords " constitute in some respects the most 
 wonderful history ever compiled. The official 
 reports often merely convey the impressions 
 about events intended to be given for reasons 
 of their own by the writers, and official tables 
 of numbers and losses are very fallible. But 
 
184 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBY. 
 
 this Is not true of all telegrams hastily penned 
 in the flush of excitement, amidst the sound of 
 the tramp of marching columns, or of despatches 
 or letters hurried off by couriers galloping 
 through the smoke of battle, or communications 
 written under stress and pressure, not expected 
 to be published. These will usually contain the 
 real thoughts and feelings, hopes and fears of 
 the writers. There is then no time for prepara- 
 tion intended to deceive, and generally no desire 
 to mislead, but an inclination to state the truth, 
 the unvarnished truth. Such correspondence 
 is not dramatic, it is human ; not realistic, real. 
 You seem to be hearing, not reading the words, 
 to see the expression of the faces, to watch the 
 anxious working of the mouth, the glance of the 
 eyes, the twitch of the hands betraying over- 
 strained tension of the nerves of the strong 
 man. As you look one face flushes, another 
 pales with suppressed excitement (and the latter 
 is generally the better man). These living "Rec- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 185 
 
 ords" are to the mind what the Roentgen-rays 
 are In physics. You see through and through 
 your man — the working of the brain, the pulsa- 
 tion of the heart, stand revealed in light. Some- 
 times through many despatches he may escape 
 you, may succeed in keeping on his mask ; but 
 watch him closely and patiently, and at length 
 he will give himself away, divulge his secret. 
 It may be by only a phrase, a chance expression, 
 or even by a single word, but it will be enough 
 to speak volumes of authentic history to light 
 up some places hitherto veiled from you. Gen- 
 eral Meade's interior, and that of many others, 
 is often plain to view under this mental Roent- 
 gen-ray, but even Grant, habitually cool and 
 silent, is sometimes lighted up by a vivid if rare 
 flash. 
 
 The cavalry engagements preceding Cold 
 Harbor were not isolated fights, but the smaller 
 links in the chain of scientific manoeuvres lead- 
 ing up gradually to this crowning event. They 
 
186 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 were minor parts of a grand and symmetrical 
 whole. To understand them thoroughly in this 
 sense, it is necessary also to comprehend the 
 entire defensive strategy used by Lee to defeat 
 his antagonist. An explanation on such ex- 
 tended lines would far exceed the limits of this 
 sketch and probably also the patience of the 
 reader, but without it the military ability of 
 Hampton cannot be fully appreciated. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE TREVILIAN CAMPAIGN. 
 
 ^^^^plN June 8th, General Hampton, with 
 ilf^ilH ^^^ division, was at Atlee's station, 
 i R^^&S il Fitz. Lee's division being at Cold 
 Harbor. Early that morning his scouts re- 
 ported to Hampton that a large force of cavalry 
 and artillery had crossed the Pamunkey river, 
 and was moving north. This information he 
 at once transmitted by signal to General Lee, 
 and by letter also, suggesting in the latter that 
 Sheridan's object was to strike at Gordonsville 
 and Charlottesville, to destroy the railroads, 
 and then to unite with Hunter, who was moving 
 on Lvnchburg. Supposing this to be Sheridan's 
 
 (187) 
 
188 HAMPTON AND EIS CAVALRY. 
 
 object, he urged that he be allowed to pursue 
 him, and, after a full consultation, General Lee 
 directed him to carry out this plan. 
 
 Preparations were made accordingly, three 
 days' rations cooked by the men, and with 
 horse-corn fastened to their saddles, the First 
 division marched by daylight on June 9th. The 
 Second division, Fitz. Lee's, was ordered to fol- 
 low. The Third divison, W. H. F. Lee's, re- 
 mained with the army. 
 
 The Trevilian campaign is of special interest, 
 because it concerned exclusively the cavalry, 
 no infantry participating or being in possible 
 supporting distance, either in a physical or a 
 strategical sense. It was,- pure and simple, a 
 cavalry duel, which put to the test the relative 
 military ability and fighting power of the an- 
 tagonists. It thus possesses a picturesque, ro- 
 rhantic charm derived from the isolation of the 
 combatants as they wrestled for mastery, far 
 separated from their armies, as if they had 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALBT. 189 
 
 sought out this solitude to settle, uninterrupted, 
 their quarrel by wager of battle. 
 
 The force under Hampton did not exceed 
 4,700 men in all in the two divisions. These 
 figures are taken from memoranda of General 
 Hampton, based on papers in his possession 
 preserved from the war, and correspond v/ith 
 data obtained from other sources. There were 
 three batteries of horse artillery of four guns 
 each. 
 
 Sheridan had his First and Second divisions, 
 commanded by Torbert and Gregg, numbering 
 about 9,000 men, with twenty-four pieces of 
 artillery, being six batteries of four guns each. 
 The information about his numbers is obtained 
 from the official returns for June ist, as well as 
 from captured field returns of some of his 
 brigades. The returns of his cavalry seem not 
 to have been regularly made during the active 
 part of the campaign, when fighting was going 
 on nearly every day. 
 
190 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 
 
 The twenty-four regiments composing Sheri- 
 dan's two divisions selected for this expedition 
 consisted of the picked troops of his corps, such 
 as the First, Second, and Fifth United States 
 (regulars), Custer's brigade, and First New 
 Jersey. 
 
 The Federal troops, therefore, outnumbered 
 Hampton's in the proportion of more than two 
 to one, with artillery in the same ratio. But 
 this was not all. Their armament and equip- 
 ment, their breech-loaders and magazine rifles, 
 gave them an advantage over muzzle-loaders, 
 which ought to have been the equivalent of a 
 hundred per cent., but estimating it at only fifty 
 per cent., their force would have practically out- 
 numbered Hampton's as three is to one. 
 
 On the morning of June 8th Sheridan slipped 
 quietly out of the back door of his army, 
 crossed the Pamunkey river at Newcastle, took 
 a northerly course for about ten miles, and 
 then turning a little to the north of west, pro- 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS OA VALET. 191 
 
 ceeded nearly parallel with the north bank of the 
 North Anna river, a branch of the Pamunkey. 
 Hampton had read his purpose aright. Sheri- 
 dan had received orders to march upon Char- 
 lottesville and Gordonsville, destroying every- 
 thing there of value to the army, and he was to 
 tear up and so effectually ruin the Virginia 
 Central railroad (now the Chesapeake and 
 Ohio) as to cut off supplies from the Shenan- 
 doah Valley, which were essential to the sub- 
 sistence of Lee's army. After that he was to 
 form a junction with General Hunter, who had 
 been operating in the Valley, and in connection 
 with him, capture Lynchburg, burn the stores 
 there, and then return with him to the Army of 
 the Potomac, destroying en rou^e the:] ames River 
 canal, with discretion to work any other mischief 
 he could do. How entirely he failed to accom- 
 plish these purposes, or any one of them, or 
 anything else of value to Grant, the facts will 
 show. 
 
192 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBY. 
 
 Sheridan's march for the first three days was 
 only a hot, dusty summer ride, for passing out 
 through the rear of his army he traversed a 
 region where only women and children or 
 weakly non-combative men were to be found. 
 On the evening of the third day he crossed 
 the North Anna river at Carpenter's ford, 
 about sixty-five miles from his starting point, 
 camping near there on the road leading to Tre- 
 vilian station, a few miles distant. Torbert's 
 division was in advance, and when it was going 
 into camp ten or twelve men dashed at the 
 head of the column, fired their pistols and gal- 
 loped off". These were, in fact, Hampton's 
 scouts, but Torbert supposed them to be merely 
 some countrymen, home-guards ; and this was 
 the only intimation detected by him of an 
 enemy being at hand, as he himself says, and 
 the evidence of others corroborates this. So 
 Sheridan and his nine thousand followers peace- 
 fully bivouacked under the summer stars, sup 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 193 
 
 posing the Confederate cavalry to be many 
 miles away. 
 
 But Hampton had been up and doing. 
 Starting on the morning of June 9th, one day 
 behind Sheridan, he took a shorter route and 
 made all speed to place his command between 
 his antagonist and the latter's objective point. 
 The weather was hot, and an unusually severe 
 drought was prevailing. The dust raised by 
 the marching columns was stifling, and the only 
 water obtainable for man or beast was from 
 small streams crossed, and this, churned up by 
 thousands of hoofs, was almost undrinkable. 
 By the night of June loth Hampton's division 
 reached Green Spring Valley, three miles from 
 Trevilian station, on the (then styled) Virginia 
 Central railroad, and there went into camp. 
 At nearly the same time Fitzhugh Lee's divi. 
 sion . reached Louisa Courthouse, about five 
 miles from Trevilian, also on the railroad, 
 near which they halted for the night. By this 
 
 13 
 
194 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 time it was pretty well known among the men 
 that Hampton was seeking Sheridan, and that 
 a fight was on for the morning. During the 
 first day of the march not only the troopers, but 
 even the brigade commanders were ignorant of 
 the object of the expedition and where they 
 were going, and many believed a dash on 
 Washington was intended. It was somewhat 
 a disappointment to give up that prospect, 
 but soon the weary riders and horses were 
 stretched on the ground asleep, both equally 
 careless of what the morrow would bring forth. 
 By daylight the next morning, quietly, with- 
 out blast of bugle or other needless sound, all 
 the command was in ranks in readiness to ad- 
 vance to the attack. The air was crisp and 
 bracing and sweet with the smell of clover, and 
 the foot-hills of the Blue Ridge looked cool and 
 refreshing after all the dust and heat of the 
 previous day. From the Federal camps floated 
 the strains of the bugle sounding reveille. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 195 
 
 Hampton's plan of battle was as follows : 
 From Trevilian's station, near which his divi- 
 sion then was, a road ran in a northerly 
 direction to Carpenter's ford, on the North 
 Anna river, and on this road was Sheridan. 
 Another road led from Louisa Courthouse, 
 where Fitz. Lee's division had camped, towards 
 Carpenter's ford, joining the Trevilian road at 
 Clayton's store. Fitz. Lee was ordered to move 
 down this road towards Clayton's store and en. 
 gage the enemy when met, and Hampton's 
 division proceeded to the attack down the Tre. 
 vilian road towards Clayton's store, except Ros-. 
 ser's brigade, which took position covering a 
 road to the left, leading to GordonsviUe. By 
 this programme, if properly carried out, Hamp- 
 ton's division's right flank would cover Fitz. 
 Lee's left, drawing the enemy back towards 
 Clayton's store, where the two divisions would 
 form a junction, and thus strike Sheridan on 
 flank as well as front. Hemmed in and crowded 
 
196 HAMPTON AND HIS CAYALBY. 
 
 together, with a river in the rear, he could 
 then be destroyed. This was no visionary 
 scheme, nor wild, foolhardy attempt to accom- 
 plish what was impracticable, or involved too 
 great risk, but was a deliberately and wisely- 
 laid plan for virtually annihilating the cavalry 
 of the Army of the Potomac. The ground 
 was well chosen for the purpose, and the nat- 
 ure of the country along the Trevilian road 
 lent itself admirably to the design. It was 
 thickly wooded, and would thus conceal num- 
 bers and disposition, and afford the men the 
 advantage of their superior skill as shots, and 
 in this way neutralize to a certain extent the 
 greater effectiveness of the enemy's magazine 
 rifles. It is a little amusing that Federal 
 officers on this and on other occasions com- 
 plained of Hampton as a "woods fighter," as 
 if such tactics were hardly fair play. That they 
 did so, however, is, in fact, a compliment, and 
 gives evidence of the gift he possessed of de- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 197 
 
 tecting at a glance advantages of ground and 
 utilizing favorable positions. So was La Roche 
 Jacquelin a "woods fighter" when the forests 
 of La Vendee rang with musketry and proved 
 grave-yards for the armies of " liberie, egalite, 
 fraternite." 
 
 According to the plan Hampton's division 
 marched forward to the attack, and Fitz. Lee 
 reported his force moving out in obedience to 
 orders. A squadron of the Fourth South 
 Carolina went in advance, and had not pro- 
 ceeded far down the road before they were 
 yelling and charging and driving in the enemy's 
 picket or advance guard. Then Butler's and 
 Young's brigades, of Hampton's division, were 
 dismounted, and advancing through the woods 
 on each side of the road soon struck the enemy 
 and pressed him back, according to the plan. 
 It seems from the reports of the Federal gen- 
 erals that they were still in the dark as to the 
 nature of the force opposing them, and from 
 
198 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 the character of the ground could form no esti- 
 mate of the numbers. Custer was, conse- 
 quently, ordered to take his brigade to Tre- 
 vilian station and there form a junction with 
 the rest of Torbert's division — the General be- 
 ing under the impression that he was encoun- 
 tering only some raw country militia which he 
 could drive before him. In trying to execute 
 this movement Custer met the left of Fitz. 
 Lee's division, and there was some little skir- 
 mishing, but it was so feebly conducted by the 
 Confederate brigade engaged that Custer drew 
 off down a by-road, which he had discovered, 
 leading to Trevilian station, and thus passed 
 between the two divisions, placing himself in 
 the rear of Hampton's. This could not have 
 happened if Fitz. Lee's division had advanced 
 in the manner ordered. This it is necessary to 
 comprehend clearly, for the failure to succeed 
 in the plan of battle originally conceived was 
 due only to this. The plan of battle was thus 
 
BAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 199 
 
 frustrated. Word was brought to Hampton 
 that the enemy was in his rear, and he galloped 
 to the spot to find it too true. In this emergency 
 orders were sent to Rosser to attack Custer, 
 and promptly a clatter of hoofs and cloud of 
 dust announced him coming at the head of 
 the "Laurel brigade," and soon the crack of 
 pistols and the swish of sabres made sad 
 work in Custer's ranks. The led horses of 
 Butler's brigade, three caissons, and wagons, 
 which Custer had captured, were all retaken 
 and retained ; nearly an entire regiment was 
 made prisoners, and four caissons and the head- 
 quarter wagon of Custer, with brigade reports 
 and private correspondence, were run into Fitz. 
 Lee, who picked them up and kept them. Un- 
 fortunately the gallant Rosser was wounded in 
 the charge. Meantime the tide had turned 
 against Butler's and Young's brigades, for the 
 enemy had availed himself of the opportunity 
 afforded by the separation of their flank from 
 
200 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALRY. 
 
 Fitz. Lee's division, to come through the gap 
 round the right flank of Hampton's division, 
 thus compelling it to fall back. The situation 
 was very grave ; indeed, in view of the original 
 disparity of numbers and the present position 
 of his command, it might well have been that 
 Hampton should have utterly despaired of suc- 
 cess, and only hoped at best to save a part of 
 his troops by a hasty retreat. But nothing was 
 farther from his mind than such thoughts. He 
 dashed about, personally giving orders and des- 
 patching staff-officers and couriers, steadying 
 and encouraging every one by his own splendid 
 gallantry. His purpose to beat Sheridan re- 
 mained unalterably fixed, and he inspired confi- 
 dence that he would do it. At this critical, 
 well-nigh desperate juncture, as it appeared to 
 most present, he displayed the highest qualities 
 of a commander, and literally plucked victory 
 out of the jaws of defeat. 
 
 This was the situation. Hampton's division 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 201 
 
 was flanked, nearly surrounded and compelled 
 to fall back. Fitz. Lee's division was pushed 
 to the east towards Louisa Courthouse and 
 isolated, becoming thus of no use until the 
 afternoon of the following day. The whole of 
 Sheridan's force was consequently available to 
 crush the life out of Hampton's division and 
 could then have dealt at leisure with Fitz. Lee's ; 
 only superior generalship foiled this. 
 
 Hampton kept up the fighting, but gradually 
 withdrew his men to the west, a short distance 
 from Trevilian station, until he reached a natu- 
 rally strong position, and there established a 
 new line along the railroad embankment and 
 road leading to Gordonsville, thus covering 
 that place and Charlottesville. Here he was 
 assailed by Sheridan, but without success, and 
 night closed in and morning came with the 
 positions unchanged. At about midday Fitz. 
 Lee reported, having succeeded by a detour 
 round the enemy in reaching the rest of the 
 
202 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALBT. 
 
 command. It was after three o'clock when at 
 length Sheridan again attacked. He had no 
 alternative but this or retreat and failure, for 
 Hampton covered Gordonsville and Charlottes- 
 ville and the Virginia Central railroad, the ob- 
 jective points of his expedition. Fitz. Lee was 
 ordered to strengthen the left of Butler's 
 brigade with one of his brigades, and with the 
 other to make a circuit to the left and strike the 
 enemy on his right flank. 
 
 Hampton's line was protected in part by the 
 railroad embankment, but stretched along the 
 intersecting wagon-road leading to Gordons- 
 ville, which gave it somewhat the shape of a 
 flattened V. On this part of the line there 
 were no rifle-pits, the only cover consisting of 
 such few fence-rails as could be obtained and a 
 little earth hastily thrown up by the help of tin 
 plates and cups, or, if need be, scooped up with 
 the hands. These improvised defences (which 
 the reports of the Federal generals have styled 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 203 
 
 " fortifications " and "rifle-pits") were a quite 
 inadequate protection against bullets, and af- 
 forded no relief at all from artillery. It was 
 along this road that most of M. C. Butler's 
 brigade was posted. Butler, this day com- 
 inanding Hampton's division, was soon to gain 
 the well-earned commission of a major-general. 
 Always calm and cool when in action, his hand- 
 some, clear-cut face showed on this occasion no 
 emotion as he scanned the details of the field. 
 The Federals evidently quite realized that on 
 the issue of the fight commencing depended 
 the success or failure of their expedition. 
 Nothing of importance had been accomplished 
 by them thus far, for they had torn up only a 
 hundred feet or so of railroad track at Trevilian 
 station, which could be restored easily without 
 any interruption of consequence to the road. 
 They therefore attacked with great spirit, com- 
 ing up handsomely within short pistol-shot of 
 the Confederate line, keeping up a continuous 
 
204 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 fire from their magazine rifles during the 
 charges, but each time met the steady shots of 
 the muzzle-loaders fired "at will" by expert 
 hands, and each time recoiled, leaving their 
 dead and wounded on the field. Meantime in 
 artillery they had a great advantage and used 
 it well. Major Chew, commanding Hampton's 
 batteries, fought his guns with indomitable 
 pluck and great skill, and Hart's pieces did 
 splendid work, but they were overmatched in 
 the proportion of two against one. Butler's 
 unprotected line along the Gordonsville road 
 was compelled to bear the brunt of the fire. 
 Here at one time cartridges became exhausted, 
 and while waiting for replenishment the men 
 had to endure shell and grape without the com- 
 fort of hitting back, a hard thing to do. What 
 made it worse was, that some of the poor fel- 
 lows said they could see the Federals serving 
 out to their troopers drams of whiskey, which 
 was very tantalizing under the circumstances, it 
 
HAMPTON' AND HIS CAVALRY. 205 
 
 must be confessed, even by teetotalers. At 
 length an ammunition-wagon came clattering 
 along just behind the line, the horses at full 
 gallop, the driver loudly cracking his whip and 
 a man in the rear frantically throwing out 
 packages of cartridges, which were eagerly 
 caught up, as hungry dogs seize food thrown 
 to them. 
 
 Seven charges in all were made. When the 
 Jast was in progress the flashes of the rifles of 
 Fitz. Lee announced that he had accomplished 
 his mission and was on the enemy's flank. Just 
 then a Federal caisson was blown up by a Con- 
 federate shell, doing considerable damage. At 
 that moment, as if this explosion had been a 
 signal prearranged, the whole of Hampton's line 
 sprang to their feet, leaped over the breastwork 
 and down the embankment, and with a wild yell 
 charged, sweeping the enemy back in rapid re- 
 treat. That ended the matter, the Federals 
 after this only keeping up some irregular firing 
 
206 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 to cover their rearward movement. By this 
 time it was ten o'clock at night. Sheridan's 
 entire column, leaving dead and wounded on 
 the field, moved rapidly down the road towards 
 Carpenter's ford, and continued without halt 
 all night, retreating by the same route by which 
 it had come. Orders were at once given by 
 General Hampton to make pursuit, and Fitz. 
 Lee was directed to cut off the enemy from 
 Carpenter's ford, but this he did not accom- 
 plish, and it was therefore not until about day- 
 light that anything serious was done. Mean- 
 time Sheridan had gained a start of several 
 hours, which enabled him to cross the river. 
 
 In this affair 695 prisoners, including 125 
 wounded, were captured by Hampton. The 
 losses in his division amounted to 59 killed, 258 
 wounded, and 295 missing, and the losses in 
 Fitz. Lee's division were very small. The Fed- 
 eral reports speak of their having carried off 
 about 500 of their wounded, and their dead 
 
If/. 
 
 
 
 "fe. 
 
 
 (307) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALB7. 209 
 
 and badly wounded left behind were numerous, 
 owing to the very severe effect produced by the 
 Minie bullets used in the muzzle-loaders. As 
 soon as practicable the Confederate wounded, 
 and such of the Federals as were in a condition 
 to be moved, were brought down to the railroad 
 and shipped to the hospital at Gordonsville. 
 Some construction cars, without springs and 
 open to the weather, were used, a rough mode 
 of transportation, but the best that could be 
 found. While awaiting the arrival of the train, 
 women from the neighborhood collected, bring- 
 ing for the wounded what little food they could 
 find. It was little enough, but it was all they 
 had, for their stores had been consumed or 
 plundered by the Federals, and destroyed in 
 wanton mischief in many cases. All this, how- 
 ever, made no difference to them. They first 
 attended to the wants of the half-starved Con- 
 federates, and then went their rounds with equal 
 care among the wounded Federals. It was a 
 
 14 
 
210 HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALRY. 
 
 sermon as effective as that on the Mount — a fit- 
 ting sequel, certainly; a consequence, if you like. 
 
 Official reports of battles are naturally likely 
 to be incorrect, because they are written before 
 the heat of conflict has subsided, and a general 
 is tempted to make a better showing for him- 
 self than facts warrant. Misrepresentations are 
 also often the result of false information received 
 from others. 
 
 General Sheridan has fallen into many mate- 
 rial errors in his report of this battle. He leaves 
 one under the impression that the proximity of 
 Hampton was known to him the day before the 
 battle, but this is contradicted by the statements 
 of Torbert, who was in the advance, and of others 
 of his officers, which prove he was surprised. 
 Sheridan says he commenced the fight by attack- 
 ing the Confederates occupying fortifications, 
 but in fact the Confederates were the attacking 
 party, and had no fortifications whatever. He 
 remarks that infantry reinforcements were re- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OA VA LB Y. 311 
 
 ceived by Hampton in the second day's fight, 
 and states that infantry were at Gordonsville, 
 and gives this as among his reasons for not 
 carrying out the purposes of his expedition ; 
 but there was no infantry in the fight, and none 
 at Gordonsville, nor nearer than Richmond. He 
 speaks of Hampton's force holding rifle-pits, and 
 being relieved by troops in a train of cars from 
 Gordonsville, but there were no rifle-pits, and 
 no train of cars, and no troops. He claims in 
 one place to have captured only 370 prisoners, 
 and in another 500, yet the entire list of "miss- 
 ing" from Hampton's division, the only division 
 from which he could have made captures, was 
 295. Many of these were wounded, and some 
 were detailed as nurses, but were carried off as 
 prisoners. He would lead one to suppose that 
 he destroyed the railroad between Trevilian sta- 
 tion and Louisa Courthouse, but in fact he never 
 reached Louisa Courthouse at all, and it was 
 only for a hundred or two feet at Trevilian sta- 
 
212 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 tion that the railroad was interrupted, and the 
 break there was a trifling injury easily repaired. 
 
 General Torbert says, "They have a great 
 advantage over us from the fact that they have 
 a very large brigade of mounted infantry armed 
 with the rifle musket." This, of course, alluded 
 to the muzzle-loaders of Butler's men, and to 
 assert that these gave an advantage to troops 
 fighting against magazine rifles, is about as rea- 
 sonable as to say that bows and arrows are bet- 
 ter weapons than fire-arms. 
 
 On the person of a Federal prisoner, captured 
 during their retreat, was found a diary, now in 
 the possession of General Hampton, with the 
 following entries : 
 
 "Saturday, June nth. Fight at Trevilian 
 station. Captured and killed 600 rebs. 
 
 "Sunday, June 12th. Fought on same ground. 
 Got whipped like the devil. Lost more men 
 than the rebs did the day previous. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 213 
 
 " Monday, June 13th. Retreat back tov/ards 
 Fredericksburg. 
 
 In an account of this affair written by Gen- 
 eral Davies, it is said that 500 prisoners were 
 taken by Custer in the fight on Saturday morn- 
 ing, but he has certainly been misinformed. Not 
 only was that number of prisoners not lost at all, 
 but, besides this, Custer's brigade was in no 
 condition to make captures, having been torn to 
 pieces by Rosser, a fourth at least of his com- 
 mand placed hors de combat, or made prisoners, 
 and his train, headquarter wagon, and caissons 
 captured and carried off. 
 
 On June 14th, in a letter to General Lee, the 
 following remark about the Trevilian fight is 
 made by General Hampton : 
 
 " Butler's brigade held their ground against 
 seven desperate charges under as heavy fire — 
 artillery and musketry — as troops are often sub- 
 jected to, without even giving way a foot." 
 
 Let us sum up General Sheridan's part in this 
 
214 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 fight. He was in the dark concerning Hamp- 
 ton's whereabouts, was surprised by the attack, 
 and in a dangerous position, if the orders given 
 by Hampton had been carried out by Fitz. Lee. 
 He seemed to be lacking in information about 
 the topography of the country, and to be grop- 
 ing somewhat in the dark. Custer's demon- 
 stration in the rear of Hampton happened ac- 
 cidentally, but when it occured, this opportunity 
 ought to have sufficed him to overwhelm Hamp- 
 ton's division by sheer weight of numbers, the 
 odds then being three against one. By delay 
 in renewing his attack until the afternoon of the 
 second day, time was allowed Fitz. Lee's divi- 
 sion, until then separated and useless, to form 
 a junction with Hampton's division and thus 
 to render assistance. 
 
 Sheridan having crossed the North Anna 
 river at Carpenter's ford during the night of 
 June 1 2th, proceeded to Spotsylvania Court- 
 house and thence across the Mattaponi and 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 215 
 
 down its north bank, pursuing a not materially 
 different route in his retreat from that taken in 
 his advance, and reached White House, on the 
 Pamunkey river, on June 20th. During these 
 eight days Hampton, in following Sheridan, 
 was compelled to keep upon the south or op- 
 posite bank of the rivers in order to interpose 
 his force between him and Grant's army, which 
 he was seeking to rejoin. In this way, too, 
 the Virginia Central railroad was effectually 
 covered from molestation. This course, instead 
 of a direct pursuit, was rendered necessary 
 because Sheridan was provided with a pontoon- 
 train enabling him to cross the rivers at any 
 point, whilst Hampton had no pontoons. The 
 two commands, however, were near together 
 during these eight days, frequently in sight of 
 each other, and there were occasional small 
 skirmishes, Hampton pressing and seeking to 
 bring his antagonist to battle, which the latter 
 always studiously declined. 
 
216 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBY. 
 
 Shortly before reaching White House, Sheri- 
 dan, who had been shut off from news for eight 
 days, received inteUigence from his army, which 
 had before this effected its retreat to the south 
 side of the James river, and commenced the 
 siege of Petersburg. Orders were given him 
 to break up the depot at White House, and to 
 convoy the supphes to his army, guarding them 
 in transit by the infantry garrison and his two 
 divisions of cavalry. Previous to Sheridan's 
 reaching White House, and while he was occu- 
 pied forwarding his wounded to Washington 
 by transports on the York river, Hampton sent 
 Fitz. Lee to capture the depot at White House. 
 A demonstration was accordingly made and 
 several pieces of artillery were opened upon the 
 position, but Fitz. Lee reported it to be too 
 strong for him. It appears that the garrison 
 consisted of 2,444 infantry and some artillery. 
 The capture of the stores, and depriving Sheri- 
 dan of reinforcement from the troops there, 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS OA VALET 217 
 
 would have been a good stroke. Considerable 
 anxiety was felt at Grant's headquarters about 
 the fate of this place, and many despatches 
 were exchanged. 
 
 After resting for a day at White House, 
 Sheridan, thus reinforced, commenced to march 
 in the direction of the James river, escorting a 
 train of 800 wagons, and managed to cross the 
 Chickahominy. There was skirmishing during 
 this time, but without decisive results. Fear- 
 ing he would endeavor to pass up the James 
 river towards Richmond from Charles City 
 Courthouse, Hampton took position to prevent 
 this. The Confederates had at this time been 
 reinforced by Chambliss' brigade from W. H. F. 
 Lee's division, and by the unattached brigade 
 commanded by General Gary. Sheridan mean- 
 time finding himself thus headed off from his 
 intended crossing, made for the river at a land- 
 ing from which his command could be ferried 
 over by the Federal gunboats, and sent a mes- 
 
218 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 senger to Grant asking for reinforcements. 
 But meantime it was necessary to cover the 
 wagon-train and gain time to enable it to reach 
 its destination. From this resuhed a sharp 
 fight. 
 
 General Gregg with his division was ordered 
 by Sheridan to hold, at all hazards, his position 
 confronting Hampton near Samaria church. 
 He was told he must, without fail, hold it until 
 the wagon-train reached a place of safety. 
 Gregg accordingly fortified his ground and 
 made all preparations to carry out his orders. 
 His troopers and horses had been rested, well 
 fed, and supplied with ample rations at White 
 House, and his numbers had been augmented 
 by recruits. Hampton's force, on the other 
 hand, except the two small brigades mentioned 
 as having just joined his command, had been 
 marching and fighting continuously for sixteen 
 consecutive days ; food had been very scarce, 
 and their privations, consequently, severe. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALHY. 219 
 
 Often the hungry fellows, as they watched their 
 animals browsing on grass, or, in its absence, on 
 any green thing, could not avoid envy, wishing 
 they, too, could graze. The tax on physical 
 strength and the strain on the nervous system 
 had been very great. From casualties and ex- 
 haustion the number of effective troopers and 
 horses was much reduced, and it should be 
 remembered that, at the commencement of the 
 expedition, the odds were two to one against 
 them. 
 
 Hampton, however, with his keen eye for 
 position, perceived his opportunity and deter- 
 mined to demolish Gregg. He well knew he 
 could rely upon the pluck and endurance of his 
 men, and they, in turn, implicitly trusted him. 
 
 It was four o'clock on that hot afternoon of 
 June 24th that Gary's brigade was dismounted 
 and took position near Nance's shop, to operate 
 on the enemy's flank in connection with an attack 
 on his front. As Gary became engaged Cham- 
 
220 HAMPTON AND Bib' VA VALUr. 
 
 bliss' brigade was thrown forward, and, by a 
 movement handsomely executed, connected 
 with Gary's line, and the two brigades hurled 
 themselves impetuously on the exposed flank. 
 At the same time the whole line in front, under 
 the immediate command of Fitz. Lee, rushed 
 upon the enemy's works. Gregg made a stout 
 resistance from his strong position with a hot 
 fire of breech-loaders and well-served artillery, 
 but after a stiff, though short, fight he was 
 completely routed and forced into a precipitate 
 retreat. Then Hampton brought up the Phil- 
 lips and Jeff Davis Legions of his division 
 and charged the fugitives with the sabre. This 
 was done in fine style, men and horses seem- 
 ing to have quite forgotten fatigue and hunger, 
 and for three miles the pursuit was continued. 
 It was not until ten o'clock at night, and within 
 two and half miles of Charles City Courthouse, 
 that bridle-reins were drawn. There were cap- 
 tured one hundred and fifty-seven prisoners, 
 
f 
 
 I 
 
 (221) 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 223 
 
 including one colonel and twelve commissioned 
 officers, and all the enemy's wounded were left 
 behind where they fell. Gregg's division was 
 badly used up by this affair, and crippled until 
 recruited. The wagon-train, it is true, pro- 
 tected by Torbert's cavalry division and by the 
 infantry reinforcements sent by General Grant 
 and Ben. Butler, was moved from Charles City 
 Courthouse to Douthat's landing, and thence, 
 covered by gunboats, ferried across the river 
 and thus saved ; but it was beyond the bounds 
 of possibility for Hampton to prevent this with 
 his small force. 
 
 On June 26th Hampton crossed the James 
 river with his division, leaving Fitz. Lee on the 
 north side, and Sheridan completed his crossing 
 two days later. 
 
 Thus ended the Trevilian expedition, or cam- 
 paign, as it is usually termed, and we can now 
 sum up the results. 
 
 The purpose was, as stated by General Grant 
 
224 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VA LR 7. 
 
 in his report of July 22, 1865, that Sheridan's 
 cavalry should go "to Charlottesville and Gor- 
 donsville to break up the railroad connection be- 
 tween Richmond and the Shenandoah Valley 
 and Lynchburg!' These, then, were the specific, 
 admitted objects, and certainly they were not 
 accomplished in whole nor in part. Nor was 
 the James River canal destroyed or injured. 
 The cutting off from Lee's army of the sup- 
 plies furnished by the Shenandoah Valley was 
 effected during the autumn by Sheridan, when 
 he devastated that region, operating with an 
 army about fifty-five thousand strong against a 
 force numbering little more than a fourth of 
 his own, but in the Trevilian expedition he ac- 
 complished absolutely nothing of this. Nor 
 did he bring back Hunter with him, as Grant 
 expected. The facts speak for themselves. 
 Indeed, Sheridan, in his report to his command- 
 ing general, says : ''I regret my inability to carry 
 out your instructions. ' ' The sole result obtained 
 
HAMPTON AND HI8 GAVALRT. 225 
 
 by him was a few rails taken up at Trevilian's 
 station, amounting to nothing. 
 
 Of the results accomplished by Hampton, on 
 the other hand, the importance ought to be 
 understood. Grant had just been compelled 
 by Lee to abandon his plan of capturing Rich- 
 mond by open attacks and had determined to 
 endeavor to reduce it by regular siege. His 
 army, now with the heart taken out of it by all 
 the slaughter of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, 
 and Cold Harbor, was in no condition to make 
 renewed assaults upon the victorious columns 
 of the Army of Northern Virginia, and must, 
 instead of this, try to starve them out in the 
 trenches by investing Petersburg. To this 
 end, their lines of communication must be 
 effectually severed. Of vital importance in 
 this respect was the destruction of the routes 
 for obtaining food supplies from the direction 
 of the Shenandoah Valley. If this could have 
 been done by Sheridan, the effect upon the 
 
 15 
 
226 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 
 
 campaign just at that juncture might have been 
 fatal, and he would have had free hand to do 
 this if Hampton had not defeated him at Tre- 
 vilian and driven him off from his objective 
 points. 
 
 I Allusion has already been made to some of 
 the errors contained in the Federal official re- 
 ports of this expedition, and it will suffice to 
 say that General Grant's report, being neces- 
 sarily based solely on information derived from 
 these, and not from his own knowledge, falls, 
 of course, into the same mistakes. Hampton 
 captured 852 prisoners exclusive of the wounded 
 that fell into his hands. The prisoners taken 
 by Sheridan, including wounded and nurses 
 carried off, could not possibly have exceeded 
 300. Their wounded at Trevilian, removed 
 with them by the Federals, amounted by their 
 own accounts to 500, and 125 wounded were 
 left there, besides numerous dead. By the 
 Federal returns their losses during the Tre- 
 
' HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 227 
 
 vilian expedition are officially given as 15 12, 
 but this is probably considerably under the 
 actual number of killed, wounded, and cap- 
 tured. The total losses in Hampton's division 
 were under 700, and those in Fitz. Lee's division 
 were very light, as it was not engaged in any 
 severe fighting. 
 
 On receiving informatian of the rout of Sheri- 
 dan at Samaria Church, General Lee wrote to 
 General Hampton the following note : 
 
 " Headq'rs A. N. V., 
 "June 25th, 1864, 6y2 P. M. 
 
 " General : 
 
 " Your note of to-day from Phillips 
 House has just been received. I am re- 
 joiced at your success. I thank you and 
 the officers and men of your command for 
 the gallantry and determination with which 
 they have assaulted Sheridan's forces and 
 caused his expedition to end in defeat. So 
 
228 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALRT. 
 
 soon as Sheridan crosses the river, I wish 
 you to join me. 
 
 " I am, very respectfully. 
 Your obt. servant, 
 
 "R. E. Lee. 
 " Major-General Wade Hampton." 
 
 And thus the Trevilian cavalry duel was de- 
 cided, and as it was purely a cavalry fight from 
 first to last, no infantry having the possibility 
 of giving physical or moral support to either 
 side, and as the duration of the movements was 
 sufficient amply to test the ability of the two 
 leaders and the fighting power and endurance 
 of the men, I do not think it is going beyond 
 the inevitable logical sequence to say that the 
 result of an impartial inquiry must confirm the 
 fact that Hampton was proved to be incom- 
 parably the abler cavalry general of the two 
 contestants. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE WILSON RAID 
 
 HEN Hampton reached the south side 
 of the James river and rejoined his 
 army his command greatly needed 
 rest to recuperate men and horses. But this 
 was not to be. 
 
 Petersburg was practically an outwork of 
 Richmond ; they must stand or fall together. 
 The line of communication by railroad to the 
 Shenandoah Valley region — the Virginia Cen- 
 tral — had been saved by Hampton in the Tre- 
 vilian expedition. But there were three roads 
 leading to the South. Of these, the Weldon 
 railroad ran nearly due south from Petersburg, 
 and was the first to be exposed to attack, but 
 
 (229) 
 
230 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALEY. 
 
 its seizure would not be fatal while the other 
 two lines were preserved. The Southside, from 
 Petersburg, and the Danville railroad from Rich- 
 mond, the remaining two lines, having a junc- 
 tion at Burkeville, were covered by the right 
 flank of the Confederate army. A permanent 
 lodgment upon them by the enemy would effect 
 the investment of Petersburg and necessitate 
 its evacuation. 
 
 Grant had by this time become convinced of 
 the futility of direct attacks against Lee's fortified 
 positions, and henceforth his chief efforts were 
 to be directed to turning his adversary's right 
 flank, and thus occupying his lines of commu- 
 nication. The "VVeldon railroad would, of 
 necessity, as we have said, be the object of his 
 first movements. For this purpose, on June 
 2 1 st, he commenced to swing round to his left 
 to effect a lodgment on that railroad. In this 
 he met a severe check, losing in the two fol- 
 lowing days' fighting two thousand two hun- 
 
HAMPTON AND ma OAVALBT. 231 
 
 dred prisoners, besides a ghastly list of killed 
 and wounded, and failed altogether in accom- 
 plishing his purpose. 
 
 On June 21st General James H. Wilson, 
 with his own and Kautz's division of cavalry, 
 numbering together six thousand seven hun- 
 dred and fourteen " effective mounted men," 
 by the field return of June 20, 1864, started 
 upon an expedition. Kautz was attached to 
 the Army of the James, on the north side of 
 the river, commanded by Ben. Butler, and, con- 
 sequently, was not nominally attached to Sheri- 
 dan's corps, but practically had to be reckoned 
 with as part of it, as he could be transferred 
 with rapidity from one side of the river to the 
 other as needed. The object of the expedi- 
 tion was to tear up the rails and permanently 
 cripple the Southside, as well as the Danville 
 railroad near Burkeville junction. These were 
 . the orders given to Wilson by Meade, but it 
 was originally intended that he should commu- 
 
232 HAMPTON AND HIS 0AVALB7. 
 
 nicate with Hunter, supposed to be near 
 Lynchburg, and he was to have been entrusted 
 with considerable discretion, including authority 
 to pass over into North Carolina. The plans 
 were based upon the supposition that Sheri- 
 dan would detain Hampton sufificiently long to 
 enable Wilson to complete his work. Meade 
 writes to Grant to this effect on June 21st : 
 
 " Hampton being yesterday at the White 
 House will relieve Wilson of any apprehension 
 of being disturbed, and I trust Sheridan will 
 keep Hampton occupied. Wilson will be 
 instructed, when at the junction, to communicate 
 with Hunter, near Lynchburg." 
 
 Wilson had expressed the opinion that he 
 could attain the objects of his proposed expe- 
 dition provided he was not followed by Hamp- 
 ton. In justice to Wilson it should, therefore, 
 be remembered that he was warranted in 
 believing that such arrangements would be 
 made as were necessary to protect him from 
 
General Hampton' s Sicord 
 
 " No me saqnes sin razon. 
 No me eubaines sin hnnor." 
 
 (233) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 235 
 
 Hampton, and also that by the time of his 
 return from his raid the Weldon railroad by 
 Reams station would be found occupied by his 
 friends. Sheridan was not expected at head- 
 quarters to render any assistance to Wilson, 
 except by keeping Hampton occupied. 
 
 On June 2 2d the raiders passed round the 
 right flank of the Confederate lines near Reams 
 station, and proceeded on their mission. W. H. 
 F. Lee's division made pursuit, and harassed 
 their movements, interfering to a certain extent 
 with the success of their plans, and doing good 
 fighting. In spite of this, however, they pene- 
 trated to the Southside railroad and to Burke- 
 ville junction, doing a considerable amount of 
 damage to the railroads. They then made an 
 attempt to destroy the Staunton River bridge, 
 which, if successful, would have caused serious 
 interruption, as it was an important structure, 
 the river being broad and unfordable. In this 
 they were foiled by some local militia, who held 
 
2^6 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 a good position on the bridge. From there, 
 Wilson turned back, with the intention of regain- 
 ing the lines of his army. 
 
 In pursuance of orders received from Gen- 
 eral Lee, Hampton moved off his division on 
 June 27th to endeavor to intercept Wilson, and 
 by noon on the following day reached the neigh- 
 borhood of Stony Creek station, on the Weldon 
 railroad about ten miles south of Reams sta- 
 tion. Having ascertained through scouts the 
 direction by which Wilson was coming, Hamp- 
 ton communicated with General Lee, suggest- 
 ing that some infantry be sent to Reams 
 station, as he thought the raiders were pointing 
 for that place of crossing, and he also requested 
 that Fitz. Lee with his division be ordered to 
 take position near there, and keep in ;lose com- 
 munication with him. These dispositions were 
 accordingly made by General Lee. Hampton 
 counted upon meeting Wilson on Sappony 
 creek, a few miles westward, and sent forward 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 237 
 
 Chambliss' brigade, of W. H. F. Lee's division, 
 with orders to charge vigorously as soon as the 
 column was met. This was done, and the raid- 
 ers were driven back to Sappony church, behind 
 which they dismounted and took up a naturally 
 strong position. Chambliss' men were also 
 quickly dismounted, when they in turn were 
 attacked, but held their ground, and their line 
 was then strengthened somewhat and a rein- 
 forcement of 200 infantry received. Wilson 
 made endeavors to break through, but without 
 success, and the firing continued during the 
 night. Major Chew had only two guns with 
 him, but these he used with effect. Meantime 
 the Federal commander, thinking he wo'uld find 
 his own infantry at Reams station, was very 
 desirous of escaping in that direction, and made 
 his dispositions during the night for that end as 
 far as he could. At daylight, however, Hampton 
 sent Butler with his own and Rosser's brigade 
 round the enemy's left flank. Butler made the 
 
238 HAMPTOW AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 necessary detour, threw forward the two brig- 
 ades dismounted, and Hampton at the same 
 time pressed with his Hne in front. The result 
 was that the Federals were entirely routed, 
 and broke in various directions in great dis- 
 order, leaving dead and wounded behind. The 
 general direction of the larger number was for 
 Reams station. After pursuing them for a 
 couple of miles, taking many prisoners, and 
 dispersing scattered detachments, Hampton 
 drew off towards Stony Creek station with a 
 view of preventing them from getting away by 
 crossing between there and Reams station. 
 The roads were accordingly properly secured 
 to carry out this plan. Two Federal detach- 
 ments, separated from the main body, were en- 
 countered and dealt with summarily by mounted 
 charges. The bridge over Rowanty creek was 
 secured and a third detachment run down, scat- 
 tered, and broken up. At night a rest was taken 
 near Stony Creek station. This situation was 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALRY. 239 
 
 occupied because it was central, enabling the 
 blow to be struck to the north towards Reams 
 station, if the enemy attempted to cross in that 
 direction, or to the south, if they should make 
 for a crossing at Jarratt station. Meantime 
 Hampton was anxiously expecting every mo- 
 ment to receive news from Reams station in- 
 forming him of what had occurred there, and as 
 to what direction the enemy had taken, if they 
 had not all been captured. Much to his sur- 
 prise no message was received even during the 
 night. 
 
 When Hampton had perceived, after the rout, 
 that the principal portions of Wilson's force 
 were making for Reams station he was well sat- 
 isfied, for he knew they would there encounter 
 the infantry and Fitz. Lee's division. The raid- 
 ers, on the other hand, expected to find their 
 own friends established there, but, greatly to 
 their consternation, on reaching the neighbor- 
 hood of that place, they found themselves con- 
 
240 HAMPTON AND ma CAVALBT. 
 
 fronted by hostile infantry and cavalry. At 
 first, Wilson did not appreciate the strength of 
 the force opposing him, and tried to cut his way 
 through, having closed up his artillery and 
 wagons and ambulances with his main column, 
 which by that time had been to a considerable 
 extent reformed. But finding this impossible, 
 and that he was being enveloped on both flanks, 
 he abandoned all his artillery, consisting of 1 2 
 field-guns and 4 howitzers, as well as all his 
 wagons and ambulances, and retreated precipi- 
 tately back in the direction from which he had 
 come. Disembarrassed from all impediments, 
 without attempting to preserve much organiza- 
 tion or maintain ranks, and with neither ability 
 nor intention of further fighting, through woods 
 and by-roads they galloped. Kautz, with a part 
 of his command, became separated from the 
 others, and made off, to the left of Reams sta- 
 tion, through the woods in a broken-up condi- 
 tion, and somehow got through to the lines of 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 241 
 
 his army. Wilson made a long detour at a 
 very rapid rate, and going round Stony Creek 
 station much to the west of it, and continuing 
 to dash on without stoppage during the night, 
 crossed the Nottoway river near Jarratt, some 
 ten miles south of Stony Creek station, and 
 eventually reached his army in an exhausted 
 and very disorganized state. 
 
 Meantime Hampton had bivouacked his two 
 divisions, as stated, near Stony Creek station, 
 giving the men a necessary rest, as they had 
 been under fire during the previous night. 
 Every moment he had been looking for the in- 
 formation which should have been despatched 
 to him from the cavalry at Reams station, but 
 none came. By gray dawn the troopers were 
 in marching order, but still not one word had 
 been received concerning the result of the fight- 
 ing at Reams station, so that it was impossible 
 to divine the position of the enemy or of Fitz- 
 hugh Lee's division. At nine o'clock on the 
 
 16 
 
242 HAMPTON AND SIS CA VALR Y. 
 
 morning of June 30th a note was received ad- 
 dressed to the " Commanding Officer of the 
 Troops at Stony Creek depot," from Fitzhugh 
 Lee, saying that he was "still pursuing the 
 enemy, capturing prisoners, etc.," and that he 
 was five miles from Nottoway river, on the 
 Hicksford road. The note went on to say that 
 he thought " the enemy, after crossing the river, 
 will try to cross the railroad at Jarratt depot," 
 and that he wished "all the available force sent 
 to that point to intercept their march, until he 
 got up." Hampton immediately moved his 
 command on Jarratt, but when he had arrived 
 within five miles of that place his scouts, who 
 had been sent ahead, reported to him that the 
 enemy had passed there at daylight. A rapid 
 march was made to endeavor still to cut them 
 off from their lines, but it was too late. With 
 proper concert of action between the cavalry at 
 Reams station and Hampton, that is to say, if 
 the latter had been informed in the usual way 
 
HAMPTON AND SIB CAVALRY. 243 
 
 by his officer in command tliere, nothing could 
 have prevented the capture of Wilson and all 
 the troops then with him. 
 
 There were captured by Hampton 806 pris- 
 oners on the day of the Sappony church en- 
 gagement, and about 500 more were taken at 
 Reams station. All the artillery, twelve guns 
 and four howitzers, and the wagons and ambu- 
 lances of Wilson, fell into the hands of the 
 Confederates, as has been said. The Federal 
 reports state that they had taken from the 
 farmers along the route of their raid some 5,000 
 horses. This is probably an overestimate, but 
 whatever the number was, they were all re- 
 covered, and this is also true of much private 
 property, consisting of household furniture, 
 vehicles, and personal articles. In one of the 
 wagons taken was found a silver communion 
 service belonging to St. John's church, in 
 Lunenburg county. The pillaging had been 
 so extensive that much attention was attracted 
 
244 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 to the subject, and an investigation was insti- 
 tuted at Federal headquarters. The generals 
 concerned admitted the facts, and expressed 
 great regret, attributing the robberies to an 
 organized system existing among the men. It 
 was observed that Kautz's division had for a 
 long time served under Ben. Butler. 
 
 Besides the 1,300 prisoners lost by Wilson, 
 there were numerous dead and wounded left 
 on the field. But this, though bad enough, was 
 not the worst of it for him, for the demoraliza- 
 tion produced by the mode of their escape was 
 even more damaging to his troops than the 
 losses. It required a long time and much re- 
 cruiting to bring Wilson's division back to a 
 s-tate of efficiency, and the command of Kautz 
 never recovered. Hampton's losses were in- 
 significant, being only two killed, eighteen 
 wounded, and two missing in his own division, 
 and those of the other divisions were quite 
 small, but I have not the exact figures. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 245 
 
 The destruction wrought by Wilson's raid, 
 though overestimated by him, was important 
 for the moment, but not of lasting injury, the 
 railroads being rapidly repaired. Even by 
 most Federal authorities it is stated that the 
 results accomplished by no means compensated 
 for the losses sustained by the raiders, which 
 must have considerably exceeded one-fourth of 
 the 6,714 men with which the expedition started, 
 to say nothing of the even more serious damage 
 suffered from demoralization. The temporary 
 inconvenience experienced by Lee from the in- 
 jury to these railroads would, of course, have 
 been very much greater if his line of communi- 
 cation by the Virginia Central railroad had not 
 been preserved by Hampton. 
 
 After the rout of Sappony church. General 
 Hampton led Chambliss' brigade in some of 
 the charges. made on detachments encountered. 
 Two flags were captured on one of these occa- 
 sions by members of the Ninth Virginia, and 
 
246 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALRY. 
 
 the men greatly wished to present these colors 
 to their leader. It was the rule, however, to 
 turn over captured property to the authorities, 
 and these flags were therefore forwarded to the 
 War Department, but from there were sent 
 back to General Hampton, accompanied by a 
 very complimentary letter from General Lee. 
 It is needless to say they never were recaptured, 
 but carefully preserved as a memento of a well- 
 fought field, and also of the kind feelings and 
 bravery of his followers. 
 
 On the morning of June 29th the last of 
 Sheridan's force had crossed the James river, 
 and on the evening of that day moved out 
 towards Reams station to endeavor to assist 
 Wilson. They were too late, however, for 
 this purpose, -and even if they had arrived 
 sooner were in no condition at that time to try 
 conclusions. 
 
 Thus were frustrated the expeditions in- 
 tended to destroy the Virginia Central railroad 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBY. 347 
 
 and the roads south of the James. The entire 
 losses in killed, wounded, and missing in 
 Hampton's division, from the commencement 
 of the Trevilian expedition until the final dis- 
 persion of the Wilson raid, amounted to seven 
 hundred and nineteen, including twenty-one 
 casualties in Chew's batteries of horse artillery, 
 and the losses in Fitz. Lee's division were so 
 small as not to swell the aggregate number 
 materially. 
 
 The results above referred to were ob- 
 tained by Hampton with a proportionately 
 very small force acting against the three divis- 
 ions of Sheridan's corps and the division of 
 Kautz, which latter had to be reckoned with as 
 practically a part of the Army of the Potomac, 
 as has been before observed, as much as if it 
 had belonged to Sheridan's corps. Not only 
 had this been accomplished, but also the four 
 Federal divisions named had been so roughly 
 handled and so much reduced in numbers and 
 
248 HAMPTON ANB SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 morale that they were placed in a state of 
 enforced quiescence for nearly six weeks until 
 largely recruited, and in fact never again during 
 the campaign of 1864 were as formidable or 
 effective as before. Never again did this cavalry 
 make any serious effort to interfere with Lee's 
 communications. The losses in Hampton's 
 command had been small in proportion to that 
 of the enemy, and its morale could not have 
 been better. Throughout all the fighting and 
 privations endured, the men never failed to 
 appreciate that they were handled both with 
 excellent judgment as well as with brilliancy, 
 and that every life lost or wound received was 
 the price paid for a more than compensating 
 military advantage ; that for each was obtained 
 a quid pro qtio. But, more than this, they 
 knew Hampton for what he was. His amiable 
 disposition and attractive manners — always 
 dignified and military, but kindly, frank, and 
 gracious — imbued all those under his com- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 249 
 
 mand with a personal feeling of attachment. 
 He seemed to be acquainted with every pri- 
 vate, remembering faces and names in a won- 
 derful manner ; and it also used to be said he 
 knew every horse in the corps. It is certain 
 he would often notice when a man was riding 
 an animal other than his own, and inquire of 
 him the reason. Besides this, his great per- 
 sonal gallantry and individual prowess — his 
 figure always to be seen in the front — the shar- 
 ing of fatigue and privations, the victories, 
 which his presence seemed to make assured, 
 caused among his soldiers that sentiment of 
 devoted loyalty which comes only to good 
 fighters serving under a born leader of men. 
 Amidst the tramp of the horses, the crack of 
 the rifles, and the roar of artillery, they would, 
 at sight of their General, feel that inspiration 
 which for the time being exalts ordinary men 
 into heroes. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PICKETING SHERIDAN TRANSFERRED TO COMMAND 
 
 IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY DIVISION COM^ 
 
 MANDERS ORDERED TO REPORT DIRECT TO HAMP. 
 TON CHANGE OF STAFF. 
 
 |FTER the operations just described, 
 there were no events of sufficient 
 importance to relate until the early 
 part of August was reached. In the meantime, 
 however, there was skirmishing frequently, and 
 two somewhat sharp brushes, but the Federal 
 cavalry did not venture much beyond their in- 
 fantry. Everything practicable was done to re- 
 cruit the horses of Hampton's command, but 
 the mode of procuring remounts, as before ex- 
 plained, was the weakest feature in the system. 
 Picketing there was, of course, and plenty of it, 
 
 (250) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 253 
 
 then and throughout the campaign, and this is 
 a duty the cavalry disHke far more than fighting. 
 Not only are there hardships and loneliness on 
 post, but annoyances and dangers without ex- 
 citement, or credit to be gained. One instance, 
 a very ordinary occurrence, may serve to give 
 some idea of what is meant. Long after this, 
 in the early winter, a detachment of cavalry 
 was picketing the extreme lines near Stony 
 creek. There was one post at which about 
 this time two videttes had been murdered at 
 night. The term " murdered" is hardly incor- 
 rect, for to take a life secretly and wantonly, 
 without military purpose or special justification, 
 is morally murder, at least in the estimation of 
 an intended victim. Naturally this post was 
 not a favorite, and it may have been a compli- 
 ment, but it was a disagreeable one, to be 
 assigned to it. So thought a trooper as he 
 took his station there one night at about ten 
 o'clock, to remain four hours before being re- 
 
254 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 lieved. It was literally "pitch-dark," the post 
 being in the midst of a wood with a ravine on 
 the right separating it from the other stations. 
 There was a light, chilly rain falling, and as thq 
 man, wet and uncomfortable, sat rigid on his 
 perfectly motionless horse, whose ears he was 
 unable to see, he could not help thinking that 
 it was just the night to be sitting in a dry room, 
 however rough, before burning logs, with a 
 tumbler of hot whiskey, " though lost to sight, 
 to mem'ry dear," beside him, and a pipe in his 
 mouth, and also how snug it would feel covered 
 up with plenty of blankets in a clean, warm, 
 soft bed, hearing the music of the rain-drops on 
 the roof It was perfectly still, except for the 
 faint sound of the rain upon the dead leaves. 
 After an hour or more all such reflections as 
 the above were effectually dispelled, for, from 
 the direction of the ravine, he detected a slight 
 noise, altogether different from that of the rain. 
 It was a stealthy footstep on the wet ground. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 255 
 
 Quite wide awake now, he listened intently, 
 and there was no doubt that the cause of the 
 sound was gradually coming nearer to him. It 
 was evident, he thought, that if he was not to 
 play the role of number three in murdered 
 videttes, it was high time to take a hand in ar- 
 ranging the programme. To fire on the new- 
 comer would not serve the purpose, for, if his 
 shot missed, as it probably would in the dark- 
 ness, his exact position would be perceived and 
 taken advantage of, or, if the unwelcome visitor 
 made off, the picket-post would be turned out 
 on hearing the report of the gun, and no evi- 
 dence of the presence of an enemy being dis- 
 covered, there would have been a laugh at his 
 expense for being " skeered at nothin'." So 
 the vidette noiselessly slipped off his horse on 
 the left side, took a stand just behind the ani- 
 mal, and quietly drew his sabre. Rifle and 
 pistol, loaded with paper cartridges, might snap 
 in the wet weather, but, as Pat says of his shil- 
 
256 HAMPTON AND HI8 GAVALBT. 
 
 lalah, the sabre " never misses fire." Shorten- 
 ing his arm, ready to drive the point with a will, 
 he waited patiently for the stranger to develop 
 his tactics. He inferred the murderer would 
 think him seated in the saddle, and as soon as 
 the exact position of the horse was ascertained, 
 would leap upon his supposed victim with a 
 knife, and then would be the moment to show 
 the counter-stroke by running him through the 
 body. For a few seconds the sounds ceased 
 altogether, but then commenced again ap- 
 proaching, the unseen person even more 
 cautious than before. At length he stopped, 
 remaining quite still, and must have been 
 almost within reach of the horse ; probably was 
 groping about with his hands feeling for him. 
 The trooper now felt confident the assassin was 
 within reach, and was about to thrust with his 
 sword, but restrained his impatience, thinking 
 to be absolutely certain of his man if he awaited 
 the misdirected attack which he expected. Just 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 257 
 
 then the horse, who up to that moment had re- 
 mained as still as the grave, moved slightly. 
 At this, whoever it was glided quickly away 
 towards the ravine, and thus ended the incident. 
 The vidette was very much annoyed at this, 
 blaming himself for allowing the wretch to 
 escape to ply his nefarious occupation with 
 more success, perhaps, some other night. 
 
 On August 2d General Sheridan was relieved 
 of the command of the cavalry of the Potomac 
 and ordered to the Shenandoah Valley. Thus 
 was completed his four months of service at 
 the head of the cavalry corps, and from this 
 date his career does not concern our narrative, 
 but the results obtained by him during this time 
 are a pertinent subject for discussion. 
 
 In April, Sheridan had taken command of a 
 fine body of cavalry, the bequest of Pleas- 
 anton, in numbers and equipment almost 
 absurdly out of proportion to the force availa- 
 ble for Hampton. General Grant gave him 
 
 17 
 
258 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 every opportunity to distinguish himself with a 
 free hand. But during the progress of the 
 " overland campaign " it is not apparent where 
 he succeeded very well in veiling the move- 
 ments of his own infantry or in unmasking 
 those of his enemies. He made a dash to 
 capture Richmond with a force which would 
 seem not to have been inadequate, but failed 
 to make any impression. His operations 
 against Lee's lines of communication had no 
 important effect, and were costly to his own 
 command. Grant's lines of communication on 
 land were so fully guarded by infantry as to 
 afford him no occupation. He fought well, but 
 always found his match in fighting, and much 
 more than his match as to strategy in Hamp- 
 ton, and his losses were, proportionately, very 
 large. In fact, he was far, indeed, from being 
 a master of strategy, and whatever he suc- 
 ceeded in accomplishing, so far as his career 
 against the Army of Northern Virginia is con- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALRY. 259 
 
 cerned, was done by sheer weight of greatly 
 superior numbers. In his report, which was 
 made some time subsequently, of his operations 
 from May 4th to August ist, he remarks that 
 his command did as heavy fighting as the 
 infantry, and that the casualties were as great in 
 proportion. In another place he says he thinks 
 his losses did not exceed six thousand, which is 
 somewhat more than appears from 'the com- 
 piled returns, but these latter, from causes 
 already mentioned, cannot be considered cor- 
 rect. But even if his losses did in fact only 
 amount to six thousand, they still about 
 equalled in number the entire force with which 
 Hampton fought him. He also says his cam- 
 paign effected " the almost total annihilation of 
 the rebel cavalry." How wide of the mark this 
 is, the reader can judge from the facts related, 
 as well as when he adds : " I am led to believe, 
 on information derived from reliable sources, 
 that the enemy's cavalry was superior to ours 
 
260 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 
 
 in numbers." Of course, every effort was made 
 by the Confederates to mislead him as to their 
 small force, and bogus information from pre- 
 tended prisoners, and other reports intended to 
 deceive, seem to have served to effectt his pur- 
 pose, but the actual numbers available for 
 Hampton are now matter of record. 
 
 On August nth the following order was 
 issued : 
 
 " Headq'rs Dep't Nor. Va., 
 
 " nth August, 1864. 
 " (Extract.) 
 
 " Special Order No. 189. 
 
 "VII. Maj.-Gen'l Wade Hampton is 
 
 assigned to the command of the cavalry of 
 
 this army. 
 
 " Division commanders will report to him 
 
 accordingly. 
 
 " By command of 
 
 " General R. E. Lee. 
 
 " W. H. Taylor, 
 
 "A. A. Gen'l." 
 
General Wade Hampton of the icars of 1776 and ISIS, 
 grandfather of General Hampton 
 
 The 
 
 (201) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALBY. 263 
 
 This requires some explanation. After Major- 
 General J. E. B. Stuart received his death-wound 
 on May ii, 1864, Hampton, as Senior Major- 
 General of cavalry, took command of the corps, 
 as has been stated in a former part of this nar- 
 rative. During Stuart's life-time all the divis-. 
 ions, unless detached on special service, had 
 reported to and received orders from corps 
 headquarters. When Hampton took command 
 the system in this respect was changed, the gen- 
 erals of divisions reporting to army headquar- 
 ters, except when engaged in actual movements 
 under the personal direction of the corps com- 
 mander. The disadvantages to the service, and 
 the sources of embarrassment to the corps com- 
 mander, which would naturally be produced by 
 this change are obvious, and it requires but lit- 
 tle " reading between the lines" in the accounts 
 given of operations to perceive that on important 
 occasions the extent of successes was diminished 
 from this cause. One would indeed anticipate 
 
264 HAMPTON AND EI8 OAVALBT. 
 
 that this change would practically neutralize, to 
 a great extent, the advantages of corps organi- 
 zation, and disintegrate a command measur- 
 ably into divisional composition. Instead of a 
 compact unit, as a corps should be, with division 
 commanders directly controlled by a single will, 
 through which celerity of action, the essence of 
 cavalry usefulness, is obtained, there is a risk, at 
 times, of a division of wills, and it is a homely but 
 true saying that "too many cooks spoil the broth." 
 It is not advisable, at this late day, to discuss 
 how this change happened to be brought about, 
 or by whom, but it is necessary to understand 
 clearly that it was not occasioned by any wish 
 on the part of General Lee to curtail Hampton's 
 sphere of authority, and the order of August 
 nth quoted above, which undid the wrong, is a 
 proof of this. The relations between these two 
 generals were always of the most friendly and 
 cordial nature, and it is not the least of the 
 pleasures derived from reading their corre- 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBT. 265 
 
 spondence to observe the entire confidence Lee 
 reposed in Hampton's ability, and how he relied 
 more and more upon his gallantry, skill, and 
 good judgment, as this most exacting of cam- 
 paigns progressed. 
 
 In connection with the order of August 1 1 th 
 came the assignment to Hampton of the staff 
 attached to the^ headquarters of the cavalry 
 when Stuart commanded, and this necessitated 
 his parting with all but three of his military 
 family — Lowndes, Taylor, and Preston Hamp- 
 ton — the others continuing on the divisional 
 staff under General M. C. Butler. His new 
 staff consisted of able officers and agreeable 
 gentlemen, but nevertheless the separation from 
 old and tried friends could not but be a wrench. 
 His chief of staff, Major Theodore G. Barker, 
 A. A. G., had been close to him since the com- 
 mencement of the war, having been adjutant 
 of the Hampton Legion, in the organization of 
 which he was largely concerned, and with whose 
 
266 HAMPTON AND SIS GAVALBT. 
 
 conduct on the field he was conspicuously asso- 
 ciated. When General Hampton was trans- 
 ferred to the cavalry in 1862, Barker had 
 accompanied him as adjutant of the "First brig- 
 ade," and was engaged in the brilliant opera- 
 tions of that command, and had become adju- 
 tant of the division, when his General was 
 assigned to one. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 CHANGES IN THE FEDERAL AND CONFEDERATE 
 
 CAVALRY FORCES, AND THE NUMBERS OF EACH 
 
 ENGAGEMENTS OF AUGUST i6th AND 1 7TH ON 
 THE NORTH SIDE OF THE JAMES — BUTLER's SUC- 
 CESS ON AUGUST 2 3D AT REAMS STATION BAT- 
 TLE OF REAMS STATION ON AUGUST 25TH. 
 
 hr.M^tk-J^ ri^'i-^^ii 
 
 HEN Sheridan went to the Shenan- 
 doah Valley the First division (Tor- 
 bert) of cavalry of the Army of 
 the Potomac accompanied him, and on August 
 1 7th the Third division (Wilson) was also sent 
 there. The Second division (Gregg) remained 
 with the army. This division, after all its heavy 
 losses, was recruited, and numbered present 
 for duty in September, according to the of- 
 ficial report of that date, 4,670. Kautz's divis- 
 
 (367) 
 
268 HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBT. 
 
 ion, at that time about 2,000 strong, though 
 nominally attached to the Army of the James, 
 practically increased the force opposed to 
 Hampton. Besides this, there were bodies of 
 unattached cavalry with the Army of the James, 
 which swelled the odds against him still more. 
 The facilities possessed by Grant of transfer- 
 ring troops easily from one bank of the James 
 river to the other by means of pontoon bridges 
 and steamers rendered his cavalry as well as in- 
 fantry quickly available on either side desired. 
 General Grant, in September, estimates his 
 available cavalry at 9,000, but General Meade 
 thinks these two divisions, exclusive of the un- 
 attached, numbered much less. It is surprising 
 how inaccurately the accounts were kept, and 
 how little reliance can be placed on them. 
 Fitzhugh Lee's division was detached and sent 
 to the Valley of the Shenandoah early in Au- 
 gust. The two divisions which remained with 
 the Army of Northern Virginia, by the monthly 
 
HAMPTON AND ni8 CAVALRY. 269 
 
 return of August 31st, are credited with 5,344 
 men, but many of these were without horses, 
 and others had unserviceable ones, owing to 
 the wretched system for remounting already 
 referred to, and thus the effective strength was 
 greatly reduced. On September 27th Rosser's 
 brigade was also sent to the Shenandoah Val- 
 ley, thus further reducing the corps. It should 
 be remembered that the words "present for 
 duty" in the Confederate monthly or other 
 reports meant all the men in camp, whether 
 provided with horses or dismounted. It may 
 also be repeated that many returns in the pub- 
 lished "Records of the Union and Confederate 
 Armies " are incorrect, as for instance the re- 
 turn of September 10, 1864, in which Lomax's 
 division of cavalry appears as part of Hamp- 
 ton's corps, whereas such was never the case, 
 as it was in the Shenandoah Valley. Bearing's 
 brigade was at first unattached, but served un- 
 der Hampton frequently in the late summer or 
 
270 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALRT. 
 
 autumn. Gary's brigade was unattached, and 
 served with the Richmond-defence troops 
 north of the James, and not with Hampton, un- 
 less he was incidentally in their neighborhood. 
 Thus the Federal cavalry remaining with the 
 army greatly exceeded Hampton's force, but 
 during the rest of the campaign they kept close 
 to their infantry, and accomplished, and in fact 
 attempted, no separate enterprises. The Con- 
 federate cavalry were able to keep them in 
 bounds and at the same time do much useful 
 work in connection with the infantry as well as 
 on their own account. It is not the purpose of 
 this narrative to give a detailed account of their 
 services, but only to describe some of their 
 movements. 
 
 On August nth General Hampton received 
 a confidential communication from General 
 Lee, directing him to move his division. Gen- 
 eral Butler commanding, to Culpeper to take 
 part in a contemplated demonstration in that 
 
HAMPTON AND BIS OAVALBT. 271 
 
 quarter, having reference to the Valley. He 
 accordingly crossed the river and marched in 
 that direction, but on August 14th received a 
 telegram from Lee recalling him, as the plan 
 had been changed and he was wanted near 
 Richmond. By ten o'clock on the morning of 
 August 1 6th he reached White Tavern, eight 
 miles from Richmond, on the Charles City 
 road, and following the maxim of Napoleon by 
 pressing forward towards the sounds of heavy 
 fire, was in time to support W. H. F. Lee, who 
 was seriously engaged, having been ordered 
 to the north of the James river on August 14th 
 to meet the enemy's advance. As soon as 
 Grant had thoroughly fortified his lines in front 
 of Petersburg, he could leave sufficient force 
 there to hold them and yet spare troops to 
 strive to edge round to the left to effect a lodg- 
 inent on the Weldon railroad leading South, in 
 carrying out the programme which he had laid 
 down for himself, as already explained. At 
 
272 HAMPTON AND SIS OAVALBT. 
 
 the same time he would transfer troops to the 
 north side of the James to make a demon- 
 stration there in connection with that on the 
 south side of the river, hoping thus to gain an 
 advantage on one side or the other ; perhaps 
 to capture Richmond by a dash before Lee 
 could come up in force. He was occupied in 
 one of these double movements now, besides 
 having the object of deterring Lee from rein- 
 forcing Early in the Valley, and had reached 
 on the north side within eight miles of Rich- 
 mond. 
 
 W. H. F. Lee was hard pressed by a much 
 superior force, chiefly infantry. He was forced 
 back somewhat, and Brigadier-General Cham- 
 bliss, commanding one of his brigades, was killed 
 while gallantly rallying his men : an excellent 
 officer, whose death was a great loss to the army. 
 Just at this critical juncture Hampton's division 
 (now Butler's) came upon the scene, and was 
 moved, dismounted, to the right and rear of 
 
EAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBY. 273 
 
 the enemy, and W. H. F. Lee with his division 
 and Gary's brigade attacked in front. The 
 result was a speedy success, regaining the lost 
 ground and driving the enemy beyond. Some 
 prisoners, mostly infantry, were taken. On the 
 following day General Lee determined to 
 attack on the front, having by that time, in conse- 
 quence of the delay effected, got up enough 
 men for the purpose. In this the cavalry par- 
 ticipated, W. H. F. Lee's division in front and 
 Butler's turning the right flank. The enemy 
 were driven back, breastworks captured, and 
 one hundred and sixty-seven prisoners taken by 
 the cavalry. That night the enemy retreated, 
 and Hampton, in pursuance of orders, took 
 up his former position on the south side of the 
 river. 
 
 General Lee's official communication to Gen- 
 eral Hampton about these operations was highly 
 commendatory, and in it he says : "I desire to 
 express the gratification I have derived from the 
 
 18 
 
274 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBY. 
 
 conduct of the cavalry during its late opera- 
 tions north of James river. * * * Please 
 express to the officers and men my thanks for 
 their gallant and valuable services." 
 
 General Chambliss had fallen, as has been 
 mentioned, just as W. H. F. Lee's line had 
 been forced back before Hampton's arrival, 
 and he died in the enemy's hands. He had 
 been buried by them in a wooden coffin, and 
 the grave carefully marked with his name and 
 rank. His friends, under flag of truce, after 
 that day's fighting was over, requested that the 
 body be returned to them. It was accordingly 
 exhumed and brought back to them under flag 
 of truce. All this was considerately and kindly 
 done, and it is therefore pleasant to record it. 
 
 When Hampton returned to the south side 
 of the James river the enemy had obtained a 
 foot-hold on the Weldon railroad, their first step 
 in severing that artery of supply for the Army 
 of Northern Virginia. They held the road 
 
t^ 
 
 C; 
 
 =5, 
 
 CO 
 
 t^ 
 
 .g 
 
 (275) 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALRY. 277 
 
 from near Petersburg down to Reams station, 
 from which latter point Hancock intended to 
 destroy the road farther south. In moving 
 down Butler's division to occupy the picket-line 
 previously held in front of Reams station, the 
 enemy was encountered at Monck's Neck 
 bridge, about two miles west of the station, on 
 Rowanty creek. Here, on August 23d, But- 
 ler attacked the position with his invariable de- 
 termination, and after a stiff fight drove the 
 enemy, a division of infantry, into the cover of 
 their works at Reams Station, and established 
 his picket-line, with a loss of twenty-one killed, 
 one hundred and three wounded, and twelve 
 missing. The movement was skillfully managed 
 and gallantly carried out, and led to important 
 results, as will be seen, for it suggested to 
 Hampton the feasibility of capturing Reams 
 station. A careful reconnoissance of the 
 ground was made, and a plan of attack was 
 submitted by Hampton to General Lee, of 
 
278 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 which the latter approved, and Lieutenant- 
 General A. P. Hill, with Heth's division, was 
 assigned to the work in connection with Hamp- 
 ton. The cavalry consisted of W. H. F. Lee's 
 division, Barringer just then commanding, and 
 Butler's division. To the latter' s old brigade 
 about this time General Dunovant had been 
 assigned. General Rosser, though not entirely 
 recovered from his wound received at Tre- 
 vilian, was again conspicuously at the head of 
 the "Laurel brigade." 
 
 General Hill's infantry was quietly conducted 
 by the cavalry through the country to Monck's 
 Neck bridge, where a halt was made for the 
 night, and the plan of attack agreed upon. The 
 following is the account of the part taken by 
 the cavalry in the action on August 25th : 
 
 It was arranged that Hampton, with the 
 main part of his force, should strike the left 
 flank of the enemy on the Weldon railroad, 
 and, with the rest, cover the approach of 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALEY. 279 
 
 General Hill on Reams station. The proper 
 dispositions having been made, Hampton 
 crossed with the attacking force at Malone's 
 bridge, and soon encountered the enemy's 
 pickets, which were, by a mounted charge, driven 
 in on his cavalry, which were then forced back 
 out of a favorable position towards Reams sta- 
 tion, but not until after a stiff dismounted fight. 
 A section of McGregor's battery did fine execu- 
 tion during this movement. The enemy was 
 thus compelled to bring up infantry to replace 
 his cavalry, and accordingly deployed a heavy 
 force, endeavoring to envelop both of Hamp- 
 ton's flanks, but this he was prevented from 
 effecting. The troops instinctively followed the 
 directions once given by General Butler to one 
 of his colonels, who requested reinforcements 
 on the ground of being flanked. Said he : 
 "Well ! Flank them back, then ! " 
 General Hill was now notified of the position 
 of affairs, and it was suggested that he attack. 
 
280 HAS^'TON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 This he said he would do, and requested Hamp- 
 ton to move back his line somewhat, as if with- 
 drawing, so as to induce the enemy to follow 
 down the railroad, enabling him to take them 
 in rear. This manoeuvre Hampton executed, 
 retiring about 400 yards, obut the Federals 
 followed with very great caution. At five 
 o'clock P. M. General Hill's artillery opened, 
 thus announcing his advance, and General 
 Hampton at once ordered forward his whole 
 line, which was formed across the railroad on 
 the west. The enemy was driven to his works 
 at Reams station and some minor outworks 
 taken. Finding that General Hill was pressing 
 the Federals from the west into Reams station 
 works, Hampton brought his line to the east 
 side of the railroad, keeping his left flank on 
 the road and swinging his right round so as to 
 take the enemy engaged with Hill in rear. The 
 ground to be traversed, very difficult naturally, 
 had been further obstructed by felled trees and 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVAhBT. 281 
 
 Other impediments, but the cavalry, dismounted, 
 pushed forward with a spirit entitling them to 
 march shoulder to shoulder with the infantry of 
 the Army of Northern Virginia, and there is no 
 higher praise than this. When all of the enemy 
 had been driven from the outerworks into the 
 fortifications at Reams station, they made a. 
 still more stubborn fight. Previous to this, they 
 would retreat from one minor point to make a 
 stand at another, and so on back towards the 
 main works. It was during this time that some 
 
 of the men had much sport with a little " Dutch- 
 
 o 
 
 man." This fellow was as fat as a beer-barrel, 
 not much over five feet in height, with very 
 short legs and pudgy body, and could hardly 
 run, in spite of his best efforts, faster than a 
 jog-trot. Each time, as he would be flushed 
 out of a place with his comrades, he would 
 work his little legs as best he could, moving his 
 arms grotesquely like a windmill, blowing like 
 a porpoise and perspiring in streams, but quite 
 
282 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 unable to keep up with his better conditioned 
 companions. It was such a laughable sight that 
 the men good-naturedly refrained from shooting 
 him, but every time he was jumped would chaff 
 him with jokes, and "Go it, Dutchy." Proba- 
 bly he was one of the "cheap substitutes" of 
 which Grant was about that time complaining 
 to Stanton as sent him by the "loyal "of the 
 North ; often becoming " too willing prisoners," 
 he said. 
 
 The check received when the enemy occupied 
 his main works was but of short duration, and 
 with a yell which must have sent mortal terror 
 to the heart of "little Dutchy," if still in the 
 land of the living, the cavalry rushed across the 
 breastworks ; the day was won. They then 
 took charge of the trenches, and the infantry 
 were relieved. The fighting had lasted for 
 twelve hours. The cavalry captured 781 pris- 
 oners, besides sixty-six badly wounded, and 
 buried 143 dead. Their Own losses were only 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS CA VALB T. 283 
 
 sixteen killed and seventy-eight wounded, and 
 no prisoners lost. They captured six caissons, 
 very many small arms, and three flags, besides 
 other property. Their loss was surprisingly small 
 in proportion to the fire sustained, the shooting 
 of the Federals being unusually wild, the bullets 
 ranging very high, a sure sign of want of skill 
 or nerve. It was a sin to waste so much good 
 ammunition. Perhaps this was caused by the 
 recent receipt of a shipment of food for gun- 
 powder purchased abroad, of which the "little 
 Dutchy " just described may have been a 
 sample. The total captures of the combined 
 cavalry and infantry amounted to 2,150 pris- 
 oners, seven stand of colors, nine pieces of 
 artillery, and 3, 1 50 small arms and stores. As 
 Lieutenant-General A. P. Hill expressed it in 
 writing of this engagement, "The sabre and 
 the bayonet have shaken hands on the enemy's 
 captured breastworks." 
 
 This was an important operation. It is true 
 
284 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 that the Federals succeeded in effecting by per- 
 severance and numbers a permanent lodgment 
 on the Weldon railroad, thus severing that line 
 of communication with the South, and com- 
 pelling the Confederates later on to wagon 
 from Stony Creek station. But in the fight of 
 Reams station they received a serious dis- 
 couraging set-back in their programme, and 
 time was thus gained by Lee. Among the 
 infantry engaged was General James Conner's 
 brigade, of Wilcox's division, and it must have 
 been pleasant to that gallant soldier and lovable 
 gentleman to have literally " shaken hands on 
 the enemy's captured breastworks " with his 
 old preceptor in the art of war, for he had 
 made his debut in the Hampton Legion at the 
 first battle of Manassas (Bull Run). 
 
 General Lee, in his report of this affair to 
 the War Department, says : " One line of 
 breastworks was carried by the cavalry under 
 Hampton with great gallantry." 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GA VALBT. 285 
 
 Under date of August 26th General Lee 
 writes to General Hampton as follows : 
 
 "Your note has been received. I am very 
 much gratified with the success of yesterday's 
 operations. I wished you to be near there, 
 because I feared that as Gregg was so much in 
 the background in yesterday's operations he 
 might be preparing for a raid on the Danville 
 and Southside railroads. I wish you now to 
 rest the two divisions as much as practicable, 
 and to take such position as would enable you 
 most speedily to intercept and punish any 
 party which they might send out against our 
 communications. ' ' 
 
 In writing to Governor Vance, of North 
 Carolina, about this battle. General Lee says 
 that the men "advanced through a thick 
 abatis of felled trees under a heavy fire of 
 musketry and artillery and carried the enemy's 
 works with a steady courage, which elicited 
 the warm commendations of their corps and 
 
2S6 HAMPTON ANT) SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 division commanders and the admiration of the 
 army," and adds : "The operations of the cav- 
 alry were not less distinguished for boldness 
 and efficiency than those of the infantry." 
 
 It was General Hancock who commanded 
 the Federals this day, and the mortification felt 
 at the result by that brave, proud soldier was 
 intense. It is reported by his friends that he 
 said on the field he would rather have died 
 than have witnessed his corps in such a rout. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE CATTLE-RAID THE SCOUTS. 
 
 |EAR Coggin's Point, on the James 
 river, less than five miles east of 
 City Point and opposite to West- 
 over, was a large herd of cattle belonging to 
 the Army of the Potomac. From information 
 obtained by trusty scouts Hampton ascertained 
 the exact location of these beeves and the dis- 
 position of the Federal troops in the vicinity, 
 and decided that he could capture the herd. To 
 accomplish this it would be necessary to make 
 an incursion in the rear of the Federal army, 
 and to within almost rifle-shot of City Point. 
 Now, City Point was the headquarters and base 
 of the Army of the Potomac. Here, General 
 
 /287) 
 
288 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 Grant and his military family were " at home" 
 to visitors, but did not look for a call from 
 Hampton. It was supposed to be as safe 
 as Washington. The good people at Boston 
 would have been no more surprised by a raid 
 made to carry away Plymouth Rock than was 
 the Federal army by the rummaging of their 
 larder under the very nose of headquarters. It 
 was no wonder that their nerves were badly 
 shaken, and this they certainly were. The 
 unexpected had happened to them. 
 
 On the morning of September 14th Hamp- 
 ton moved out upon the expedition from his 
 position south of Petersburg. He took with 
 him W. H. F. Lee's division, Rosser's and 
 Dearing's brigades, and 100 men from Young's 
 and Dunovant's brigades. Proceeding south- 
 easterly down the west side of Rowanty creek 
 on a swift march, he bivouacked quietly for the 
 night at Wilkinson's bridge, and, making an 
 early start next morning, bearing nearly north, 
 
HAMPTON AND EI& OAVALBT. 289 
 
 reached during the day Cook's bridge on the 
 Blackwater river. This detour brought him 
 round the left flank of the Federals, nearly due 
 south of Coggin's Point, and only about ten 
 miles from where he intended to break through 
 their picket-guards. The bridge at this point 
 had been destroyed, as he was aware, and he 
 selected the place for crossing the river for this 
 reason, as he would not be looked for from that 
 direction. In a few hours a temporary bridge 
 was constructed by the engineers, the horses 
 meantime rested and fed, and by midnight the 
 river was crossed and the march resumed. 
 North of the Blackwater about nine miles, near 
 Sycamore church, was the largest detachment of 
 the enemy nearest to the herd of cattle, which 
 was about two miles farther on. To the right 
 and left of this point were smaller bodies of Fed- 
 erals. So Hampton determined to attack the 
 largest force first and scatter it, and head off the 
 smaller detachments, thus preventing concen- 
 
 19 
 
290 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBY. 
 
 tration. To Rosser was accordingly assigned 
 the central attack, after accomplishing which he 
 was to proceed to appropriate and carry away 
 the prospective beefsteaks. To W. H. F. 
 Lee's division was entrusted the task of driv- 
 ing away the force to the left, and holding the 
 roads leading from City Point from which inter- 
 ference was to be expected. Dearing was to 
 place his brigade on the right of Sycamore 
 church, and when he heard the firing there, was 
 to dash into and demolish a post about three 
 miles from Fort Powhatan, on the James river, 
 and hold the roads leading to the fort to pre- 
 vent attack from that quarter. At five o'clock 
 A. M., Rosser attacked. The videttes were 
 driven in, but the main body, a regiment, the 
 First District of Columbia cavalry, rallied be- 
 hind barricades in very good style. However, 
 Rosser lost no time, but made short work of 
 them, annihilating the regiment, all not killed, 
 wounded, or captured making off in every 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBT. 291 
 
 direction, spreading consternation throughout 
 the neighborhood and exaggerated accounts of 
 the numbers of the raiders. As soon as W. H. 
 F. Lee's and Dearing's people heard the firing, 
 they commenced their part of the programme, 
 dispersing or riding down everything they met. 
 They then held the roads, as directed, thus pre- 
 venting assistance being sent to the central 
 post, and drove away or took all the couriers 
 whom they could lay hands on. Rosser sent 
 forward a detachment to secure the cattle, 
 which they quickly did, overpowering the guard 
 of 1 20 men and the herdsmen. Many horses 
 were also taken, eleven wagons, three flags, and 
 the beeves, numbering 2,468. Three camps 
 were burned, a considerable quanity of valu- 
 able stores and blankets carried off, and more 
 destroyed. All this was no easy matter, but it 
 was thoroughly done in a business-like manner, 
 without undue haste yet without loss of time. 
 Everything had been well arranged beforehand, 
 
293 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 and was carried out without a mistake. The 
 troopers became for the occasion aniateur cow- 
 boys, and good ones, too. The cavalry, the 
 army's maid of all work, filling the gaps in the 
 military household, were one day storming a 
 battery through abatis and brush, and another 
 driving oxen. The Federal herders of the 
 cattle proved very useful, and served their new 
 masters as well and apparently as readily as 
 if these had been their original employers. 
 When the oxen would become troublesome, 
 showing an inclination to stray into the fields 
 and make delay, the herders, cracking their 
 long lashes, sounding like pistol-shots, would 
 quickly bring them back, though it must be 
 confessed a trooper always rode alongside 
 with a handy weapon to insure loyalty. But 
 everything ran smoothly, and the sight would 
 have gladdened the heart of a Highland chief- 
 tain of the olden time, -but his best "lift" would 
 have been insignificant compared to this. 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBY. 293 
 
 Such a mass of cattle kept together would 
 have been unwieldy, perhaps impracticable to 
 manage, but by breaking them up into detach- 
 ments, with intervals between each, this diffi- 
 culty was avoided. Completely successful in 
 executing his plans, Hampton commenced to 
 withdraw by 8 o'clock A. M. 
 
 While all this was going on in most cheerful 
 manner for the raiders, the greatest consterna- 
 tion and bewilderment were prevailing at Fed- 
 eral headquarters. By prearrangement with 
 General Lee, at the hour at which Hampton 
 attacked, a demonstration to distract attention 
 was made along a part of the line of the army, 
 the infantry driving the enemy's pickets into 
 the fortifications west of the Jerusalem plank- 
 road, and bodies of troops were moved about, 
 as if for a general attack. At the same time 
 Butler, with his cavalry division, began to make 
 himself very disagreeable to the troops in his 
 vicinity. It seemed from all this as if General 
 
294 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 Lee was going on the war-path in earnest, and 
 that Hampton's cavalry raid was intended only 
 to distract attention from this, whilst in fact just 
 the reverse was true. 
 
 So, Federal headquarters made the wires hot 
 with telegrams, and couriers were sent gallop- 
 ing for dear life with despatches. Meade's 
 "household troops " were kept very busy that 
 day. General Grant was temporarily absent 
 at Harper's Ferry consulting with Sheridan, 
 then in the Shenandoah Valley, but he had a 
 very unpleasant quarter of an hour, and several 
 of them, on receipt of excited telegrams from 
 Meade and from his chief of staff, Humphreys. 
 And poor Kautz, such of his cavalry as had 
 been met by Hampton having been demolished 
 and sent scurrying in all directions, was sadly 
 shattered in nerves, and worrying unlucky 
 Meade with messages and queries, in the re- 
 plies to which one can almost fancy he hears 
 the General swearing. Many of these tele- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIB CAVALBT. 295 
 
 grams and despatches are preserved in the 
 published records of the War Office. They are 
 entertaining reading even at this late day, for 
 being sent on the spur of the moment amidst 
 all the excitement and exasperation, when there 
 was no time to weigh words, they exhibit the 
 true state of mind of the senders. Like spoken 
 words stored hot in a phonograph, and now re- 
 leased, they seem very different from official 
 despatches prepared carefully after all the hurly- 
 burly is past and blood is cool. Meade evi- 
 dently believed Lee was advancing in force, 
 and was much worried at the absence of Grant 
 at such a trying time, involving so great re- 
 sponsibility. Kautz sends a message that he 
 has information Hampton's force is 14,000 (!) 
 strong. Sharpe, deputy provost-marshal, says 
 it is Hampton's entire cavalry corps. " Trusty 
 citizens " report an immense force. Meade 
 estimates 6,000. Humphreys, chief of staff, in- 
 forms Kautz that he can reinforce him with a 
 
296 HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALB T. 
 
 division of infantry and a battery of artillery, 
 but by that time the bird is flown. Sharpe and 
 the rest fear the capture and destruction of all 
 the immense stores at and around City Point, 
 and put their heads together to arrange to have 
 gun boats rushed up to cover City Point with 
 artillery. The alarm really became almost pa-" 
 thetic. 
 
 But Hampton pursued the even tenor of his 
 way. Having procured nice beefsteaks at a 
 convenient market without the trouble of pay- 
 ment, he intended to take them safely home to 
 cook. He retired towards the Blackwater 
 river, and before reaching the stream had re- 
 united all the portions of his command and then 
 quietly crossed. Rosser was sent forward from, 
 there to hold the Jerusalem plank-road at a 
 point about thirteen miles south of Petersburg 
 and east of the Weldon railroad. Here he was 
 attacked by Gregg and Kautz with their cavalry, 
 but easily repelled them. So he held the road, 
 
ti 
 
 s 
 
 (297) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALE T. 2^9 
 
 and the cattle were sent two miles in the rear 
 to the south, and were safely got across the 
 Nottoway river at Freeman's ford, and all 
 brought "home." When Hampton had made 
 sure that the cattle and other spoil were safely 
 out of reach of recapture, he turned his atten- 
 tion to cutting off a goodly portion of the Fed- 
 eral cavalry, but by the time he had made dis- 
 positions to get in their rear for this purpose, it 
 was found they had retreated, and this plan 
 was therefore abandoned. So, weary but jolly, 
 his men returned to the bivouac on Rowanty 
 creek. That night, and for many a day after- 
 wards, there were plenty of sardines and other 
 canned food, pickles, and many things- esteemed 
 luxuries by poor fellows who had eaten nothing 
 but bacon and flour, and too little of them, for 
 months past. These were picked up by the 
 men in the burned camps, the regularly cap- 
 tured property being turned over to the proper 
 authorities. They had marched loo miles in 
 
300 HAMPTON AND 318 OA VA LB Y. 
 
 three days. The prisoners captured amounted 
 to 304, and Hampton's losses to 10 killed, 47 
 wounded, and 4 missing. 
 
 In writing to General Grant after the affair 
 is over, and the beeves irrevocably lost, Meade 
 is evidently still very much disconcerted. He 
 has discovered, by that time, it was only a cat- 
 tle-raid, and not part of a general attack, and 
 gives the best excuse he can think of for the 
 loss, with "tears in his voice." He attributes 
 Hampton's success and safe withdrawal to his 
 force being 6,000 men, and he says his own 
 troops were only 3,000 cavalry and 3,000 in- 
 fantry available, but in fact, to arrive at this 
 estimate of 6,000 for the Confederates, he has 
 used the multiple two. The estimates greatly 
 and drolly varied: from Kautz, 14,000 (!);, from 
 Major Van Rensalaer, 5,000; Humphreys says 
 three brigades of cavalry ; Sharpe, the whole 
 cavalry corps, and so on. Grant in a despatch 
 to Meade calls the captures "a rich haul," and 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 301 
 
 SO they were. Those 2,468 beeves were a 
 Godsend to the army — " Hampton's steaks," 
 as they were termed — and thriftily used lasted 
 for many a week. They were fine, large oxen. 
 It is amusing to discover now, from the tell- 
 tale despatches preserved, how nervous during 
 the rest of the campaign the troops were who 
 guarded the lines near City Point, especially in 
 the vicinity of Sycamore church, where Hamp- 
 ton had broken through. They were always 
 hearing strange noises at night, suggested by 
 former unpleasant experiences : sometimes it 
 would be phantom bridge-builders spanning 
 the Blackwater ; at others, the tramp in the 
 dark of ghostly horses and the clatter of 
 sabres. Altogether they had a very trying 
 time of it, like children in bed in the dark, and 
 their officers were greatly disgusted by some 
 prompt retreats of their men from imaginary 
 onslaughts, and were thus betrayed into using 
 naughty words. 
 
302 SAMPTON AND HIS G AVALS Y. 
 
 On General Hampton's return to his quar- 
 ters he received a note from General Lee, in 
 which he writes : 
 
 " I have received your report of the result of 
 your operations, and beg to express my high 
 appreciation of the skill and boldness you have 
 displayed, and my gratification at your hand- 
 some and valuable success. You will please 
 convey to the officers and men of your com- 
 mand my thanks for the courage and energy 
 with which they have executed your orders, by 
 which they have added another to the list of 
 important services rendered by the cavalry 
 during the present campaign." 
 
 The information about the herd of beeves, 
 upon which the expedition for its capture was 
 arranged, was obtained from Sergeant Shad- 
 bourne, of the Jeff. Davis Legion, a scout. He 
 accompanied Rosser's leading regiment . as 
 guide, and was foremost in the attack. Ser- 
 geant Hogan, in charge of Butler's scouts, was 
 
HAMPTON AND HI8 CAVALRY. 303 
 
 al^o with the expedition, and did excellent ser- 
 vice. One scout was killed and three wounded 
 in the fighting. The scouts of the army did 
 not constitute a distinct organization, but suit- 
 able men volunteering for this duty were de- 
 tailed from the different commands. The posi- 
 tion required not only coolness, courage, zeal, 
 and intelligence, but special faculties born in 
 some few men. The letter of Shadbourne, 
 giving the information about the cattle, is admi- 
 rable for the purpose intended in matter and 
 manner, and runs as follows : 
 
 "Near Blackwater, Sept. 5, 1864. 
 " General : 
 
 "I have just returned from City Point. 
 The defences are as follows : " 
 
 Then are given with the greatest pre- 
 cision the points at which troops are sta- 
 tioned, their approximate numbers, where 
 supplies are stored, and the exact distance 
 between the places mentioned. 
 
304 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 "At Coggin's Point are 3,000 beeves, at- 
 tended by 120 men and thirty citizens, with- 
 out arms. At Sycamore church is one regi- 
 ment of cavalry (ist District of Columbia). 
 This is the nearest point of the picket line 
 to Coggin's Point (about two miles). 
 
 ****** 
 
 " The greatest danger, I think, would be 
 on the Jerusalem plank-road in returning. 
 
 »****» 
 
 " The Tenth corps is on the right (this side 
 Appomattox); Ninth, centre; Fifth, next; 
 Second, on extreme left. I hear that they 
 have a Fifteenth corps, commanded by Ord. 
 From best information Birney commands 
 Tenth corps. This Fifteenth and Sixteenth 
 corps are on the other side of Appomattox. 
 Butler has just returned (yesterday) from 
 convention [he refers to Ben. Butler coming 
 back from a political gathering at the North 
 anent the autumn elections]. It is thought 
 
HAMPTON AND Eia CAVALRY. 305 
 
 more cavalry is about returning. Colonel 
 
 is under arrest for drunkenness, I 
 
 understand — Stratton in command. 
 " Your obedient scout, 
 
 " Shadbourne." 
 
 The risks run by the scouts in collecting in- 
 formation were of course numerous, but there 
 was no doubt a great fascination in the freedom 
 of the life and the adventures. There were 
 other compensations, too. Picket duty and 
 drudgeries were avoided, and then they were 
 not confined to army rations — scant corn meal 
 and scanter bacon — and though the land was 
 very far from flowing in milk and honey, they 
 knew where to find what little there was. The 
 line of demarkation between a scout and a spy 
 was sometimes very ill-defined, for as the scouts 
 usually dressed in Federal uniforms which they 
 had captured, they were by strict military law 
 subject to the death-penalty as spies, if taken 
 within the enemy's lines, and they were not 
 
 20 
 
306 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 without unpleasant experiences of that kind. 
 The following incident happening about this 
 time is an example of some of the awkward 
 scrapes into which they might get : 
 
 Two Confederate scouts were within the 
 Federal lines pursuing their occupation in the 
 direction of City Point. They were dressed 
 in bjue overcoats and trousers, and not distin- 
 guishable in appearance from Federals. The 
 locality was one with which they were familiar, 
 and near it, in a secluded spot, was a house 
 well known to them, where lived a poor 
 woman, who would often cook for them a meal 
 and also give valuable information which she 
 picked up. So, on this occasion, they concluded 
 to call at the house for the double purpose men- 
 tioned. She was a "truly loyal" woman, ac- 
 cording to the belief of the Federals. Having 
 fastened their horses in a place concealed from 
 the observation of anyone happening to pass 
 by, the two scouts walked quietly into the house 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GA VALBY. 307 
 
 according to their habit, when, to their surprise, 
 in the kitchen, which served also the purposes of 
 parlor and bed-room, there sat two men in blue 
 uniform waiting for some food being prepared. 
 It was too late to withdraw, so the new-comers 
 spoke to the strangers in a friendly way, and 
 conversation ensued while all were waiting for 
 their meal. "Are they Federals, or Confed- 
 erates in blue uniform ? " The Confederates 
 were thus "thinking hard," and so were the 
 other two men. It was all very friendly in 
 appearance, but each couple were fishing, as 
 best they could, to find out what manner of 
 men the others were. The scouts knew full 
 well if these fellows proved to be Federals 
 they must kill them, or be themselves killed ; 
 surrender was not to be thought of, because, 
 among other reasons, they would be liable to 
 be shot as spies. The strangers, if Federals, 
 on the other hand, would quite understand that 
 this was exactly what the two men to whom 
 
308 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALUY. 
 
 they were talking would be thinking of, pro- 
 vided they were not friends, and therefore they 
 were equally on the qui vive. So they all con- 
 tinued to feel their way and watch each other 
 closely, until the woman announced the meal 
 to be ready, when the four sat down to- 
 gether — two and two' — on opposite sides of 
 a rough board-table, and commenced to eat. 
 Presently the woman walked behind the chairs 
 of the strangers to pour out some coffee, and, 
 as she filled their cups, unseen by them, gave 
 a quick, warning glance across the table at the 
 scouts. It was only a look, but it was quite 
 enough. In the fraction of a second two re- 
 volvers were pointed across the table, and the 
 quick flashes blackened the faces and singed 
 the beards of the poor fellows opposite as the 
 bullets crushed through their heads. It was a 
 ghastly business afterwards, for it was neces- 
 sary to drag the bodies out and bury them 
 behind an outhouse, where they would not be 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALB7. 309 
 
 discovered, and thus bring the poor woman to 
 trouble. 
 
 There were two little boys, of ten or eleven 
 years of age, who were said to be among the 
 best scouts, or spies, in the army. When the 
 hostile lines confronted each other closely at 
 Petersburg, these urchins would come over 
 every morning, ostensibly as newsboys, with 
 Petersburg and Richmond papers. They were 
 allowed to do this on signal, for the sake of 
 obtaining the news, but they ran great risk 
 from chance bullets and shells in going to and 
 fro and through the trenches, where the men 
 were, seeking customers. The pluck they 
 showed makes that of a grown man seem small 
 by comparison. They would keep their eyes 
 and ears open, wandering around unnoticed 
 in all sorts of places, as boys will, and thus 
 picked up very valuable information. After 
 awhile they were suspected, but nothing 
 could be absolutely proved against them at 
 
310 HAMPTON AND EI8 GAVALRT. 
 
 that time, and, besides, even a Ben. Butler 
 could hardly have found it in his heart to be 
 very hard on such children, but they v^rere the 
 subject of not a little correspondence at head- 
 quarters. 
 
 The confidence which the regular scouts had 
 in their ability to penetrate with impunity within 
 the enemy's lines was wonderful. Their chief 
 object was the obtaining of information, but 
 they procured much besides this. If one hap- 
 pened to have an acquaintance among them, 
 and provided the gold or greenbacks for such 
 a commission, he would find little difficulty in 
 securing the equivalent in riding-boots or some 
 other coveted article not purchasable within the 
 Confederacy. Fredericksburg was a favorite 
 place for such "shopping," as well as other 
 towns much further north. City Point, too, 
 was a " market," although it was Federal head- 
 quarters. No doubt many a "loyal" sutler 
 and attache of the quartermaster department 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALB T. 311 
 
 there increased his income by such trading with 
 anyone who would pay his prices, and was care- 
 ful not to ask troublesome questions about the 
 ultimate destination of the goods. Indeed, 
 there were regular "underground" arrange- 
 ments of this kind, worked on " purely business 
 principles," and in these circumstances the 
 purchaser would not be compelled to run much 
 risk* The probability is, that the ramifications of 
 these arrangements extended, for "shopping" 
 and other quite different purposes, very much 
 farther beyond the military lines than most 
 people imagine, and would explain some things 
 happening in those days that have been mys- 
 terious to all except a few. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 ROSSER AND THE " LAUREL BRIGADE DETACHED 
 
 THE FIGHTING SOUTH OF THE JAMES DURING 
 
 THE LAST DAYS OF SEPTEMBER BATTLE OF 
 
 BURGESS MILL, OCTOBER 27TH FIVE FORKS AND 
 
 lee's LETTER TO HAMPTON ABOUT THE RESULT. 
 
 I ATE in September, Rosser's brigade 
 was detached and ordered to the 
 Shenandoah Valley, leaving the cav- 
 alry corps on September 27th. It was a part- 
 ing of comrades tried and true. Their friend- 
 ship, formed among common dangers and 
 privations, was welded into brotherhood during 
 the terrible month of daily fighting from the 
 Wilderness to Cold Harbor. They parted with 
 the old division never again to meet as soldiers 
 on this side of the Great River on whose bank 
 
 (312) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 313 
 
 the few survivors are all now halted : halted, 
 but not for long, and may they all cross in as 
 good style as did the gallant Rosser and his 
 " Laural brigade" when on that September 
 night of '64 they rode over the Blackwater to 
 beard the lion in his den at City Point. 
 
 Pursuing the purpose of relating only some 
 of the marked events of the campaign, we pass 
 over the daily skirmishing and picketing and 
 come to the last days of September. At that 
 time General Grant simultaneously renewed 
 his operations to the north and the south of 
 the James river. His principal object was to 
 endeavor to push towards the left for the South- 
 side railroad, hoping to gain ground in that 
 direction, and then on the north side there was 
 a possibility to surprise Richmond, or, at all 
 events, a chance to make a diversion there. 
 Such are the advantages of always having at 
 one's disposal three or four soldiers to every 
 one on the other side. Moreover, it was neces- 
 
314 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 sary for political reasons to appear to be doing 
 something, for at that period there was a deadly, 
 weary feeling creeping over the North about 
 the war. The premium on gold, the thermom- 
 eter of public feeling, was going up by leaps 
 and bounds. People were becoming shy of the 
 "attrition" process. '■'Dulce et decorum est," 
 etc., but then there is a limit to sentiment. 
 Correspondence between Grant and the Fed- 
 eral authorities shows great misgivings about 
 the enforcement of the conscription, and also 
 as to the quality of the new recruits being re- 
 ceived, and keen dissatisfaction with the course 
 of the Governor of Massachusetts and officials 
 of some other States in buying cheap Southern 
 negroes, as Grant expressed it, to fill their 
 quotas. So a movement on both sides of the 
 river must be made. On the north side Gen- 
 eral Grant had Ben. Butler in command, probably 
 the most incompetent of any of the " political 
 generals " on either side, and that is saying 
 
(315)- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 317 
 
 very much. To his enemies Butler was cruel, 
 but for his friends he was worse, imbecile in a 
 military sense, and no doubt to no one was he 
 such a nuisance as to General Grant, who de- 
 serves no little credit for tolerating him for 
 policy, and at the same time practically shoot- 
 ing over his head. If countless orders, pro- 
 clamations, and despatches fulminated from a 
 safe distance in the rear could destroy fortifica- 
 tions and troops, there would not have been an 
 earth-work standing or a soldier alive between 
 the Potomac and the Rio Grande. So Ben. 
 Butler commenced the movement with a gen- 
 eral order of a kindergarten nature, several 
 pages in length, explaining exactly how Rich- 
 mond was to be taken, what was to be done 
 after they got there, and promising double pay 
 for six months to the men and promotion to 
 officers of regiments, brigades, or divisions ar- 
 riving there first, except to major-generals, to 
 whom, as he considerately explains, no special 
 
318 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRT. 
 
 bribe need be given to induce them to perform 
 their duty, which was a back-handed compli- 
 ment to the others, and disgusted them very- 
 much. However, a hare must needs be caught 
 before it is cooked, and therefore we will con- 
 cern ourselves no more about Ben. Butler's 
 peculiar modes of warfare, for on the south side 
 of the river real " business " is meant, for there 
 are Meade, Hancock, and Warren, as well as 
 Grant. 
 
 On September 27th M. C. Butler's division 
 on the Vaughn road, west of the Weldon rail- 
 road, was attacked, but the enemy was driven 
 back and the lines re-established and some 
 prisoners taken. On the following day the 
 enemy poured a strong force of infantry into 
 the trenches temporarily occupied by Bearing's 
 brigade, and captured the works. One of those 
 incidents happened there which illustrates the 
 strong individuality of the men. A private in 
 Graham's battery of horse artillery was with 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRT. 319 
 
 his gun in a small work, which was carried by 
 the enemy. As they flocked in they shouted 
 to him to "surrender!" to which he paid no 
 attention, but managed to get horses attached 
 to the gun, and mounting one of the wheelers, 
 commenced to move out. An officer rushed 
 forward and attempted to run him through 
 with his sword, but the artilleryman, armed 
 only with a stick he had caught up, felled him 
 to the ground, whipped up his horses, which 
 the Federals endeavored to stop with bayonet 
 thrusts, and clattered away in safety. The 
 poor horses only were wounded. To an artil- 
 leryman the gun he has helped to handle in a 
 hundred fights is as dear as his own child. 
 
 After consultation with General Heth it was 
 determined to attack the enemy in the position 
 he had attained, the infantry to strike in front, 
 and Hampton on the left flank. In pursuance 
 of this plan the cavalry were moved to a suit- 
 able location, and meantime the infantry on 
 
320 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 both sides became engaged. The enemy pro- 
 ceeded to bring up reinforcements, and in doing 
 this exposed their left flank, which movement 
 was quickly taken advantage of by Hampton, 
 who threw a force upon them, gallantly led by 
 General W. H. F. Lee in person. The men 
 dismounted, went forward in line of battle, firing 
 no shots until within close range, and then pour- 
 ing it in regularly, and advancing all the while. 
 The enemy at this point was completely routed, 
 and many cut off. About nine hundred prison- 
 ers and ten flags were captured in this fight. 
 McGregor with his horse artillery kept up with 
 the line of battle in magnificent style, continu- 
 ously firing, as he went forward, with great 
 effect. It was a well-conducted and brilliant 
 affair, and important, as it checked the further 
 advance of the Federals in these movements 
 south of the James, although it did not wrest 
 from them the ground already gained. The 
 "Army and Navy Gazette," of October 8, 1864, 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 321 
 
 Speaking of this engagement, says, showing 
 what was thought at the time : 
 
 "Whatever the objects of the demonstra- 
 tions, they have evidently not yet attained suc- 
 cess. The ' thin line ' which we are told that 
 Warren found on the left on Friday appears to 
 have been rapidly augmented. At all events 
 the flanking column, which burst in between 
 two divisions of our troops and swept off so 
 many men, shows the enemy to have been in 
 anything but desperate straits. To this new 
 disaster (which resembles some previous ones 
 on similar occasions) the check in the present 
 phase of the campaign is due." 
 
 On the next day, there was a considerable 
 amount of successful fighting by the cavalry 
 with the enemy's infantry and cavalry. It was 
 deeply to be regretted, however, that in one of 
 these charges General Dunovant went down, 
 gallantly leading Butler's old brigade. As he 
 fell, his foot caught in the stirrup and the body 
 
 21 
 
322 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 was dragged until the saddle turned and thus 
 released the foot, but he was then quite dead. 
 Dr. Fontaine, the medical director of the corps, 
 hearing that he was wounded, galloped to the 
 front to render prompt assistance, and had 
 nearly reached him on the errand of mercy 
 when, by the explosion of a shell, he himself 
 was mortally wounded. Surely no man ever 
 met a grander death, for he died for his fellow- 
 man. Fontaine was very able professionally, 
 but, more than that, he was a true man. On 
 one occasion, some two or three so-called assist- 
 ant surgeons (evaders of military service under 
 this disguise) at a field hospital, became drunk, 
 and one of them in particular was very insolent 
 to wounded privates. Shortly afterwards Fon- 
 taine arrived, and one indignant private in- 
 formed him of the occurrence and requested 
 redress. He investigated the matter at once, 
 ordered the drunken offenders under arrest, 
 and they were subsequently put into the ranks 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBY. 323 
 
 of the infantry. General Lee in a letter to 
 General Hampton writes : 
 
 " I grieve with you at the loss of General 
 Dunovant and Dr. Fontaine — two officers 
 whom it will be difficult to replace." 
 
 This closed the serious fighting in this move- 
 ment, the Federals having been unsuccessful in 
 making further material progress in the direc- 
 tion of the Southside railroad, but holding what 
 ground they had obtained. 
 
 After the termination of the operations just 
 referred to, the cavalry was engaged in 
 no important encounters until October 27th, 
 though, in the meantime, there was much 
 desultory skirmishing. The event occuring on 
 October 27th, which is usually termed the 
 battle of Burgess Mill, I propose to relate in 
 some detail, because it was an important affair, 
 and proved to be the last very serious attempt 
 made by Grant during the campaign of 1864 
 to turn Lee's right flank and seize the South- 
 
324 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 
 
 side railroad, to compel the evacuation of 
 Petersburg. There is another reason, also, for 
 dwelling more at length on this engagement, 
 because the main features of this unsuccessful 
 attempt are the same as those of the move- 
 ment, five months later at Five Forks, which 
 had a very different result. 
 
 This battle was deliberately planned be- 
 forehand, and was a sequence of preceding 
 movements, and was specifically stated to be 
 an attempt to seize the Southside railroad. As 
 the Petersburg fortifications could not be taken 
 by approaches nor assault, and Ben. Butler 
 could produce no effect on Richmond on the 
 north side of the river, there was no alterna- 
 tive but to extend the Federal lines round to 
 the left (west) until a permanent lodgment 
 could be made on the Southside railroad, and, 
 if this could be effected, Petersburg and, as a 
 consequence, Richmond would no longer be 
 tenable. It required no military sagacity to 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRY. 325 
 
 perceive this, but the difficulty was to effect it, 
 for Lee stubbornly barred the way. 
 
 General Grant, during September, had been 
 urging Stanton to send him at least forty thou- 
 sand more recruits for his Virginia armies, and 
 these had been gradually received. They came 
 from all races and climes — from the woolly- 
 headed African to the German with flaxen 
 locks. By November bad weather and bad 
 roads might increase the difficulty of forward 
 movements. Moreover, on November 5th 
 would occur the Presidential and Congressional 
 elections at the North, which would determine 
 whether the existing or a different political and 
 military policy would be pursued. The masses 
 were heartily tired of the war, and almost every 
 one was dissatisfied with the lack of visible suc- 
 cess in the military operations. It would be very 
 desirable, therefore, to gain a great victory, be- 
 cause of its favorable effect on the elections, 
 and even an important movement, if not a 
 
326 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 crushing disaster, could be represented as a vic- 
 tory, and would be better than inaction. So, 
 for every reason, the commanding general was 
 urged to fight before November, and to fight 
 heTherefore determined. 
 
 Preparations for the contemplated action 
 having been made, orders were issued to por- 
 tions of the command to move out by half-past 
 two A. M. on October 27th, and other bodies 
 were to march at later hours, depending upon 
 their position, so that the advance would 
 encounter their enemy at the desired point by the 
 first daylight. All the force that could be pos- 
 sibly spared from the fortifications was ordered 
 out. In fact, there was some raking and scraping 
 done, though one would think that without this 
 the numbers were all-sufficient. The forces 
 consisted of all of the Second, Fifth, and Ninth 
 corps not left in the trenches, and Gregg's divis- 
 ion of cavalry, the latter numbering five thou- 
 sand four hundred and seventy-one strong after 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 327 
 
 the battle, making the total force about forty 
 thousand men. They were provided with four 
 days' rations, showing the intention to hold 
 what it was hoped to gain. Ben. Butler at the 
 same time was ordered to make a strong diver- 
 sion on the north side of the river to draw 
 troops from Lee, which he proceeded to do 
 with his customary fuss, anticipating as usual 
 the capture of Richmond. 
 
 The Federal force executed well the move- 
 ment out, and proceeded to follow the orders 
 given. The Second (Hancock's) corps occu- 
 pied the left, marching down the Vaughn road 
 to Hatcher's run, the extreme right of the Con- 
 federate line, and in connection with this 
 corps was Gregg's cavalry division. Their 
 task was to turn and extend round Lee's right, 
 which, successfully executed and held, meant 
 the seizing of the Southside railroad, and, con- 
 sequently, the enforced evacuation of Peters- 
 burg and Richmond. This is easily understood 
 
328 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 by a glance at a map. The movement would, 
 if consummated, have been an anticipation of 
 Five Forks. The other two corps were on the 
 right of Hancock's, and confronted more or 
 less fortified parts of the Confederate line. 
 These latter accomplished nothing of any con- 
 sequence, and were not heavily engaged. It 
 is only therefore with Hancock's corps and the 
 cavalry of Gregg that we are much interested. 
 
 Grant's plan of attack was based on the belief 
 that Lee's extreme right, on Hatcher's run, was 
 not fortified strongly, in which he was correctly 
 informed. The difficulty with Lee was to ex- 
 tend his line so far with the comparatively 
 small force he had. His was " the slender line 
 of gray." But Grant was not correct as to the 
 strength of the lines which his corps on the 
 right were to attack, as was demonstrated to 
 him by the result. 
 
 By daylight on the morning of the 27th 
 Hampton's pickets were driven in all along his 
 
HAMPTON AND UI8 CAVALRY. 329 
 
 line, from Armstrong's mill, on Hatcher's run, 
 to Monck's Neck bridge, on his extreme right, 
 a distance of about two miles. It was promptly 
 done, and the camps behind were obliged to 
 get into saddle without attending to the nice- 
 ties of the toilette, or to breakfast, which was 
 postponed by unanimous consent until about 
 eight o'clock that evening. Some dismounted 
 men, who were in camp, always as wretched as 
 fish out of water, were forced, much against 
 their will, to move in undignified haste, swear- 
 ing like orthodox troopers, amid much pleasant 
 chaff from their more fortunate comrades 
 on horseback. Hancock's infantry crossed 
 Hatcher's run at the Vaughn road. and Arm- 
 strong's mill, and Gregg's cavalry at Monck's 
 Neck bridge, two miles farther south, at the 
 junction of Hatcher's run and Gravely's run. 
 Butler reinforced his pickets and soon became 
 quite heavily engaged with the infantry ad- 
 vancing towards the Boydton plank-road and 
 
330 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 the Quaker road. Meantime, Hampton appre- 
 hended that if the gap between Butler's left 
 and Hatcher's run was not filled, the Federal 
 infantry would proceed up the run towards 
 Burgess mill, two and a half miles farther up, 
 where the Boydton plank-road crosses that 
 stream. He therefore sent Venable, of his staff, 
 to order Bearing's brigade, then in the works 
 on the north side of the run, to fill up this gap. 
 General A. P. Hill, commanding, did not think 
 Bearing's brigade could well be spared from 
 the works, and sent back a message to Hamp- 
 ton to that effect by Venable, but on returning, 
 the' latter was captured by the enemy, and 
 therefore Hampton did not receive this com- 
 munication, and remained under the impression 
 that Bearing's brigade would fill the gap. This 
 left the way open along the run to the crossing 
 by the Boydton road, and Hancock accordingly 
 proceeded up the stream to that point and at- 
 tacked there. Meantime, finding that the enemy 
 
(331) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 333 
 
 was advancing from the Vaughn road down the 
 Quaker road towards its junction with the Boyd- 
 ton road near the run, Hampton took position 
 at the Quaker meeting-house and checked him, 
 and General W. H. F. Lee was ordered to 
 move up the Military road so as to strike him 
 in the rear. But at this juncture it was dis- 
 covered that Hancock had passed up the gap 
 mentioned, to the Boydton road,' thus getting in 
 Hampton's rear, and his cavalry was perceived 
 going down the White Oak road, which leads 
 to Five Forks, distant somewhat less than five 
 miles from the Boydton road. To counteract 
 this, Butler, withdrawing from the Quaker meet- 
 ing-house, faced about and went galloping over 
 to the White Oak road to check the advance in 
 that direction, a small portion of his force being 
 left to engage the enemy on the Boydton road 
 near Wilson's. The Federals were encountered 
 on the White Oak road and stopped, Butler's 
 line extending on both sides of the road with 
 
334 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 Its left on Burgess mill-pond. W. H. F. Lee 
 was ordered to bring his division to the Boyd- 
 ton road and attack there, which he did with 
 great spirit. Up to this time, about four o'clock 
 P. M., the cavalry alone was covering the right 
 flank of the army from Hancock's infantry and 
 Gregg's cavalry. Now General Heth, of Hill's 
 command, was communicated with, and it was 
 decided to cross the infantry over the run and 
 make an attack in concert with Hampton. As 
 soon as the musketry announced the infantry 
 engaged, Butler charged, with his whole line 
 dismounted, across an open field and drove the 
 enemy rapidly towards the Boydton road. 
 Simultaneously W. H. F. Lee advanced down 
 the Boydton road, his left uniting with Butler's 
 right. The enemy was enveloped on three 
 sides from a point on the Quaker road to Bur- 
 gess mill-pond. Hancock was thus driven from 
 his position on the roads and became massed 
 in the fields east of the Boydton road, isolated 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 335 
 
 from the support of the other corps, defeated. 
 Lee's right flank was covered. As Butler's 
 division swept forward to connect their right 
 with W. H. F. Lee's left, Hampton being in- 
 dividually in the front, Lieutenant William 
 Preston Hampton, A. D. C. to his father, the 
 General, was mortally wounded while gallantly 
 charging with the division and cheering on the 
 men, and his brother. Lieutenant Wade Hamp- 
 ton, temporarily attached to the General's staff, 
 was also disabled. Lieutenant-Colonel Jeffords 
 also was killed when conspicuously at the head 
 of his regiment. Fifth South Carolina, and 
 Major Barker, A. A. G. of Butler's division, 
 who at once took his place, quickly fell, 
 wounded. 
 
 The writer regrets that in describing these 
 movements it is necessary to introduce to the 
 reader so many names of localities and roads 
 which may not be familiar to him, and of them- 
 selves are dry details. This, however, is un- 
 
336 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 avoidable, if the true development of the battle 
 is to be properly understood. The sketch-map 
 of the topography, attached, will make the evo- 
 lutions sufficiently clear at a glance. South of 
 Hatcher's run the right flank of the army was, 
 on that day up to about four o'clock P. M., pro- 
 tected only by the Confederate cavalry from 
 the Federal infantry and cavalry, as has been 
 already stated. The importance of this need 
 not be dwelt upon, for it is self-evident that the 
 turning of this flank and a lodgment meant the 
 gravest disaster, if not ruin. North of Hatcher's 
 run. Bearing's brigade, dismounted in the 
 trenches, and other dismounted cavalry, assisted 
 the infantry to hold the works. In the attack, 
 delivered at about four o'clock P. M., the cav- 
 alry, as has been shown, had their full share, in 
 conjunction with Heth's infantry, in finally de- 
 feating Hancock. All of the fighting this day, 
 of any importance, done by the cavalry, was 
 performed dismounted, as infantry. In this 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBY. 337 
 
 engagement the principal features of the Fed- 
 eral movements, and the resulting necessity of 
 interposing between them and the strategical 
 points covering or commanding the right flank 
 of the Army of Northern Virginia, are so simi- 
 lar to those of Five Forks as to furnish an in- 
 teresting comparison in many respects. They 
 give to the battle of Burgess Mill a special 
 meaning, viewed in the vivid light of the tragic 
 memories of Five Forks. 
 
 The complete success of the charge last de- 
 scribed relieved Mahone, on the north side of 
 the run, from the fire of Hancock, to 
 which, before this,' he had been exposed, 
 as well as to attack from the other side 
 by the corps manoeuvring on Hancock's 
 right, which was divided from the latter 
 during the battle by a wide interval. 
 Why this separation of these two corps, in- 
 tended to act in concert, had been permitted, 
 was matter of controversy for a long time be- 
 
 22 
 
338 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBY. 
 
 tween the commanders concerned, but that is a 
 " family quarrel." It probably occurred through 
 confusion in manoeuvring through ground of a 
 very rough character, broken up by dense 
 thickets, swampy places, and small runs. 
 Troops will naturally in such places experience 
 great risks of confusion and missing of direc- 
 tion, especially if they are under fire at the 
 time. We now see, from the published des- 
 patches and reports on the Federal side, that 
 the withdrawal of Butler's division from con- 
 tact with Hancock's corps on the Quaker road, 
 for the purpose of cutting off the troops on 
 the White Oak road, was very naturally mis- 
 understood by Hancock and Meade. It was 
 believed by them to have been a repulse of 
 infantry effected. The long Enfields of But- 
 ler's command frequently misled the enemy as 
 to the character of the troops. And then when, 
 after its mission in regard to the force on the 
 White Oak road had been accomplished, But- 
 
HAMPTON AND Sm GAVALBY. 339 
 
 ler's division rushed in upon Hancock, this 
 appearance of " troops coming out of the 
 woods " on his flank and rear, as the Federal 
 commander expressed it, was supposed to be a 
 new attack of fresh infantry. The success of 
 this charge convinced Hancock of his- inability 
 to place himself in rear of the Confederate 
 lines, or to make and maintain connection with 
 the Federal corps operating on his right. He 
 therefore decided to retreat lest he should be 
 entirely cut off the next day. This withdrawal 
 was accordingly commenced soon after dark, 
 the dead and badly wounded being left behind. 
 Hampton's last movement had been completed 
 just as a dark night set in, accompanied by a 
 cold autumn rain. This prevented observation 
 of the enemy's retreat. Meantime the Confed- 
 erate cavalry Hne was maintained in its position 
 with the intention of resuming the attack in the 
 morning. Mounted videttes were thrown out 
 and the dismounted men rested where they 
 
340 SAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 were, and took the exceedingly frugal break 
 fast which had been postponed from the morn- 
 ing. It was not, in fact, a very agreeable meal, 
 in spite of hunger, for the fighting having gone 
 on until darkness settled down, the dead and 
 many of the wounded necessarily remained 
 where they fell, and the consciousness of the 
 presence of sufferers, almost within touch, did 
 not furnish an appetizing sauce for the much- 
 needed food. Some non-combatants hold the 
 theory, that wounded men left in the rain experi- 
 ence relief by the coolness and moisture, but, 
 believe me, this is a fallacy. The nervous sys- 
 tem being to a greater or less extent prostrated 
 from lack of food and deprivation of coffee, tea, 
 or other stimulant, and the strength sapped by 
 over-exertion, loss of blood, and suffering, there 
 ensues a terrible physical chilliness, which 
 creeps over you as the pitiless ram comes 
 down, and you feel lonely, and abandoned by 
 God and man, and dispute the wisdom of the 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 341 
 
 scheme of creation by which it happened you 
 were ever born. When assistance would at 
 length come, all relief practicable was afforded, 
 but that was too often little enough. The 
 avowed system pursued by the Federal authori- 
 ties was to capture or destroy, wherever found, 
 and to exclude by blockade and as contraband 
 of war, all surgical instruments, medicines, and 
 hospital supplies pertaining to the Confederates, 
 which was done for the purpose of increasing 
 the mortality among their wounded and sick. 
 This, and the non-exchange of prisoners of war, 
 were parts of the "attrition" process. 
 
 Throughout the day of battle, and especially 
 on the plank-road. Chew's artillery did splendid 
 execution. Hart's battery suffered severely in 
 casualties, but kept up its good work to the 
 end. Here, Captain Hart lost his leg, but had 
 at least the comfort of knowing the sacrifice 
 was made in no petty skirmish, but in an im- 
 portant victory. This battery was, during the 
 
342 ffAMPTOS AXD HIS CAVAZBT. 
 
 four consecuti^-e years of the war. under fire — 
 countinor skirmishes and battles — on one hun- 
 dred and forty-three distinct occasions. This 
 statement is founded not on g^ess-work, but 
 actual data. It has been asserted on good mili- 
 tary authority that no other batter}' ever had 
 such a record made durinsf four consecutive 
 )ears. A fair comprehension of what manner 
 of men composed it may be gained by reading 
 "The Burial of the Guns," by Nelson Page. 
 
 During this fight privates in Butler's division 
 fired o^•er eight}' rounds from their Enfield 
 muzzle-loaders. They shot not in volleys, but 
 at will, and the next morninof in oroingf over the 
 ground opposite to them it was seen they had 
 not wasted their ammunition, for in some places 
 the corpses were thickly strewn. The losses 
 of the ca^'alr}', howe^'er, in killed and wounded 
 were ven- light in proportion to the fire sus- 
 tained, and of prisoners they had almost none 
 taken, but captured 239. The enemy's losses 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 343 
 
 are set down in their official returns as 1,902, 
 but, as previously remarked, returns do not 
 always agree, for 1,365 prisoners were delivered 
 in Richmond, and these were in addition to the 
 killed and wounded, which were numerous. 
 The Federal infantry, as a rule, shot very 
 wildly, many of them no doubt being new re- 
 cruits. TAvigs and small branches cut down by 
 bullets would be seen falling from the trees 
 from a height of thirty to sixty feet or more 
 from the ground. Some prisoners taken were 
 unable to understand a word spoken to them 
 until addressed in German. A man, one of the 
 many red-haired descendants of the ancient Irish 
 kings, whose "be Jabers " is so familiar to our 
 ears, was found next morning kneeling against 
 a tree, apparently in the very act of firing his 
 rifle, which was full-cocked at his shoulder. 
 Turning to look more closely, it was discov- 
 ered he was stiff and stark. Death must have 
 been instantaneous, but the strange thing is. 
 
344 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 that his body, instead of being convulsed by 
 the last struggle, should have been, as it were, 
 petrified in its final attitude, like a dog on the 
 point. One other exactly similar case was 
 noticed on another occasion after a battle, and 
 that fellow, too, was an Irishman. 
 
 Mention has been made that Preston Hamp- 
 ton fell mortally wounded while leading with 
 distinguished gallantry in the last charge. He 
 was a most lovable boy in disposition, gentle 
 and attractive in manner, generous in word and 
 deed, manly and strong in physique, and brave 
 to a fault ; sure to be dearly loved by a parent, 
 and to have a very warm place in the hearts of 
 comrades. Leaving college when only seven- 
 teen years of age, he had joined the first troops 
 called for by his State, and was present at the 
 reduction of Fort Sumter. Immediately after 
 that he joined, as private, one of the cavalry 
 companies of the Hampton Legion and went 
 with that command to Virginia. Afterwards 
 
HAMPTON AND EIS OAVALRT. 345 
 
 he was detailed as orderly at headquarters, and 
 thus saw the service performed by the infantry 
 of the Legion, including the battle of Seven 
 Pines and the " Seven Days' Battles Around 
 Richmond." On his father's transfer to the 
 cavalry he accompanied him, and was in all the 
 fights in which the brigade was engaged. After 
 a time, he was appointed aide-de-camp on Gen- 
 eral Hampton's staff, where he served con- 
 tinuously until his death. He showed not only 
 brilliant daring, but also the nerve and cool 
 judgment in danger that mark the true soldier. 
 He had been wounded on two previous occa- 
 sions, and on others had had horses shot under 
 him, and now he was to meet his death in the full 
 flush of victory in one of the finest charges of 
 the war. His father, always in the front, had 
 been near at hand when his son fell from his 
 horse, and for a moment dismounted, and, bend- 
 ing down over the dying boy, tenderly kissed 
 his forehead, and then gently whispered to him 
 
346 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 some words not heard by others amidst the din 
 of battle. After hastily giving directions for 
 his removal, together with his other son, who 
 was also wounded, but not so seriously, he re-, 
 mounted and rode forward with the advancing 
 line. Such was a commander's duty, but it 
 was a hard one to perform. 
 
 It seems from correspondence to which there 
 is now access that General Grant, in company^ 
 with Meade, crossed the run during the day 
 and rode down to near where Hancock was 
 engaged. Meade afterwards remarks, in a 
 communication to Grant, that if they had pro- 
 ceeded farther on a certain road referred to, 
 they would have come, as it turned out, upon 
 the enemy. They little knew the danger they 
 were encountering, for the opposing lines were 
 so frequently changed in position during dif- 
 ferent times that day — what was the front or 
 flank at one period being the rear at another, 
 or vice versa — that it would not have been 
 
Father and son. 
 
 (347) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBY. 319 
 
 Strange if they in their wanderings had been 
 picked up as prisoners, and in this case the 
 history of our planet, at least of this part of it, 
 might have been very different. General Grant 
 returned to City Point in the evening. That 
 firm face was grave and anxious, as he smoked 
 his cigar, we may be sure. How much 
 longer would his murmuring people endure the 
 losses? What if Hancock's list of dead and 
 wounded reaches ten or fifteen thousand to-day, 
 and the voters of the North next month elect 
 INIcClellan as President? How much longer 
 will the thread suspending the sword over his 
 head sustain this continued "attrition?" 
 
 The Federals, as has been stated, retreated 
 during the night. In the morning they were 
 pursued by the cavalry and harassed until they 
 reached their fortifications. They left behind 
 them, besides dead and wounded, several cais- 
 sons and many small arms and accoutrements. 
 
 Lest there should be any misapprehension of 
 
350 HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALR T. 
 
 facts, we will quote here portion's of a corre- 
 spondence between General Lee and General 
 Hampton, which explains itself 
 
 On October 29, 1864, General Hampton 
 wrote to General Lee as follows : 
 
 "A paragraph in your official report leads 
 me to suppose that you are under a misappre- 
 hension in reference to the movements of 
 the enemy on 27th inst. Your report says 
 that ' the enemy crossed Rowanty creek be- 
 low Burgess mill and forced back the cav- 
 alry in the afternoon.' To correct this mis- 
 apprehension I will give a brief statement 
 of what occurred in anticipation of my 
 report." 
 
 Then follows an account of the movement, 
 the same in effect as that contained in his 
 official report. General Lee replies on Octo- 
 ber 31, 1864 : 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALBT. 351 
 
 " I have received your letter of 29th inst, 
 recounting the movements of the enemy 
 on the 27th. 
 
 " My report to the Secretary of War was 
 formed from the telegraphic despatch from 
 General Hill. From the lines you quote I 
 perceive there is an error in punctuation. 
 The stop should have been after ' cavalry.' 
 I intended by the use of the latter word to 
 designate only that portion as being driven 
 back which was opposed to the advance of 
 the enemy at the creek, but I did not wish 
 to particularize, as I did not desire the 
 enemy to know what force was on our ex- 
 treme right. 
 ****** 
 
 " In a letter to General Hill to-day, I ex- 
 pressed my gratification at the conduct of 
 the troops in general, and of the cavalry in 
 particular, desiring him to communicate my 
 thanks to you and your command." 
 
 As it throws light upon the dispositions 
 
352 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 during the engagement of October 27th, and 
 also upon the nature of the defences on the 
 extreme right of the Confederates at a later 
 date, we will now quote the following extract 
 from a letter of October 24, 1864, to General 
 Lee from General Hampton : 
 
 " There have been no operations of my 
 command lately which required a report, 
 and I have been engaged in assisting the 
 infantry in completing a new line of works, 
 which extends to Hatcher's run. This work 
 is now finished, and the disposition of my 
 troops is as follows : Seven hundred men 
 are in the trenches, their right resting on 
 the creek, about one and a half miles above 
 Armstrong's mill. Butler occupies the line 
 from the latter point to Monck's Neck 
 bridge, and Lee extends to the Halifax 
 road. I have erected five dams in the creek, 
 covering them with works on the south 
 bank. These works and the dams will ren- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALB7. 353 
 
 der this line very secure. Bearing is at 
 Burgess mill, and he has orders, in case the 
 enemy advances, to place his whole com- 
 mand at once in the trenches on the right of 
 the infantry. To-day General Hill rode 
 over the lines with me, and I proposed to him 
 that he should hold them to the creek with 
 his infantry and artillery. If he can do this, 
 and he says that he can if he can get one 
 thousand or one thousand five hundred more 
 men, I propose to place all my dismounted 
 men, about eight hundred, on the south 
 bank of the creek, holding that line. The 
 cavalry can then all be concentrated in sup- 
 porting distance, and, if the enemy attacks, I 
 can throw a force of from three to four thou- 
 sand men on his flank by crossing at one of 
 my dams, keeping at the same time suffi- 
 cient mounted troops to check any advance 
 of the Federal cavalry. 
 
 " If you can give General Hill men 
 
 enough to return mine now in the trenches, 
 23 
 
354 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 so as to enable me to carry out the plan sug- 
 gested, I think that you need feel no uneasi- 
 ness as to an attack on my right. 
 
 " I have examined all the ground and feel 
 sanguine of the success of such a move- 
 ment as I have indicated. My command is 
 growing stronger every day, and it is in 
 good condition for a fight. Butler received 
 two hundred and seventy-five horses to-day, 
 and Lee can mount two thousand five hun- 
 dred men. If my command can be concen- 
 trated I shall be able to take upwards of five 
 thousand men into action. We are using 
 every effort not only to strengthen our line, 
 but to augment our numbers." 
 
 To this letter General Lee replied under date- 
 of October 26th, the day before the battle of 
 Burgess Mill, as follows : 
 
 " Your letter of the 24th is received. I 
 am much pleased to hear of the improve- 
 ment and increase of your command, and of 
 
HAMPTON AND BIS OAVALBT. 355 
 
 your confidence in the strength of your 
 position. It would afford me great gratifi- 
 cation if I could give General Hill the addi- 
 tional infantry to enable him to return your 
 troops, as you propose, as I can see that 
 much benefit would result from it. But the 
 difficulty is to get the men. I have written 
 to him to say that the only source we have 
 to depend upon is the conscription now 
 going on. I hope he will be considerably 
 strengthened by this means, and I have re- 
 quested him to co-operate in your proposi- 
 tion to the extent of his ability." 
 
 On the following day the attack provided 
 against by Hampton occurred, and, as has 
 been seen from General Lee's letter, the addi- 
 tional i,ooo to 1,500 troops desired could not 
 be furnished to General Hill. It will also be 
 noted that notwithstanding the inability to 
 obtain this augmentation of the force the battle 
 was decisively won. 
 
356 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 
 
 Ben. Butler, of course, accomplished nothing 
 beyond much fussing on the north side of the 
 James on October 27th, and the expedition 
 carefully prepared, with a large force, to turn 
 Lee's right was completely defeated, as we 
 have seen. A better showing for the affair was 
 attempted by the Federals at the North for the 
 sake of the November elections, but it fell flat, 
 as the facts were too patent ; the purpose of 
 the attack had been avowed beforehand and 
 was admitted in the official despatches, and it 
 was clear to all that this purpose had not been 
 attained, for the three corps and their cavalry, 
 returned to their starting point. Some of the 
 northern newspapers ventilated the matter 
 pretty thoroughly. Of course they got most 
 of the details wrong, but the main thing, the re- 
 sult, they could hardly miss. Two of the principal 
 New York papers published accounts deemed 
 particularly unjust to some of the higher ofificers 
 concerned. War Secretary Stanton wished to 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRY. 357 
 
 have the correspondents in camp of these news- 
 papers punished by court-martial, asserting that 
 although citizens and not enlisted men they 
 were subject to military law, and he intended 
 to have them brought to Washington to be 
 punished by a military commission. The of- 
 fence, however, if any there was, had been com- 
 mitted by the editors through publication in 
 New York, and not within the lines of the 
 army. General Hancock was one of the offi- 
 cers thought to be unfairly represented by 
 these correspondents, and he wished them 
 merely sent out of camp, but, being a just and 
 generous gentleman as well as a fine soldier, 
 he would have nothing to do with the proceed- 
 ings proposed, which he considered equally 
 repugnant to fair play and to the laws of the 
 land, and so Stanton dropped the matter. 
 
 After the battle of Burgess Mill, there was 
 no serious attempt made during that campaign 
 by the Federal army to turn Lee's right flank, 
 
358 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 and thus gain possession of the Southside rail- 
 road. About five months later occurred the 
 battle of Five Forks, which is not a part of this 
 narrative, dealing only with the campaign of 
 1864. But a resemblance exists, except in re- 
 sult, between Burgess Mill and Five Forks 
 which challenges attention, as we have already 
 said. The story of the latter is too well known 
 to require repetition here. At that time Gen- 
 eral Hampton was in North Carolina command- 
 ing the cavalry with Johnston's army, and with 
 him was Butler's division. The cavalry corps 
 of the Army of Northern Virginia had consisted, 
 in the autumn, of two divisions, Butler's and 
 W. H. F. Lee's, and in the following spring 
 was composed of the last-named division, to- 
 gether with those of Fitz. Lee and Rosser, the 
 latter having been made a major-general and 
 assigned to a division while in the Shenandoah 
 Valley, and a better officer there was not in the 
 army. These three divisions, commanded by 
 
HAMPTON AND BIS CAVALRY. 359 
 
 Fitzhugh Lee as senior major-general, numbered 
 about 7,000 men, which was nearly one-third 
 more than had been available during the pre- 
 vious autumn. Opposed to them were three 
 divisions of Federal cavalry under Sheridan, 
 aggregating 13,209 "present for duty" by the 
 report of March 31, 1865. The disparity in 
 numbers of about two to one in favor of the 
 Federals was not necessarily daunting to the 
 cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia, for 
 against equal and greater odds they had won 
 many victories. The odds against Hampton 
 at Trevilian, it will be remembered, were as 
 two compared with one, and yet he beat his 
 opponent in that cavalry duel, prevented him 
 from accomplishing any of the purposes for 
 which the expedition had been made, and finally 
 forced him to regain his own army by a long 
 detour. Had it not been for lack of co-opera- 
 tion by one of Hampton's divisions in that fight 
 he would probably have crushed and destroyed 
 
360 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 
 
 Sheridan's entire force, as was the deliberate 
 purpose of his plan of battle. Five Forks 
 was about a mile south of the nearest part of 
 Hatcher's run and some four miles north and 
 slightly west of Dinwiddle Courthouse, and its 
 occupation by the enemy enabled him to con- 
 trol the Southside railroad, which compelled the 
 evacuation of Petersburg. Every one knows 
 that these results were effected by the Federals, 
 and that the immediate withdrawal from Rich- 
 mond was a necessary consequence. The 
 Confederates at the battle of Five Forks faced 
 nearly in the direction of Dinwiddle, with 
 Pickett's infantry in the centre, all of the cav- 
 alry on the right, except one division, which was 
 held in reserve on the other side (north) of 
 Hatcher's run. The enemy's infantry (Warren) 
 came up the run (westerly) unobserved, turned 
 Pickett's flank, and, getting in his rear, doubled 
 him up. If this position had been held, Lee's 
 lines would have been intact, and he could have 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALB T. 361 
 
 withdrawn from Petersburg quietly and formed 
 a junction with Johnston's army, if he deemed 
 it advisable to do so, or proceeded to more 
 easily defensible positions elsewhere. Of very 
 great interest in this connection is the follow- 
 ing letter from General Lee to General Hamp- 
 ton, written four months after the end of the 
 war ; 
 
 "Near Cartersville, August i, 1865. 
 
 My Dear General : 
 
 " I was very much gratified at the 
 reception of your letter of the 5th ultimo. 
 I have been very anxious concerning you, 
 and could obtain no satisfactory informa- 
 tion. * * * You cannot regret as 
 much as I did, that you were not with us at 
 our final struggle. The absence of the 
 troops which I had sent to North and 
 South Carolina, was I believe, the cause of 
 our immediate disaster. Our small force of 
 cavalry [a large portion of the men who had 
 
362 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 
 
 been sent to the interior to winter their 
 horses had not rejoined their regiments] 
 was unable to resist the united cavalry 
 under Sheridan, which obliged me to de- 
 tach Pickett's division to Fitz. Lee's support, 
 thereby weakening my main line, and yet 
 not accomplishing my purpose. If you had 
 been there with all of our cavalry, the re- 
 sult at Five Forks would have been different. 
 But how long the contest could have been 
 prolonged, it is difficult to say. It is over, 
 and though the present is depressing and 
 disheartening, I trust the future may prove 
 brighter. We must at least hope so, and 
 each one do his part to make it so. * * * 
 That every happiness may attend you and 
 yours is the earnest prayer of 
 
 Your friend, 
 
 R. E. Lee." 
 
 The parts of this letter omitted, indicated in 
 the above by stars, are concerning matters 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 363 
 
 which have no reference to the subjects spoken 
 of in the quoted portion. 
 
 The statement made by Lee, from whose 
 ruling there is no appeal, is explicit : "If you 
 had been there with all of our cavalry, the re- 
 sult at Five Forks would have been different." 
 
 As for the morale of the Confederate troops 
 of all arms at this period, it was excellent in 
 spite of all theories of exhaustion now in vogue 
 to the contrary. Even after the disaster at 
 Five Forks, the significance of which was as 
 well understood by privates as by generals, the 
 temper of the army remained firm and cou- 
 rageous. All the evidence of eye-witnesses 
 proves that the troops marched forth from 
 Petersburg in high heart and absolute confi- 
 dence that " Marse Robert will bring it out all 
 right." Indeed, the release from the terrible 
 confinement of the trenches produced an elation 
 of spirits. The freshness of spring, the green 
 fields, and budding trees and flowers, were in 
 
364 HAMPTON AND EIS CAVALBT. 
 
 blessed contrast to the squalor and wretched- 
 ness which they had been enduring all those 
 weary months and were now leaving behind. 
 And Lee, too, felt the influence of all this. It 
 was said by all that he never looked more in- 
 spiring, grander, or nobler than when, without 
 thought of surrender, he rode at the head of 
 those qplumns which would submit to no defeat. 
 It was not until the army, bearing up with un- 
 complaining pluck against hunger, reached 
 Amelia Courthouse, where ample rations had 
 been ordered to be provided, that Lee's face, 
 for the first and last time ever known, became 
 for a moment ghastly pale. For the traitors, 
 or imbeciles of a department always the worst, 
 had failed to obey orders, although the means of 
 doing so were in their hands, and no food was 
 available. By that crime, through starvation, 
 not by arms and numbers, was the fate of the 
 Army of Northern Virginia sealed. Otherwise 
 they could still have gained the slopes of the 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBT. 365 
 
 Blue Ridge, and behind those impregnable 
 ramparts constructed by the Almighty, have 
 maintained their organization and prestige in- 
 tact, and become daily stronger in numbers 
 from recruits. That such a movement should 
 have been made months before this, was Gen- 
 eral Lee's decided opinion, as is now well known, 
 but it was overruled by the Richmond authori- 
 ties for political reasons. At an earlier period 
 such a withdrawal could have been easily 
 effected and the war prolonged indefinitely. 
 This was Lee's opinion. He said even at the 
 last : "With my army in the mountains of Vir- 
 ginia, I could carry on this war for twenty years 
 longer." This may at some time prove an 
 opinion worth remembering, if in the future 
 foreign wars in which we shall be involved 
 our coast cities should be seized by hostile 
 fleets, or armies of overpowering strength. 
 Loud clamors would then no doubt arise from 
 the timid for peace at any price, coming, per- 
 
366 HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 
 
 haps, from the same mouths noisiest in cheers 
 for easily gained victories over weak foes. But 
 in spite of all vociferations to the contrary, we 
 can still maintain ourselves by force of arms, 
 if we are willing to endure privations, to fight 
 stoutly under good discipline, to die, if our 
 turn comes, among the inland fastnesses which 
 the rivers and mountains of our land have pro- 
 vided. As early as October 4, 1864, Cieneral 
 Lee wrote to Mr. Seddon, Secretary of War, 
 as follows : 
 
 " I beg leave to inquire whether there is 
 any prospect of my obtaining any increase 
 to this army. If not, it will be very difficult 
 for us to maintain ourselves. The enemy's 
 numerical superiority enables him to hold 
 his lines with an adequate force, and extend 
 on each flank with numbers so much greater 
 than ours, that we can only meet his corps, 
 increased by recent recruits, with a division 
 reduced by long and arduous service. We 
 
HAMPTON AND EIS CAVALRY- 367 
 
 cannot fight to advantage with such odds, 
 and there is the gravest reason to apprehend 
 the result of every encounter." 
 
 If this warning had been heeded, a timely 
 withdrawal could have been effected. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 CAMP CORRESPONDENCE STONY C R E E K MILES 
 
 TRIES TO ATTACK THE RIGHT FLANK WARREN's 
 
 RAID ON THE WELDON RAILROAD END OF THE 
 
 CAMPAIGN OF '64 HAMPTON ORDERED TO 
 
 SOUTH CAROLINA MORALE OF BUTLEr's DIVIS- 
 ION CAPTURE OF KILPATRICK's CAMP TPIE 
 
 LONE DAMSEL BUTLEr's CHARGE "BUCKLAND 
 
 races" THE CHALLENGE. 
 
 lOVEMBER came in quietly, almost 
 peacefully, for the cavalry, the only 
 interruption being the inevitable 
 picketing and petty skirmishes. On the north 
 side of the James, Ben. Butler no longer let 
 loose and whistled up his trusty dogs of war' 
 for an original, duly patented coup de main on 
 Richmond. By Stanton's selection he was ap- 
 
 (368) 
 
EAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 369 
 
 pointed for the time being election standard- 
 bearer, and headed a column of some ten 
 thousand soldiers of all arms ("preferably 
 Western troops," as General Grant recom- 
 mended), and northward, not southward, they 
 marched, the objective point New York, there 
 to see to the election to be held on November 
 5th, a sort of mission which was to his taste, 
 and well accomplished. 
 
 On the south side of the river Gregg's cav- 
 alry were inactive. The commanding general 
 said they were too weak in numbers to attempt 
 enterprises of moment, but by the November 
 returns of " men present for duty," this division 
 alone was credited with 6, 189 sabres, more than 
 Hampton's entire force. 
 
 Later in November, Grant was contemplating 
 an attack on Lee's lines on the right, but 
 thought them too strong. On November 30th 
 he wired Meade that he had just received a 
 copy of a newspaper published in Augusta, 
 
 24 
 
370 HAMPTON AND EIS CAVALRY. 
 
 Ga., containing a notice signed "Wade Hamp- 
 ton," instructing his men to rendezvous there, 
 and that he was uncertain whether this meant 
 that General Hampton, with a part of his cav- 
 alry, had left Virginia, or whether the signature 
 might not, in fact, represent that of a son of 
 General Hampton. He expressed the opinion 
 that if Hampton had left Virginia, it would be 
 a good time to attack, but not otherwise. A 
 little later their correspondence shows that they 
 had discovered Hampton had not left Virginia, 
 and had heard that Mrs. Hampton was honor- 
 ing headquarters with her presence, from which 
 they concluded it would not be a favorable mo- 
 ment to attack on the right, the corps probably 
 being in force there. However, they were un- 
 easy at doing nothing, and so determined to 
 send the cavalry reconnoitering south of Reams 
 station towards Stony creek, on the Weldon 
 railroad. Accordingly Gregg, with his division, 
 or the chief part of it, went in that direction, and 
 
Lievtenant Wade Hampton, eldest son of General Hampton, 
 
 wounded in the battle of Burgess Mill. 
 
 (371) 
 
nAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALRY. 373 
 
 near Stony creek, on December ist, succeeded 
 in surprising a small number of dismounted 
 (without horses) men, stationed there as guard 
 over a few supplies, and a construction squad. 
 All, or nearly all, the guard were captured, but 
 as only 1 70 prisoners in all were shown by the 
 Federal return of the raid, it must have been a 
 very trifling affair, and the disproportion of num- 
 bers enormous. But the Federals returned to 
 Reams station and a congratulatory order was 
 issued to the troops for this achievement. M. C. 
 Butler, hearing of this raid, started his division 
 to overtake them, but they " had the foot on 
 him," as the countrymen say, and escaped to 
 the cover of the infantry. It was in the middle 
 of the night that Butler's men were routed out 
 of their blankets to get into saddle, and the 
 first, very cold night of the winter, so that they 
 did not feel very cheerful about it. But some 
 of them were soon laughing over a funny sight. 
 One very nice fellow had had the misfortune to 
 
374 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 lose an eye, and had replaced it by one of 
 glass. His habit was each night, before rolling 
 up in his blanket, to remove from the socket 
 and put this false eye in a cup of water by his 
 side. He had done so on this occasion, and 
 when he awoke to mount, he found the water in 
 the cup frozen to the bottom and the glass 
 effectually encased in ice, not to be removed 
 until melted out over a fire. Of course, there 
 was no time then to do this. He was com- 
 pelled, therefore, to accept the situation, pocket 
 the ice and the eye, and cover the place in his 
 face where it ought to have been with the ex- 
 temporized expedient of an old stocking, which 
 gave him a most grotesque appearance. He 
 did not " damn his eyes," but swore at the one 
 offending false member in a manner which 
 must have made it wink for shame. 
 
 Encouraged by the reconnoissance of Gregg, 
 which seemed to show but small force guard- 
 ing the Weldon railroad south of Reams 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 375 
 
 Station, the Federal commander determined to 
 make an attempt to destroy the Weldon rail- 
 road as far south as Hicksford or Bellefield, on 
 the Meherrin river, about twenty miles south 
 of Stony creek. For although he had effected 
 a lodgment at Reams station, thus cutting off 
 there this line of communication with Lee's 
 army, yet the railroad was still of use to the 
 Confederates, as supplies from the South, 
 brought to Stony creek, which place Lee yet 
 held, could be wagoned to the army. So 
 preparations were made by the Federals to 
 ■ send out an expedition for this purpose, con- 
 sisting of twenty-two thousand infantry, four 
 thousand cavalry, and five batteries, under 
 Warren, to which were added afterwards eight 
 thousand additional troops. At the same time 
 Nelson A. Miles was started out with a heavy 
 column on the Confederate right flank, on 
 Hatcher's run, to try his hand developing the 
 .position there, and to ascertain what troops 
 
376 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALRT. 
 
 were detached to pursue Warren. If he found 
 it practicable, however, he was to make a diver- 
 sion in favor of the latter and strike hard. 
 Miles was told, too, to feel his way cautiously, 
 and to " look out " he was not cut off, and these 
 latter orders he closely complied with and made 
 no vigorous movements. He confronted the 
 works at the run, and there was a little, more or 
 less harmless, skirmishing, but nothing serious. 
 The Confederate force at this point was much 
 weakened by cavalry and infantry sent out to 
 check Warren, but enough remained to be 
 quite secure against Miles, as it turned out. 
 The pickets left had a hard time, for, having 
 been sent out originally for four days, provided 
 with rations for that period only, and being 
 necessarily left there without relief when their 
 commands saddled up and marched after War- 
 ren, they were obliged to take up many holes 
 in their sword-belts, as did Dugald Dalgetty, 
 to serve instead of food. Much of the weather 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 OAVALBT. 377 
 
 was cold and snowy, which added to their dis- 
 comfort. The reserve pickets were kept 
 moving about briskly, too, for their number 
 being small they were compelled to make up 
 for this in activity and to rush rapidly from place 
 to place, as their services were required. 
 There were many games of hide and seek 
 played with the enemy — run out of a minor 
 position, it would be retaken after a time, and 
 then the same process repeated. Several 
 videttes were killed at night, and there were 
 some little incidents hardly worth relating, 
 which, however, made an impression at the 
 time. 
 
 On regaining a position from which a Fed- 
 eral picket had been driven, it was noticed that 
 near a camp-fire the surface of the ground for 
 about two feet square looked as if it might have 
 been disturbed, and the idea was suggested 
 that the enemy on retiring had concealed in the 
 hole some large pieces of bacon or other rations 
 
378 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 rather too bulky to carry off conveniently, as 
 they expected soon to return. This was not 
 an uncommon practice with them. The hungry 
 men who noticed the covered hole were 
 very much pleased at the rich find which 
 they thought they had discovered. One of 
 them at once began to scrape out the earth 
 with his hands in the lack of any implement 
 available for the purpose, the others eagerly 
 watching the process. Soon a clear white piece 
 of bacon was partially uncovered, and the man 
 paused a moment in his task with a look of 
 great satisfaction. The others told him to 
 "Go ahead!" which he did, but the next two 
 or three handfuls of earth scraped out served 
 to reveal the forehead of a corpse, and also the 
 open, staring eyes, the waxy nose and colorless 
 lips. There were few situations of any kind 
 which could ruffle the equanimity of a seasoned 
 Confederate soldier, but this was one of them. 
 The accustomed joke, rarely lacking in any 
 
HAMPTON AND MIS OA VALRT. 379 
 
 circumstances, however serious, was wanting : 
 without a word the grave was closed, all 
 feeling like ghouls. But no one who saw it 
 will ever forget the complex expression on the 
 face of the man who did the digging, though 
 none had the stomach to laugh. 
 
 There was an occurrence on picket one night 
 that was amusing. The Confederate videttes 
 were all driven in, and obliged to ride hard to 
 save themselves. One of the number was 
 noted for owning a very nice horse, a particu- 
 larly easy-keeper, remaining in condition won- 
 derfully well on a spare supply of forage. Many 
 advantageous " swaps " with good " boot " had 
 frequently been offered for this animal, but 
 none would be listened to. On this occasion, 
 however, hardly had the owner succeeded in 
 galloping up to the reserve picket-post, horse 
 and man panting and blowing, before he offered 
 to " swap " with any one on easy terms. 
 
 "He's a good 'un," said he, "but I don't 
 
380 HAMPTON AND HIS CAYALnY. 
 
 want no slow hoss for this business." The by- 
 standers all must have agreed with him, for 
 they declined the offer. 
 
 Another incident occurred which showed 
 generosity on one side and courage on the 
 other. One morning the Confederates had a 
 little force, dismounted, holding some pretty 
 strong works on the farther side of an open 
 field. The enemy reconnoitred with a squadron 
 or two mounted on gray horses, coming 
 up to within perhaps three hundred yards 
 of these works. Fire was not opened 
 on them because it was expected they 
 would dismount and attack. Meantime one 
 of the officers, riding a large gray horse, 
 cantered leisurely across the field to within one 
 hundred yards of the position, and there 
 stopped for some little time calmly surveying 
 the fortifications. Most of the men there must 
 have been visible to him. Not a gun was fired 
 at him all this time, though it was such an easy 
 
HAMPTON AND mS CAVALBY. 381 
 
 shot that a child could have killed him. He 
 ought to have been shot, of course, for he was 
 gaining knowledge of the works, but every man 
 there admired his pluck and shrank from being 
 the one to do the deed, leaving the unpleasant 
 duty to someone else. Not a rifle was fired 
 until he had turned and cantered back some 
 distance, when there were two half-hearted, 
 futile shots, and only two. It was probably as 
 clear a case of generous respect for courage as 
 was ever witnessed. 
 
 At this time, besides the Warren raid with 
 over 34,000 troops of all arms, and the attempt 
 of Brigadier-General (then brevet major-gen- 
 eral of volunteers) Nelson A. Miles at Hatcher's 
 run, Ben. Butler, on the north side of the James, 
 was ordered to assume a threatening attitude 
 to prevent Lee from detaching men, and this 
 was to be carried farther, if circumstances 
 favored. This he did not make his customary 
 fuss in doing, being busy with a grand pyro- 
 
383 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 tecnic exhibition he was preparing, such as was 
 never tried before (nor since), which was to 
 level the walls of the forts protecting Wilming- 
 ton, like those of Jericho of old. This was in 
 connection with a large force sent to capture 
 Wilmington. Then it was also contemplated, 
 if Lee's lines seemed much weakened by men 
 drawn off to meet these four movements, to try 
 to break through the fortifications by a coup de 
 main, and capture Petersburg. All this is now 
 revealed to us by the despatches accessible. 
 Thus, there were five separate attempts against 
 Lee on foot at the same time, and to each 
 could be assigned an army almost as large as 
 his. It is no doubt convenient for a commander 
 to be able to muster separate armies at will, 
 but what shall we say of the genius of his oppo- 
 nent, who holds them all at bay ? 
 
 Warren started on his expedition early in 
 the morning of December 7th, striking for 
 Stony creek, on the Weldon road, intending to 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 383 
 
 proceed southward, destroying the track. On 
 the next day 851 stragglers from his columns 
 were brought into the Federal lines, to the 
 great disgust of the authorities, who were put 
 to it to devise adequate punishment and means 
 of prevention in future, and these were much dis- 
 cussed. To prevent "straggling" and "shirk- 
 ing " in line of battle on comparatively open 
 ground the expedient of a file behind with 
 fixed bayonets often worked well, but in thick 
 cover ("woods-fighting") this could not be 
 managed. The Federal generals were greatly 
 annoyed, too, during all the previous summer 
 and autumn by desertions. When the hostile 
 lines came close together, sometimes separated 
 by hardly more than a pistol-shot in distance, it 
 was easy for men to run across, particularly at 
 night, and this they often did, not only singly, 
 but a dozen or more together. This practice 
 became so frequent that a general order was 
 issued promising every man a twenty-days' fur- 
 
384 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 lough who would shoot a comrade in the act of 
 deserting. 
 
 Gaining information of Warren's movement 
 on December 7th, Hampton started his two 
 divisions in pursuit. Butler had some pretty- 
 fair skirmishing that morning. The intention 
 was to prevent the enemy reaching Bellefield 
 (Hicksford). At one o'clock P. M., Hampton 
 received a teleeram from General Lee inform- 
 ing him that Hill, with his corps, was marching 
 through Dinwiddle Courthouse towards Belle- 
 field, and instructing him to communicate with 
 Hill. This he did, explaining the position of 
 Warren's forces, and pointing out the way in 
 which he thought he could be intercepted. 
 Skirmishing continued during the day, inter- 
 fering with the destruction of the railroad. At 
 two o'clock A. M. December 9th the cavalry 
 were put in motion and arrived near Hicksford 
 by daylight, when preparations were at once 
 made to defend the place and protect the bridge 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 385 
 
 over the Meherrin river. Colonel Garnett was. 
 in command there with a few hundred infantry- 
 men. The enemy did not make his appearance 
 until about three P. M. the next day, when he 
 attacked. The horse-artillery batteries of Hart 
 and McGregor opened a sharp fire in connec- 
 tion with Garnett' s men and repulsed the Fed- 
 erals, who made no further assault, though 
 firing continued until dark. After consultation 
 with General Hill, it was determined that 
 Hampton would, in the morning, get round the 
 enemy's left flank, and thus to their rear, while 
 Hill would strike him from Jarratt station, 
 some ten miles farther to the north. But the 
 Federals prevented these manoeuvres by re- 
 treating. They were followed up and much 
 harassed, about 300 prisoners and many arms 
 were taken by the cavalry, and the opportuni- 
 ties of the enemy to injure the railroad track 
 curtailed, but they finally regained their lines. 
 Meantime much anxiety was felt about Warren 
 
 25 
 
386 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALE T. 
 
 at Federal headquarters, and reinforcements 
 were sent out to render him assistance. A 
 despatch from Meade to General Grant, ex- 
 hibiting some nervousness, adds : " If Warren's 
 men will fight, and we have any luck, Warren 
 ought to repulse him." This would not be an 
 unnatural expectation, inasmuch as if Hill's 
 entire corps had been there by the return of 
 November 30th, about 15,000 strong, and 
 Hampton's corps at the same date, including 
 Dearing's brigade temporarily attached, about 
 6,000 in number, less dismounted men of over 
 1,000, there would have been about 20,000 in 
 all against Warren, w^ho had over 34,000. But 
 in point of fact, there were not more than 
 16,000 Confederates in all available, as the 
 right flank could not spare nearly all the cav- 
 alry and so large a number of infantry. Hill's 
 troops were very badly supplied with shoes, 
 and as the weather was cold and there was 
 much snow and ice, they suffered great hard- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. S87 
 
 ships. In some places the snow bore the marks 
 of their bleeding feet. 
 
 The injury inflicted upon the Weldon railroad 
 by Warren was small in proportion to the prep- 
 arations made for the expedition and the force 
 employed. What was effected cost the Fed- 
 erals much trouble and expense, and the Con- 
 federates set about repairing it at once, and 
 without difficulty. The rails had not been de- 
 stroyed. The cavalry, except Dearing's bri- 
 gade, were moved down to camps near Belle- 
 field for the purpose of restoring the railroad 
 where broken, and also to enable them more 
 easily to procure forage for the horses, and 
 near that place headquarters were established. 
 There were, during the rest of the month, no 
 movements of the Federals of a serious charac- 
 ter to cause hard work for the cavalry, and 
 their labors were consequently confined chiefly 
 to picketing, which was not very onerous. The 
 condition of the horses improved very much 
 
388 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 during this comparative rest, and the number 
 of the men increased as those recovered from 
 wounds reported back. By the return of Octo- 
 ber 20, 1864, the corps, with Dearing's brigade, 
 numbered 5,375 men, including the dismounted, 
 and by the return of December 31, 1864, it had 
 increased to 7,063. The efficiency of the com- 
 mand was much greater at the end of the cam- 
 paign than it had been at the beginning, or 
 probably at any intermediate period. Its 
 morale and physique were excellent. Besides 
 this, there were about a thousand men absent 
 on horse-furloughs, and when these returned, 
 together with the fresh recruits which would 
 have been brought to camp by them, the 
 strength of the corps for the next cam- 
 paign would have been very satisfactory. 
 But this was not to be, for events 
 quite outside of the lines of the Army of 
 Northern Virginia were moulding their destiny. 
 Early in January it was decided to send But- 
 
HAMPTON ANB Em C'A VALBY. 389 
 
 ler's and Young's brigades, of Major-General 
 M. C. Butler's division, to Columbia, S. C, 
 these brigades numbering by the return of" 
 December 20, 1864, 940 and 586 men respect- 
 ively. This was done in order to supply troops 
 to check Sherman as well as to give the men 
 an opportunity to procure fresh mounts at 
 home with the expectation of returning to Vir- 
 ginia in the spring. On January 19th an order 
 was issued to this effect : "The men will take 
 with them their arms, their cooking utensils 
 and equipments, and will be prepared for a 
 winter campaign." Thus was terminated the 
 campaign, and thus 'ended forever the service of 
 Butler's division with the Army of Northern Vir- 
 ginia, of which they were proven a worthy part. 
 General Hampton, too, was directed to pro- 
 ceed to South Carolina to superintend the 
 mounting and recruiting of the cavalry there, 
 "with permission, if a suitable command be 
 given him, to operate it until recalled to Vir- 
 
390 HAMPTON AND EI8 OAVALBT. 
 
 ginia." At about this time he was commis- 
 sioned a lieutenant-general. 
 
 Thus had closed the campaign of '64, during 
 which Lee's numbers and material re- 
 sources were almost incredibly less than 
 those of his adversary, and yet the 
 campaign was a victory for Lee. And 
 if it could have been left to the Army of 
 Northern Virginia and the Armies of the Poto- 
 mac and of the James to fight out the issue as 
 in a duel between themselves, the Southern 
 Confederacy, as it now, in the light of informa- 
 tion but recently accessible, seeras clear, would 
 have established its independence. That such 
 was not the result was due to causes outside of 
 the Virginian armies, chiefly to the unnecessary 
 wrecking of the western Confederate army, 
 and consequently the easy march permitted to 
 Sherman for devastating the country and form- 
 ing a junction with Grant. This was rendered 
 possible by mismanagement, and was not the 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBT. 391 
 
 inevitable consequence of larger numbers. 
 The theory most current at present, and which 
 it is considered in some quarters patriotic to 
 hold, is that the largest armies insure success 
 in war to the side possessing them, and the result 
 of our Civil War is pointed to as an incontroverti- 
 ble illustration of this, but as a matter of fact 
 the campaign of '64 and the war itself are 
 proofs of the reverse of such a proposition. 
 And it will be a sad day for these United 
 States if their population should ever become 
 imbued with the belief that numbers alone in- 
 sure success in war, for this would signify that 
 they were no longer able to maintain their 
 freedom against all comers, and therefore un- 
 worthy to retain it. God forbid that they should 
 believe all they are told in these times about 
 the overwhelming effect of mechanical appli- 
 ances in war, nitro- powders and breech-loaders, 
 long-range artillery and high-power explosive 
 projectiles, iron-clads and steam, annihilating 
 
392 HAMPTON AND ma OAVALBT. 
 
 distance, and that the element of the individual 
 man is of little importance. Just so the 
 ancients deplored that human valor was no 
 longer of avail against the catapult, and later 
 on, with the advent of gunpowder, "villainous 
 saltpetre," the elimination of the human prin- 
 ciple in battle was declared complete. Yet in 
 spite of all this, the Macedonian phalanx and 
 the crack. Roman legions continued to hold their 
 ground "like a stone wall," and the English 
 archers at Agincourt and many another field, 
 with long-bow and cloth-yard shaft played havoc 
 with Frenchmen ; and their lineal descendants, 
 handling the antiquated muzzle-loader with 
 Minie bullets, proved, from the Wilderness to 
 Five Forks, that they were " chips of the old 
 block." Mechanical inventions cause changes 
 in details and modifications of methods in war, 
 but the grand underlying principles remain 
 eternal, and of these, the courage and discip- 
 lined intelligence, the moral and physical endur- 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 393 
 
 ance of " the man behind the gun," are the 
 most important. 
 
 The question of the morale of Butler's divis- 
 ion, that part of the cavalry of the Army of 
 Northern Virginia which at the break-up at the 
 end of the war was attached to Johnston's army, 
 does not, strictly speaking, belong to .this narra- 
 tive of the campaign of '64. Yet, as it does 
 concern a well-earned reputation for soldierly 
 qualities, reference to it here can hardly be 
 deemed out of place. 
 
 Joseph Wheeler, a major-general at the time 
 alluded to, was serving under Lieutenant-Gen- 
 eral Hampton, but his command was confined 
 to the cavalry which accompanied him from the 
 West after the wrecking of the army there by 
 the gallant but ill-starred Hood. About the 
 sentiments and condition of his own men 
 Wheeler would naturally be supposed to be 
 well informed, and his opinion that they were 
 far from enthusiastically in favor of continuing 
 
394 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVA LET. 
 
 the war may be correct as to many of them, 
 but with Butler's division he did not come 
 directly in contact, and possessed no sources of 
 information about it, and he certainly has fallen 
 into a great error when he states in an article 
 in the May number of this year (1898) of the 
 Century Magazine that these men were not in 
 good heart, and could not have been depended 
 upon at that juncture to volunteer as an escort 
 for Jefferson Davis. . Certainly nothing could 
 be farther from the actual facts. They could 
 have been relied upon for any enterprise that 
 Hampton wished them to engage in, and would 
 have felt especially honored at having the pro- 
 tection, of Mr. Davis' person entrusted to them, 
 and would have defended him against all odds. 
 This is not the place to attempt a description 
 of the career of this division in the campaign of 
 the Carolinas in 1865, but by way of showing 
 what condition they were in at a time not far 
 from that of which General Wheeler speaks, it 
 
A farorife tree of Gcnernl TTdri.vtiiv, in the iiroiunls nl ^fi^^rflod. 
 
 (395) 
 
HAMPTON AND SIS CAVALRY. 397 
 
 would be but fair to relate one of their last acts, 
 the capture of Kilpatrick's camp near Fayette- 
 ville, N. C, on March lo, 1865. 
 
 The 9th of March had been a rainy day and 
 the night was very dark. Somewhat in ad- 
 vance of the head of his division was riding 
 General Butler, and accompanying him in 
 column of fours were a few men constituting 
 his escort, and a scout or two. As the horses' 
 feet went slushing through the mire, the sound 
 of other hoofs, muffled by mud, coming from the 
 opposite direction was heard, and silently the 
 command was halted by whispers passed back 
 down the line. When the new-comers had 
 reached within a few yards of Butler, his clear, 
 calm voice broke through the darkness envelop- 
 ing everything : 
 
 " Halt ! Who comes there ? " 
 
 To this was made, in the usual way, the reply 
 that it was a detachment from a certain Ohio 
 regiment ordered to picket that road, the 
 
398 HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALR T. 
 
 speaker supposing he was talking to friends. 
 So Butler quietly told him to march on, which the 
 detachment proceeded to do by separating in 
 column of twos, and thus passing on either side 
 of the body which they had met. But when 
 they had marched sufficiently far to be inex- 
 tricably trapped, came the words from Butler, 
 spoken in a cool, ordinary tone of voice : 
 " Halt there ! You are prisoners ! " 
 And without another word each Confederate 
 laid one hand on the fellow next him, with 
 pistol ready in the other, and the whole thing 
 was done without any fuss or noise. There 
 were forty of them. One of their captors was 
 a boy far from out of his teens, who rode a 
 little plantation " tackey " not over thirteen 
 hands in height. He was obliged to stand in 
 his stirrups and stretch up to do it, but succeeded 
 in collaring a big, strapping Westerner over six 
 feet tall, with the Avords, uttered in a tone appro- 
 priate to some tragedy being acted on the stage, 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 399 
 
 " You are my prisoner ! Surrender, sir ! " 
 He had only left the maternal nest and joined 
 the command a short time before this, and had 
 no arms except a pistol which some one had 
 loaned him, and the minute animal he bestrode so 
 proudly could hardly be called a horse, but he 
 was allowed from his capture to mount and 
 arm himself satisfactorily, and was highly de- 
 lighted. 
 
 Butler promptly communicated with Hamp- 
 ton, and they conferred together. Scouts dis- 
 mounted, felt their way down the road in the 
 direction from which the pickets had come, and 
 discovered that the information obtained from 
 some of the prisoners was correct, and that 
 Kilpatrick's division was in camp near by, with 
 nothing at all between it and Butler's division, 
 the detachment captured having been counted 
 upon for picketing that road. During all the 
 night, along the edges of the road in the dark- 
 ness close up to the Federal camp, lurked the 
 
400 HAMPTON AND EIS CAVALBT. 
 
 trusty scouts of Hampton, so as to pick up 
 noiselessly any one coming from there to visit 
 the picket-post, and two or three were thus 
 gathered in before morning, but without the 
 firinpf of a shot or other sound. In some 
 woods on each side of the road the division 
 bivouacked, horses remaining saddled, men 
 awake to keep them quiet, or dozing, sitting on 
 the ground with bridle-rein in hand, or under 
 leg, ready to mount at a second's notice. No 
 fire must be lit for warmth or cooking and no 
 match struck for a pipe ; so ran the orders, for 
 this is to be a surprise-party pure and simple. 
 Early that morning one man had been 
 despatched with a message, but before he 
 reached the command for which it was in- 
 tended it had moved off, and he had been try- 
 ing all day to find it without success until to- 
 wards evening. He had narrowly missed 
 several times riding into detachments of the 
 enemy, and been shot at more than once for his 
 
HAMPMN AND SIS OA VALB Y. 401 
 
 trouble, and at about ten o'clock at night re- 
 joined his comrades, hungry, tired, wet, and 
 disgusted. The first thing he did was to 
 "borrow" a piece of corn'^bread which had 
 been fresh when the world was younger, and a 
 canteen of water which was rich in all .manner 
 of germs, but uncontaminated by whislcey. He 
 then looked about, as well as the darkness 
 would permit, and found several of his friends 
 in a group together earnestly whispering, their 
 horses standing round looking as solemn and 
 wise as judges on the bench. Now, these 
 young men ought undoubtedly to have been 
 engaged in saying their prayers and softly 
 humming snatches of hymns recalled from early 
 days, for- the purpose of bracing up their nerves 
 for the fight fixed for daylight, but the truth 
 must be told, and the words overheard by the 
 hungry, tired trooper just arrived were : 
 
 " It is she ! I know it is ! " 
 
 " By Jove ! Certain ? " 
 
 26 
 
402 HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBT. 
 
 " Yes ! I tracked the wheels for hours to- 
 day. No chance to mistake the wheel-marks 
 of that victoria among these heavy wagon- 
 trains. She is in his camp, and we will be sure 
 to see her in the morning." 
 
 Then they all whispered " By Jove ! " with 
 great earnestness. 
 
 It seems there was an exceedingly pretty 
 young girl in Columbia when these boys had 
 been there lately, whom some of them had been 
 acquainted with. She dressed very well and 
 drove in a victoria at a time when it was not 
 comme il faut to dress well and drive in 
 victorias. With her mother she had left Co- 
 lumbia, as a refugee, with Sherman's army. 
 To anticipate : after her arrival at the North, 
 hers was a far from quiet career. At Newport, 
 the Mecca of the faithful to fashion, she figured ; 
 married into a rich family of Puritan extraction ; 
 released ''a vinculo" remarried, after sundry 
 experiences, within foreign diplomatic circles, 
 
HAMPTON AND SI8 CAVALRY *03 
 
 and "raised Cain" generally. That, however, 
 does not concern this story, but her connection 
 with it will appear from the sequel on the 
 morrow. 
 
 This opportunity to strike Kilpatrick was 
 just what was desired, for his command blocked 
 the roads to Fayetteville on the Cape Fear 
 river, about eight miles distant, where a cross- 
 ing was intended, and a successful attack would 
 remove him out of the way. Hampton's plan 
 was by the first daylight to burst into camp by 
 the unpicketed road, surprising and throwing 
 into confusion the Federal cavalry division, and 
 Wheeler was instructed, when he heard the 
 firing, to drive in the pickets opposite to him 
 and break through to assist Butler. By this it 
 was expected to hem in a large number of 
 prisoners, and hold the position until everything 
 removable could be brought off and the rest 
 burned. 
 
 Before daylight Butler's command was noise- 
 
404 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 lessly formed in the road in column of fours, 
 the portion to which was assigned the leading 
 charge being advanced considerably beyond 
 the others, and consequently close to the camp 
 to be attacked, leaving a good interval between 
 them and the troops behind, which admitted of 
 the latter being promptly dismounted in case of 
 a counter-attack. The ground was soaked and 
 steaming with exhalations, and the fog ren- 
 dered it difficult to see, even after sunrise. 
 When the proper moment arrived, the detach- 
 ment intended to lead the charge was moved 
 on a walk almost to the entrance of the camp, 
 and there halted for a moment as Butler rode 
 to their head. Removing his hat and waving 
 it above his head, he spoke, in ringing tones : 
 
 " Troops from Virginia ! Follow me ! For- 
 ward, march ! " and then " Charge ! " 
 
 They thundered into the sleeping camp, and 
 if all the foul fiends from the nether world had 
 accompanied them the Federals could not have 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CA VALE T 405 
 
 been more surprised or demoralized. The 
 camp-guards, if there were any awake, had no 
 time to give warning, and the men under the 
 tent-flies were literally ridden over ; or, as they 
 sprang out half-asleep, were sabred or ridden 
 down before they knew what was doing. Un- 
 dressed and unarmed, awakened out of a pro- 
 found sleep to find their camp overrun, they 
 fled in all directions, leaving accoutrements 
 behind. It was a wild sight. When the Con- 
 federates had charged through the ground they 
 wheeled and came rushing back, scattering and 
 riding down what was left, and making prison- 
 ers. Meantime other detachments of the divis- 
 ion had struck the position at different points, 
 and were making themselves heard from most 
 effectually. 
 
 Just then a pathetic incident occurred'. Some 
 prisoners, mostly broken-down stragglers from 
 the infantry, or citizen-soldiery, in charge of the 
 Federal provost guard, 173 in number, seeing 
 
400 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 that rescue was at hand, broke from their cap- 
 tors and rushed forward to meet their friends, 
 adding to the tumult by their cheers and cries 
 of joy. Two of these, in their excitement, rec- 
 ognizing mounted comrades advancing, threw 
 their arms around the necks of their horses and 
 were thus killed, being in the obscurity and smoke 
 mistaken for enemies. One was so slain by a 
 loving friend. It was the most painful occur- 
 rence ever witnessed by those present. 
 
 From these escaped prisoners it was quickly 
 learned that a small farm-house on the right of 
 the road, where it entered the camp, was head- 
 quarters. This house had been passed and left 
 behind by the regiments opening the attack, 
 for, as stated, it was difficult to make out ob- 
 jects clearly in the uncertain light. Thus had 
 been afforded an opportunity for Kilpatrick and 
 his staff to escape. This general himself fled 
 in his shirt and drawers, and so failed to be 
 recognized and captured. Close to this house 
 
EAIdPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 407 
 
 were fastened many horses, among others those 
 belonging to headquarters, all of which were 
 carried off, except such as were accidentally shot. 
 A handsome black, and a peculiar-looking pie- 
 bald stallion belonging to Kilpatrick, were 
 taken, as was also a third. One of the pluckiest 
 of pistol-duels came off just here. A Federal 
 from about headquarters cut loose a fine horse, 
 and leaping on his back was about making off, 
 but finding an enemy close in upon him, turned 
 about, and the two fought it out, no one inter- 
 fering, but, on the contrary, several stopped in 
 their own work to look on, for the episode 
 occupied only a few seconds. Although so close 
 together that they could almost touch, each fired 
 several shots before the Federal rolled off his 
 horse, as he fell on the animal's neck deliver- 
 ing bravely one last shot in dying. 
 
 Some of the Federals, thus summarily ex- 
 pelled from their camp, communicated the news 
 of their misfortune to their infantry, which was 
 
408 HAMPTON AND HIS 0A7ALRT. 
 
 set in motion for their succor. The plan had 
 been, as we have said, that when the noise of 
 Butler's attack was heard by General Joseph 
 Wheeler, he should drive in the pickets and 
 strike the camp from another direction, and 
 thus co-operate with Butler. This he failed to 
 do in the manner expected, being delayed by 
 some swampy ground, as it was then alleged, 
 and by the time he came up the Federals had 
 had a breathing spell for rallying and an oppor- 
 tunity to send for assistance. Kilpatrick, too, 
 was exerting in creditable manner his utmost 
 personal endeavors to save his command from 
 the utter ruin which seemed imminent. Thus 
 a pretty stiff fight of dismounted men was soon 
 under way, and artillery opened on both sides. 
 About this time, at the entrance-door of the 
 headquarter house, a female skirt, a hat and rib- 
 bon and other similar accoutrements of the fair 
 sex appeared, and were at once spied by some 
 of those young fellows who had been found 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 409 
 
 whispering together the night before. The first 
 duty of the cavaHer is to rescue distressed 
 damsels, and so these boys thoroughly believed, 
 and were about delightedly so to do. But, alas ! 
 for all human hopes. On nearer inspection this 
 proved to be the wrong damsel, if damsel she 
 could be termed at all, being old, ugly, and 
 perhaps respectable, and she turned out to be 
 a "school-marm" from Vermont, who had 
 availed herself of the assistance of Sherman's 
 army to return to her home. However, she 
 was a woman after all, if she was ugly, and one 
 of those same thoughtless youngsters referred 
 to, quietly dismounted, and, hat in hand, ap- 
 proached her, bowing as deferentially as if it 
 indeed had been the hoped-for fair one, and 
 kindly explained the danger from chance bullets 
 and shells against which the thin weather-board- 
 ing of the house would be little better protec- 
 tion than pasteboard. But, woman-like, she 
 could not- at first be made to comprehend that 
 
410 HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALJRT. 
 
 the horses could not be attached to her vehicle 
 and she drive quietly away to more congenial 
 scenes. However, at length she took in the 
 situation sensibly, and was conducted to a 
 drainage-ditch, in which she lay and was com- 
 paratively safe. Fortunately she was not hurt 
 during the melee, and seemed somewhat appre- 
 ciative of the kindness done her. But it was 
 all a sad disappointment to those expectant 
 boys. 
 
 During all the hurly-burly of the fight Butler 
 was calmly directing the operations of his com- 
 mand. Like " Chinese " Gordon, who carried 
 no weapons in action, only a bamboo cane in 
 his hand, Butler during this campaign was 
 always to be seen among the bullets, with 
 merely a lady's silver-mounted riding-whip, 
 with which he would point out from time to 
 time to those around him what was to be done. 
 
 A large number of horses were safely carried 
 off, and a considerable amount of arms, ac- 
 
HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBT. 411 
 
 coutrements, and clothing, and some wagons, 
 but not as many of the latter as would otherwise 
 have been secured, because of the stampeding 
 of the animals pertaining to them. The same 
 cause operated against hauling away artillery. 
 This could have been effected if Wheeler had 
 succeeded in carrying out the part of the pro- 
 gramme assigned to him. But, as it turned 
 out, time, as we have said, was allowed the 
 enemy for rallying and procuring help from 
 their infantry before Butler was reinforced. 
 General Joseph E. Johnston, in referring to this 
 affair in his " Narrative," says that more wagons 
 and artillery were not brought off because the 
 men stopped to plunder ; but this was not cor- 
 rect — at least, of Butler's division. It was true 
 as to a part of Wheeler's command, which was 
 not under the best of discipline. Besides the 
 Confederate prisoners released, numbering 173, 
 there were over 500 Federals captured and 
 taken away. The killed and wounded of the 
 
412 HAMPTON A AD HIS GAVALBT. 
 
 enemy must have exceeded 300, and these, 
 added to the number of captured Federals and 
 released Confederates, would make the aggre- 
 gate of nearly 1,000, which was more than the 
 entire force of Butler. Kilpatrick's division 
 was about 5,000 strong. Wheeler's command 
 numbered some 3,000, if the men could be got 
 together. The work done, Hampton withdrew 
 to occupy the roads leading to Fayetteville, 
 which he had thus cleared of obstruction. The 
 losses were small, but unfortunately General 
 Butler's brother, serving on his staff, lost his 
 arm. 
 
 This affair attracted much attention at the 
 time, and had quite a bad effect upon the 
 morale of Kilpatrick's cavalry division. That 
 officer, in talking the matter over after the war 
 with one who had been present at the fight, 
 said that as he was making his escape, with 
 his command scattering in every direction, he 
 thought, "Well! I have been working hard 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALRT. 413 
 
 these four years for a major-general's commis- 
 sion and now in five minutes I have lost it all." 
 He was at this time only brevet major-general. 
 This disaster probably weakened him in his 
 commanding general's estimation, for soon 
 after this Sherman paid his visit to Grant at 
 Petersburg, and was very urgent in his request 
 to have Sheridan assigned to him. In fact, he 
 persuaded Grant to consent to this, but at 
 Sheridan's earnest remonstrance this arrange- 
 ment was postponed, tliough not altogether 
 abandoned. The surprise and rout of his camp 
 by Hampton, "tlie first terrible onset of the 
 foe,'^ as Kilpa trick terms it, was particularly 
 mortifying to him because of the similar mis- 
 fortune he had suffered at the hands of the 
 same unwelcome visitor hardly more than a 
 year before at Atlee's station during the Dahl- 
 gren raid, when he was obliged to seek refuge 
 in the bosom of Ben. Butler, and thence embark 
 aboard ship to regain the lines of his army. 
 
414 HAMPTON AND HIB OA VALB T. 
 
 He naturally felt very sore upon the subject. 
 It is not, therefore, to be wondered at that in 
 his official report he should not have quite con- 
 formed to the accounts given by eye-witnesses 
 of the affair, and those conversant with the facts. 
 He says that Hampton charged his camp with 
 three divisions, but, as has been related, the 
 attack was made by Butler's division only, so 
 that, instead of being outnumbered, Kilpatrick 
 actually had five to one. Of course the sur- 
 prise effected placed the Federals under a 
 great disadvantage. In his official report he 
 says : " Hampton led the centre division 
 (Butler's), and in less than a minute had driven 
 back my people and taken possession of my 
 headquarters, captured the artillery, and the 
 whole command was flying before the most 
 formidable cavalry charge I ever have wit- 
 nessed. Colonel Spencer and a large portion 
 of my staff were virtually taken prisoners. On 
 foot I succeeded in gaining the cavalry camp a 
 
HAMPTON ANB SIS CAVALRY. 415 
 
 few hundred yards in the rear and found the 
 men fighting with the rebels for their camp and 
 animals, and we were finally forced back some 
 500 yards farther to a swamp impassable to 
 friend or foe." This, except in regard to 
 Butler's division being the centre instead of 
 the entire attacking force, is substantially cor- 
 rect. What, however, he goes on to say about 
 recapturing the camp is somewhat erroneous. 
 Hampton naturally withdrew when he con- 
 cluded he had effected all that was practicable, 
 not intending to engage in a battle with all the 
 infantry as well as cavalry of Sherman's army. 
 Kilpatrick estimates that he lost eighty-seven 
 officers and men, besides an additional number 
 not specified, who were less seriously wounded, 
 and 103 prisoners, but the latter number does 
 not correspond with the prisoners carried away 
 by the Confederates, who counted up over 500, 
 and in casualties a similar mistake has probably 
 been made. 
 
416 HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 
 
 Besides, there were other similar matters 
 to which General Kilpatrick did not relish 
 reference, practical jokes at his expense by 
 Hampton, especially the " Buckland races " in 
 Fauquier county, Virginia, which came off on 
 October 19, 1863. Hampton, with his division, 
 was then at Buckland, confronting Kilpatrick' s 
 cavalry and a considerable force of infantry. 
 The enemy was endeavoring to cross south- 
 ward the Broad run at Buckland. Fitz. Lee's 
 division was some miles off but within support- 
 ing distance, and the following plan was ac- 
 cordingly arranged. Hampton withdrew in the 
 direction of Warrenton for nearly five miles, 
 and Kilpatrick, supposing him to be retreating, 
 crossed Broad run and followed. Fitz. Lee's 
 division was then moved up so as to be interposed 
 between the Federals and the ford in their 
 rear. It was a case of the spider and the fly. 
 Kilpatrick, however, had been cautious about 
 putting his whole foot in the trap, and left 
 
&3 
 
 g 
 
 s 
 
 I 
 1^ 
 
 27 
 
 (417) 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OAVALBT. 419 
 
 Custer's brigade behind at Buckland at the 
 ford. So Fitz. Lee coming up fell upon Custer, 
 and a stiff fight ensued. At the sound of the 
 firing, Hampton at once wheeled about, as had 
 been agreed upon, and dashed furiously at Kil- 
 patrick, whose men, realizing from the sounds 
 of musketry and artillery in their rear proceed- 
 ing from the combat between Fitz. Lee and 
 Custer, that the trap had been sprung, made 
 but slight resistance and endeavored to effect 
 a retreat, but soon broke in wild disorder. 
 This quickly became a stampede on the part of 
 Davies' brigade. Colonel Young, command- 
 ing Butler's brigade, endeavored to cut off the 
 enemy by galloping his troops through the 
 woods on the right of the road, and Rosser 
 charged on the left, while Gorden's brigade 
 made all speed down the road in direct pursuit. 
 And thus they raced for nearly five miles. 
 Some of the fugitives from Davies' brigade 
 crossed the run, and the rest made towards 
 
420 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALRT. 
 
 Haymarket. Eight wagons and ambulances 
 were captured, among them Custer's head- 
 quarter wagon, baggage and papers, and 250 
 prisoners from Davies' brigade. Custer, per- 
 ceiving a dense cloud of dust and a clatter of 
 hoofs approaching from the direction of War- 
 renton, had concluded he had better recross 
 the run before the stampede reached him, and 
 this he succeeded in doing without allowing his 
 command to fall into much disorder, and safely 
 carrying away his artillery. But the rest of 
 Kilpatrick's cavalry required much looking-up 
 before they were found, as they did not stop 
 their swift gallop through the exhilarating Octo- 
 ber air until reaching the lines of their First 
 army corps. In the Federal official reports of 
 this affair no mention is made of the stampede 
 of Davies' brigade, but the fact remains estab- 
 lished by numerous witnesses on both sides in 
 the fight. 
 
 Apropos of all this is the following anecdote : 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS GA VALB Y. 421 
 
 On April 13, 1865, General Joseph E. John- 
 ston had an interview at Greensboro, N. C, 
 with Mr. Davis and his Cabinet, and as a con- 
 sequence General Johnston was directed to 
 send a communication, then prepared and 
 signed by him, to General Sherman, requesting 
 a conference. General Johnston late that night 
 sent this note to General Hampton, then near 
 Hillsboro, with the request that it be delivered 
 by a member of his staff. General Hampton 
 was not informed of the contents of the commu- 
 nication. He awoke Captain Rawlins Lowndes, 
 of his staff, and entrusted the document to him 
 to be delivered. As it was then after midnight 
 and very dark and rainy, the General suggested 
 that it was not unHkely Lowndes might be 
 fired upon by the Federal cavalry pickets before 
 he could communicate to them the nature of 
 his mission, and said he could take as escort 
 a company, or a squadron, if he wished it. 
 Lowndes replied that an escort would be of no 
 
422 HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALBT. 
 
 benefit to him, and that he did not think it ad- 
 visable to expose the men to the risk of fire 
 without good cause. So the General then told 
 him to take with him one reliable man a^ 
 courier, and to bring back a reply to the 
 note he would deliver. Lowndes consequently 
 started accompanied by a courier, and soon 
 reached Kilpatrick's lines without misadvent- 
 ure, and was duly halted by a vidette. He 
 stated his business, the officer in charge of the 
 post was summoned, and a message sent to 
 Kilpatrick's headquarters, to which, in reply, 
 Lowndes was invited to repair. The letter to 
 Sherman was forwarded, but as that officer was 
 at a distance, eight hours elapsed before his 
 answer was delivered to be carried back to 
 Hampton. In the meantime Lowndes re- 
 mained a guest at Kilpatrick's headquarters. 
 They talked about various things, quite amica- 
 bly, of course, but after awhile the conversation 
 fell upon military matters, and some of them 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS OA VALB T. 423 
 
 were disposed to chaff Lowndes rather much. 
 Kilpatrick was still very sore indeed concern- 
 ing that early morning visit Hampton had paid 
 him unannounced only about a month before, 
 and showed it rather too much, implying that a 
 meeting of that kind with notice would have 
 resulted differently. This nettled Lowndes, so 
 he said : 
 
 "Well, General, I make you the following 
 proposition, and I will pledge myself that Gen- 
 eral Hampton will carry it out in every respect. 
 You, with your staff, take 1,500 men, and Gen- 
 eral Hampton, with his staff, will meet you with 
 1,000 men, all to be armed with the sabre alone. 
 The two parties will be drawn up mounted in 
 regimental formation opposite to each other, 
 and, at a signal to be agreed upon, will charge. 
 That will settle the question which are the best 
 men." 
 
 They all laughed, but did not accept the pro- 
 posal, and said they would consider it. Perhaps 
 
424 HAMPTON AND HIS GAVALBY. 
 
 such an arrangement was impracticable, but, all 
 the same, it is a pity the affair could not have 
 come off". It would have made a pleasant end- 
 ing to the war. At that time none of them 
 knew that their sabres were practically sheathed 
 forever. If they had known this at the time, 
 possibly the meeting might have been managed 
 in spite of difficulties. The last word Lowndes 
 said at leave-taking was to repeat his propo- 
 sition to his hosts. 
 
 When it became known by the cavalry that a 
 surrender of Johnston's army would probably 
 be decided upon, there was great repugnance 
 to acquiescing in it, and many officers and men 
 were not included in the capitulation. Notable 
 among these was General Hampton. A con- 
 siderable number of minor officers and privates 
 desired to pass over into the trans-Mississippi 
 department, there to continue the war under 
 his leadership, and started thither for that pur- 
 pose. It was not until he had let it be known 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALBT. 426 
 
 that he had abandoned the intention of further 
 resistance that the proposed muster in the West 
 was given up. At the time the project of fur- 
 nishing an escort to Mr. Davis, to enable him 
 to make his escape, was under consideration, 
 Hart's battery of horse artillery volunteered 
 almost to a man for the purpose ; indeed, the 
 very guns, eloquent during all these four years 
 in every fight within their reach in Virginia and 
 the Carolinas, seemed to long to join their 
 voices in thunderous assent to the proposition, 
 "Will you volunteer ? " So much for the morale 
 of Butler's division. 
 
 Thus was ended the career of Hampton as 
 soldier, but not so the method of cavalry fight- 
 ing which he may be justly said to have intro- 
 duced, and which others learned from him and 
 utilized. But though his achievements in war, 
 which had won for him fame with foe as well as 
 friend, were terrninated, his wise and patriotic 
 work as pacificator was destined to gain for him 
 
426 HAMPTON AND ms CAVALBY. 
 
 the deep gratitude of his own people, as well it 
 might, and the approbation of all Americans. 
 
 Our country has now emerged, for better or 
 for worse, from a life of peaceful occupations : 
 she is no longer content to be farmer, manu- 
 facturer, and merchant — the honest, useful indus- 
 tries to which she had, as far as practicable, 
 hitherto confined herself during all the years of 
 her political existence. Now she has essayed 
 to embark in foreign wars and conquests, and 
 must assume the responsibility which the 
 changed conditions render necessary. Our 
 recent demonstration against Spain has not in 
 fact been, properly speaking, a war at all. 
 "Dramatic" it may have been, a term which 
 General Shafter, in all seriousness, applied to 
 it in an official communication to the War De- 
 partment, but perhaps melodramatic would 
 have been an even more appropriate word. 
 War it was not, for the essential of fighting 
 was lacking, there being no foe worthy of the 
 
HAMPTON AND HIS CAVALRY. 437 
 
 name with whom to fight. Hamlet was con- 
 spicuously absent from the programme, and of 
 strategy there was still less. " Privations " 
 there may have been, in the sense of the miss- 
 ing of accvistomed comforts by home-bred boys 
 (good timber for army-making when seasoned), 
 but the most meagre rations ever issued at the 
 "front" in Cuba would have been considered 
 a feast of Lucullus by the Confederate soldier. 
 Yet, although this affair has been "a walk-over," 
 its consequences will be out of all proportion 
 in importance, and unless the teachings of his- 
 tory are fallacious, it will prove the forerunner 
 of real and tragic struggles. With Asia, as well 
 as Europe, our country must prepare herself, 
 when necessary, to grapple. In time, not merely 
 "little wars" with "anaemic" nations, but 
 serious contests must be expected, in which 
 numbers and resources will not be, as hereto- 
 fore, overwhelmingly in her favor. Then she 
 must find compensation for lack of numerical 
 
428 HAMPTON AND EI8 CAVALBT. 
 
 Strength, not In the dekisive fad of the day, 
 "sea-power," "proud navies laughing at the 
 storm," but in the brain and manhood of her 
 sons. From PhiUp's armada and Bonaparte's 
 armies England was preserved not by huge 
 English ships, but by hard-fighting English 
 men. If it ever happens in the future, as well 
 it may, that the countless millions of Asia, 
 taught European strategy and tactics, equipped 
 with modern iron-clads on sea and magazine 
 rifles on land, allied perhaps with ambitious 
 western nations, andunder theleadershipof some 
 second Napoleon, shall swarm upon our shores 
 for the purpose of blotting out our religion and 
 representative government, will not our de- 
 scendants then, standing together in their hour 
 of need, irrespective of the side on which their 
 ancestors fought in our Civil War, pray to the 
 god of battles to raise up a Robert E. Lee to 
 command their armies, and a Hampton to han- 
 dle the cavalry? But Providence usually helps 
 
HAMPTON AND HI8 CAVALBT. 429 
 
 those only who help themselves. Is it not 
 advisable, then, to study the methods of the lead- 
 ers, and to learn of the courage and endurance 
 of the soldiers which made the campaign of 
 " 1864" in splendor inferior to none recorded 
 in history ? 
 
 " Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, 
 Lest we forget I lest we forget ! " 
 
 THE END. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Alger, Colonel Fifth Michigan cavalry, 165 
 
 Armament of the cavalry of the Army of 
 
 Northern Virginia, 91, 96 
 
 Armament of the cavalry of the Army of the 
 
 Potomac, 94 
 
 Army of Northern Virginia, 78, 104, 130, 136 
 
 Army of the Potomac, 
 
 78, 108, 109, 126, 134, 176 to 185 
 
 Army of the James, commanded by Ben. 
 
 Butler, 231 
 
 Army of Johnston's — at Fayetteville, 30; con- 
 ference with Sherman, 421 ; surrender, 424 
 
 Army and Navy Gazette, extract from issue 
 
 of October 8, 1864, 321 
 
 Ashland, fight at, 173 
 
 Bancroft, George, historian, 18 
 
 Bamberg, Lieutenant, $2 
 
 "Baby-eater," 61 
 
 Barker, Major Theodore G., A. A. G., 265, 335 
 
 Bear hunter, Hampton as, 47 
 
ii INDEX. 
 
 Belfield, cavalry headquarters at, 387 
 
 Blackwater river, 289, 303 
 
 Brandy Station, battle of, 68 
 
 Breech-loaders, 92, 147 
 
 " Buckland Races," 416 
 
 Butler's brigade, 126, 142, 157, 158, 162, 
 
 166, 167, 168, 170, 171, 172, 213, 278, 388 
 Butler's division, 
 
 277. 318, 338. 339. 388, 389, 393 to 425 
 Butler, General Ben. F., 114, 115, 244, 314, 
 
 3I7-327.3S6, 368, 381 
 Butler, General Matthew Calbraith, 33, 52, 
 63, 67, 68, 71, 142, 170, 203, 279, 333, 
 
 334, 373. 397, 404. 4io 
 Burgess Mill, battle of, 323, 335 to 344 
 
 Cashier's Valley (Hampton mountain home), 
 
 38 to 41, 44, 45 
 Cattle-raid, 288 
 
 Cavalry of the Army of Northern Virginia, 
 78 to 104, 137, 142 to 146, 147 to 
 
 152, 267, 268 to 270, 358 
 Cavalry of the Army of the Potomac, 94, 1 34, 
 
 146, 147. 267,268,359 
 Challenge to Kilpatrick, 423 
 
 Chambliss, General, killed, 272, 274 
 
INDEX. iii 
 
 Chambliss' brigade, 145, 217, 245 
 Chew, Major, 204, 237, 341 
 Chambersburg raid, 56 to 68^ 
 City Point, headquarters Army of the * 
 Potomac, 287, 288 
 Cobb Legion, 52, 142 
 Comparison between Hampton and Sheri- 
 dan, 223 to 228 
 Conner, General James, 52, 284 
 Cold Harbor, battle of, 175 to 181 
 Conscription, " 314 
 Cotton crop of Hampton in i860, 46 
 Custer, General, 162, 198, 199, 213, 419, 42P 
 
 Dahlgren raid, 108 to 123 
 Davis, Jefferson, escort of, 394; conference 
 
 with General Johnston, 421 
 
 Day, David, the spy, 35 
 
 Dearing's brigade, 269, 330, 336 
 
 Diary of a Federal prisoner taken at Tre- 
 
 vilian, 212, 213 
 
 Dunovant, General, 278; death, 321 
 
 Duties of the cavalry, 81 
 
 Eutaw, battle of, 10 
 
 Eleventh Virginia cavalry, 142 
 28 
 
iv INDEX. 
 
 Fair lady, 402 
 
 Fayetteville, charge of Hampton at, 30 to 36 
 
 Five Forks, battle of, 324, 358 to 361 ; or- 
 ganization and strength of cavalry 
 corps at, 358 ; strength of the Federal 
 force at, 359 ; letter of Lee to Hamp- 
 ton about, dated August i, 1865, 361, 362 
 Fisherman, Hampton as, 41 to 43 
 
 Fontaine, Doctor, death of, 322 
 
 Forage of the cavalry, 99 to 102 
 
 Forrest, Lieutenant-General, 151 
 
 Fourth South Carolina cavalry, 142 
 
 first North Carolina cavalry, 52, 145 
 
 First Virginia cavalry, 142 
 
 Fourth Virginia cavalry, 142 
 
 Fifth Virginia cavalry, 145 
 
 Fifteenth Virginia cavalry, 145 
 
 Fifth North Carolina cavalry, 145 
 
 Fifth South Carolina cavalry, 142 
 
 Gary, General, 52, 217 
 
 Gary's brigade, 146, 171, 217, 219, 220,270, 273 
 
 Gettysburg, 72 to 75 
 
 Gorden, General, 138 
 
 Gorden's brigade, 138,145,419 
 
 Gregg, General, 146, 218, 219, 220, 267, 270 
 
INDEX. V 
 
 Gregg, strength of division, 326, 369 
 
 Graham's battery, incident in, 318, 319 
 
 Grant, General, 134; correspondence, 314; 
 reinforcements, 325 ; at Burgess Mill, 
 346 ; autumn elections, 369 ; corre- 
 spondence with Meade about Hamp- 
 ton, 369, 370 
 
 Halsey, Lieutenant, 52 
 
 Hampton, Lieutenant-General Wade — 
 birth, 9; ancestry, 10 to 24; at Mill- 
 wood, 24; in reconstruction, 25, 26, 
 27 ; amiability, 27 ; captures a naked 
 prisoner, 27, 28, 29 ; at Fayetteville 
 charge, 2910 36; athis mountain home, 
 371041; sportsman, 40; fisherman, 41 
 to 43 ; cotton-planter, 45 to 47 ; bear 
 hunter, 47 ; as to States' Rights, 47 
 to 51; raises the Hampton Legion, 51, 
 52; wounded at Manassas, 51; wound- 
 ed at Seven Pines, 52; transferred to 
 cavalry as brigadier-general, 52 ; raid 
 in Pope's rear, 55, 56; on Chambers- 
 burg raid, 56 to 68 ; Brandy Station, 
 68 ; Gettysburg, 72, 77 ; wounded, 75 ; 
 not a " West Pointer," 76, yy ; head- 
 
INDEX. 
 
 quarters at Milford during winter of 
 1863-1864, 107; composition and 
 strength of his division at that time, 
 io8 ; marches to attack Kilpatrick and 
 Dahlgren, 1 1 1 ; attacks, routs, and 
 pursues Kilpatrick, 112 to 115 ; his 
 personal knowledge of the Dahlgren 
 papers, 121, 122; reorganization of his 
 division, 124 to 126; at the Wilderness 
 and Spotsylvania, 136, 137; comman- 
 der of the cavalry, 142 to 146; compo- 
 sition of his division, 144; composi- 
 tion of the corps, 142; strength of 
 Hampton's force, 146; Hampton's 
 tactics original and new, 148, 149, 1 50, 
 151 ; at Hawes' Shop, 153 to 170; at 
 Ashland fight, 173, 174; strategy of his 
 fighting, 185 ; in the Trevilian cam- 
 paign, 187 to 223; at Nance's Shop 
 fight, 219 to 223; crossing James 
 river, 223 ; results of Trevilian cam- 
 paign, 225 to 228; routing Wilson's 
 raiders, 231, 244; at Sappony Church 
 fight, 237 ; Meade's letter to Grant 
 about Hampton, 234; captures made 
 from Wilson, 243 to 246; officially 
 
INDEX. vii 
 
 made corps commander, 260; change 
 of staff, 265 ; fighting on north side of 
 James river, August 1 6th and 17th, 
 270 to 273 ; at battle Reams Station, 
 278 to 283 ; Lee's letters about Reams 
 Station, 284, 285 ; leading the cattle- 
 raid, 2 84 to 303 ; letter from Lee about 
 the cattle-raid, 302 ; fighting in the last 
 days of September, 313 to 318; letter 
 of Lee, 323 ; at battle of Burgess Mill, 
 324 to 350; letter to Lee and his reply, 
 350,351; letter to Lee, 352 to 354; 
 letter from Lee, 354 ; letter of August 
 I, 1865, from Lee about the effect of 
 Hampton's absence at battle of Five 
 Forks, 361, 362; ordered to South 
 Carolina, 389 ; conference, and John- 
 ston's despatch to Sherman, 421 
 Hampton, Wade, of 1776 and 18 12, 10 to 17 
 Hampton, Wade, of Millwood, 17 to 24; his 
 
 famous ride, 21, 22 
 
 Hampton, Wade, Jr., 335, 346 
 
 Hampton, Lieutenant-Colonel Frank, 68, 71 
 
 Hampton, Lieutenant William Preston, 71, 
 
 72, 335. 344, 345, 346 
 Hampton's brigade, composition of, 5 2, 55 
 
viii INDEX. 
 
 Hampton's division, composition of, 107, 
 
 108, 126, 142, 145 
 Hampton's corps, organization of, 142 to 146 
 
 Hampton's Legion, 51 
 
 Hampton's tactics, 148, 149, 150, 151 
 
 Hart's battery, 52, ill, 204, 341, 385 
 
 Hart, captain of H. B., wounded, 341 
 
 Hartford Convention, 23, 48 
 
 Hancock, General, 277, 286, 318, 327, 330, 
 
 334. 338. 339. 357 
 Hawes' Shop, battle of, 154 to 170 
 
 Heth, General, 3"9. 334. 336 
 
 Hicksford expedition, 375, 382 to 387 
 
 Hill, General A. P., 278, 279, 280, 330, 351, 
 
 353, 354, 355, 384, 386 
 Hospital supplies, 341 
 
 Horse supply, 97 
 
 " Horse-swap," 379 
 
 Hunter, General, 187, 232 
 
 Inaccuracies in official returns of numbers, 
 
 102, 103, 104, 127, 267, 268, 269 
 
 Jeffords, Lieutenant-Colonel, 335 
 
 Jeff. Davis Legion, 52, 142 
 
INDEX. ix 
 
 Kilpatrick, General, raid and rout of, 108 to 
 123; rout and capture of camp near 
 Fayetteville, N. C, 397 to 415; 
 "Buckland Races," 416 to 420 
 
 Kautz's division, 231, 240, 244 
 
 Laurel brigade, 92, 126, 142, 199, 278, 288, 313 
 
 Lee, General Robert E. — anecdote about, 
 132, 133; views about Petersburg, 
 183 ; letter from Hampton, 213; letter 
 to Hampton about Trevilian, 227, 
 228; relations with Hampton, 264, 
 265 ; official letter to Hampton, 273, 
 274 ; communications to Hampton 
 and Vance about battle of Reams Sta- 
 tion, 285 ; note to Hampton about the 
 cattle-raid, 302 ; correspondence with 
 Hampton about battle of Burgess Mill, 
 350 to 355 ; letter to Hampton about 
 battle of Five Forks, 361, 362 ; his re- 
 treat from Petersburg, 363 to 367 ; let- 
 ter to Mr. Seddon, Secretary of War, 366, 367 
 
 Lee, General Fitzhugh, division, 145, 188, 
 
 200, 201, 202, 214, 220, 223, 227, 241, 242,419 
 
 Lee, General W. H. F., division, 145, 173, 
 
 174, 188, 235, 272, 273, 320,333, 334, 335 
 
X INDEX 
 
 Lee, General Stephen D., 52 
 
 Lewis battalion, 142 
 
 Logan, General, 52 
 
 Lomax brigade, 145 
 
 Lone damsel, 408, 409, 41.0 
 
 Losses of Hampton in Trevilian and Wil- 
 son raids, 247 
 Losses of Sheridan during his command of 
 
 four months, 258, 259 
 
 Madison, Mrs. James, 23, 24 
 
 Magazine rifles, 94, 147 
 
 Mahone, General, 337 
 
 McClure, A. H. K., of Philadelphia Times, 56 to 59 
 McGregor's battery, 279, 385 
 
 Meade, General — " Household troops," 109, 
 127, 128, 129, 134, 294, 295 ; letter to 
 Grant about Hampton, 234; cattle- 
 raid, 294, 295, 300; at Burgess Mill, 
 346 ; despatch to Grant about Hicks- 
 ford expedition, 386 
 Miles, General Nelson A., " looking out " 
 
 at Hatcher's run, 375, 376, 381 
 
 Milford, Hampton's headquarters, 107, 125 
 
 Millwood, the Hampton home, 18, 24 
 
 Mississippi, Hampton's plantations in, 45,46 
 
INDEX. xi 
 
 Millen's battalion, 142 
 
 Mountain home of Hampton, 37 to 41 
 
 Muzzle-loaders, ' 91 to 96 
 
 Naked prisoner, anecdote about, 27 to 29 
 
 Nance's Shop, battle of, 219, 220, 223 
 
 Ninth Virginia cavalry, 145, 245 
 
 New Orleans, battle of, 20, 21 
 
 Numerical strength of Federal and Con- 
 federate cavalry, 146, 147, 267 to 270 
 
 Numerical strength at Trevilian, 189, 190 
 
 Official returns, inaccuracy of, 102 to 104 
 
 Organization of Hampton's corps, 142, 145, 146 
 Organization of Sheridan's corps, 146, 147 
 
 Petersburg — Commencement of siege, 216; 
 strategical position, 230; retreat from, 
 
 363 to 367 
 Phillips' Legion, 142 
 
 Picketing experience, 253 to 257 
 
 Pickett, General, at Five Forks, 360 
 
 Pleasanton, General, 66, 134, 149 
 
 Plucky Federal trooper, 38°. 3^1 
 
 Pocketing a frozen eye, 374 
 
 Powder, 96 
 
xii INDEX. 
 
 Position of the Army of Northern Virginia 
 and the Army of Potomac at opening 
 of the campaign of 1864, 107, 108 
 
 Premium on gold, 314 
 
 Quartermasters, 88, 91 
 
 Raid in Pope's rear, 55 
 
 Raines, Colonel, powder works of at Au- 
 gusta, Ga., 96 
 Reconstruction period, 25, 26, 27 
 Rations of cavalry, 82 to 91, 427 
 " Records of the Union and Confederate 
 
 Armies," characteristics of the, 183 to 185 
 Relative strength of the Army of Northern 
 
 Virginia and Army of Potomac, 79, 102, 127, 130 
 Reams station, Federal lodgment, 274 ; bat- 
 tle of, 278 to 283 
 Ride of Colonel Hampton from New Orleans, 2 1 
 Rosser, General Thomas L., 92, 94, 126, 142, 
 152, 154, 157, 168, 173, 174, 199,213, 
 
 278, 288, 290, 312, 313, 358, 419 
 
 Samaria Church, fight of, 218 to 223 
 
 Sappony Church, fight at, 237, 238 
 
 Scouts, 305 to 31 1 
 
 "Sea-power," 428 
 
INDEX. xiii 
 
 Secession, 47 to 5 i 
 
 Second North Carolina cavalry, 145 
 
 Second Virginia cavalry, 142 
 
 Seventh Georgia cavalry, 142 
 
 Seventh Virginia cavalry, 142 
 
 Sixth Virginia cavalry, 145 
 
 Sixth South Carolina cavalry, 142 
 
 Shadbourne, scout, 302 
 
 Sherman, General Tecumseh, 18, 389, 390, 
 
 413, 421 to 424 
 Sheridan, General, to command cavalry corps, 
 135; Richmond raid, 137 to 141, 146 
 to 149, 152 to 169; at Trevilian, 189 
 to 212; ordered to Shenandoah Val- 
 ley, 257 ; criticism of, 257 to 260; 
 numerical strength at Five Forks, 359 
 
 Stuart, General J. E. B., 55 to 74, 107, 138, 142 
 Spotsylvania Courthouse, battle of, 151 
 
 Stanton, Secretary of War, 356, 357 
 
 Stony Creek raid, 370, 373 
 
 Swinton's "Army of the Potomac," 176 to 181 
 
 Tactics of Hampton, 148, 149, 150, 151, 425 
 
 Tenth Virginia cavalry, 52, 145 
 
 Third Virginia cavalry, 142 
 
 Third North Carolina cavalry, 145 
 
xiv INDEX. 
 
 Thirteenth Virginia cavalry, 145 
 
 Twelfth Virginia cavalry, 142 
 
 Torbert, General, 146, 189, 192, 198, 212, 267 
 
 Trevilian campaign, 187 to 228; official re- 
 port of Sheridan, 210, 211, 212; sum 
 mary of results, 223 to 228, 359, 360 
 
 War correspondents, punishment of by 
 
 Stanton. 356, 357 
 
 Warren, General, 3 18 ; at Five Forks, 360; 
 
 Hicksford expedition, 375, 382, 388 
 
 West Point, 76 
 
 Wickham's brigade, 142 
 
 Wilderness, battle of, 136 
 
 Wilson, General James H., 146, 173, 174, 
 
 231 to 245, 267 
 Wilson raid, 231 to 245 
 
 Wheeler, Major-General Joseph, 393, 408 
 
 White's battalion, 142 
 
 White House threatened, 216 
 
 Women tending the wounded at Trevilian, 209 
 
 Wounded in the rain, 340, 341 
 
 Yellow Tavern, fight at, 138 
 
 Young, General, wounded, 174 
 
 Young's brigade, 126, 142, 174, 389 
 
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 and has made a favorable Impression in the North and in the West. 
 
 This is one of the books referred to in Mr. Mlnter's able address before 
 the Texas State Teachers' Association. The need for just such a work has 
 been long felt, in both educational and literary circles. It is lamentable, but 
 nevertheless true, that many of the best ana brightest Southern writers are 
 scarcely known outside the circle of their intimate friends. Their proauc- 
 tions have either gone begging for a publisher, or been publishea by houses 
 that felt very little interest in the author, and far less interest in his pro- 
 ductions. But, fortunately, an avenue is now opening up for the dissemina- 
 tion of Southern literature ; and all that is required for the permanent 
 establishment of this much needed avenue is the substantial encouragement 
 of Southern teachers, school officials, and patriotic citizens of all trades and 
 professions. 
 
 SOUTHERN STATES OP THE AMERICAN UNION. By 
 Dr. J. L. M. CuRRT, of Virginia. 272 pages ; large 12mo. 
 Student's edition, plain cloth, $1.00 ; Library edition, $1.25. 
 
 This book is not controversial. Its aim is to reconstruct ideas and 
 opinions adverse to the South, in so far as they are founded on ignorance 
 and prejudice. It embodies in one neat and compact volume the result of 
 the studies on Constitutional History of one of the ablest and most accom- 
 plishea writers of this country. The writing of this book is timely. Some 
 of the greatest political events of the past are being adjusted into truthful 
 history, and new light is being added by the facile pen of a man whose mas- 
 ter mind analyzes with the clearness and power of a spectrum. This book 
 should have a place in the curriculum of every high-school, academy, college, 
 and university of this country. The schools of the South canill afford to be 
 without it. Every citizen should have a copy in his library. 
 
 WILLIAMSON'S LIFE OF GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE. 
 By Mrs. M. L. Williamson, of New Market, Va. Nearly 
 200 pages, beautifully and profusely illustrated. 12ino. 
 Illuminated covers. Price, 25 cents. Library edition, 
 cloth, gold stamping, 75 cents. 
 
 The only history of that grand, good man written specially for the young. 
 The style in which the book is written secures one's interest from the start 
 and never lets it lag. The profuse Illustrations delight older people. The 
 book was intended originally as a gift book, but is now adapted to schools as 
 well. The low price at which we offer it places it within the reach of aU. 
 
 WILLIAMSON'S LIFE OF GENERAL "STONEWALL" 
 JACKSON. By Mrs. M. L. Williamson, of New Market, 
 Va. Nearly 200 pages, beautifully and profusely illustrated. 
 12mo. Illuminated covers. Price, 25 cents. Library edi- 
 tion, cloth, gold stamping, 75 cents. 
 
 The very flattering reception given Mrs. Williamson's Life of Lee for 
 chiiaren has induced us to Issue this companion book, and we feel assured no 
 lover of the purest and highest in manhood will fail to secure a copy. The 
 type is large and clear, and especially suited to the very young or the very old. 
 
B. F. Johnson Publishing Co., Richmond, Va. 
 
 wloHnsott's Readers . . . 
 
 JOHNSON'S PRIMER is the first book of this series, It is a 
 beautiful little book, abounding in colored illustrations, 
 containing a variety of devices, which, besides securing 
 the learner's interest, furnish ample exercise for those of 
 his faculties which most need early training. 
 
 "flemory Qems," little nuggets of wisdom, which are to be 
 learned by heart, and frequently recited, are to be found on nearly 
 every page. They are maxims of sound morality and practical 
 knowledge. Simple Writing Lessons in different slants, in- 
 tended as an exercise for the muscles of the little hands in mak- 
 ing the straight and curved lines that constitute script letters, 
 are to be found on almost every page. Easy Drawing Lessons 
 are added in sufficient numbers to furnish the child ample exer- 
 cise for that strong inclination — the habit of scribbling — with 
 which nature has wisely provided child-life as an escape-valve for 
 pent-up energy. This Primer was designed as the first of a 
 series of six books. It is printed in large type upon good paper; 
 well bound; and its pictures have been especially drawn to illus- 
 trate the thoroughly-graded and well-selected lessons. 
 
 JOHNSON'S READERS. — Johnson's First, Second, Thikd, 
 FouBTH, AND Fifth Readbbs complete the series of six books. 
 In entering upon a series of school readers, the publishers desire 
 to call attention to some of the features which distinguish these 
 books from other school readers, and they believe that these feat- 
 ures will commend the books to all progressive educators. 
 
 Specially Prepared. — These books have been prepared with 
 special reference to the practical work of the school room. The 
 pages are not encumbered with useless matter. Whatever would 
 be likely to divert the attention of the child from the chief object 
 in view — that of learning to read — has been omitted or relegated 
 to its proper place. 
 
 Thoroughly Graded and Complete. — These books contain a larger 
 amount of reading matter than the corresponding numbers of 
 most readers in general use; in the variety and interest of their 
 lessons they are unsurpassed; their gradation is perfect; they 
 form a complete, unbroken series, and are uniform as regards 
 both matter and method. 
 
 The Best Style of Literature. — The reading lessons have been 
 prepared with a view to cultivating a taste for the best style of 
 literature as regards both soundness of thought and excellence of 
 expression. While selecting the reading lessons with a view, also, 
 to securing the learner's interest and exciting his imagination to 
 
B. F. Johnson Publishing Co., Richmond, Va. 
 
 a proper degree of activity, care has been taken to add /ables, 
 fairy-tales, and mytlis very cautiously. It is desirable rather to 
 improve the child's intellectual capacity by giving him lessons 
 containing sound, practical truths, than simply to secure his 
 interest by exciting his imagination continuously to a feverish 
 activity. The latter practice often leads to that most pernicious 
 of mental habits — intemperate novel-reading. 
 
 Sound Morality and Useful Information.— Whiie the paramount 
 
 object of these books is to teach reading, other important and 
 desirable features are by no means overlooked. Lessons incul- 
 cating moral truths are of frequent occurrence. These lessons 
 are such as will appeal to the child's better nature and strengthen 
 his love for right-doing. Lessons intended to cultivate an appre- 
 ciation of the wonderful and the beautiful in nature, and to 
 introduce the pupil to a knowledge of the achievements of science 
 and art, are given due prominence. In the higher books of the 
 series large space is given to choice selections from the writings 
 of the best authors of the English-speaking people; thus giving 
 the child an early introduction to the best thoughts that have 
 emanated from the master-minds of England and America. 
 
 Excellent Illustrations.— The illustrations, which, like the read- 
 ing lessons, are graded to suit the class of pupils for which the'y 
 are intended, are of a high order of merit. They are the work 
 of the beat artists of this country, and have been prepared with 
 special reference to their educational value, aside from their use 
 as pictures illustrating the text. 
 
 Based upon the Most Approved Methods.— These readers are not the 
 result of hap-hazard methods or of untried theories, but are the 
 outgrowth of the experience of practical teachers thoroughly 
 acquainted with the most approved methods of study and instruc- 
 tion, keeping constantly in view the present demands and needs 
 of the schools. 
 
 Expert Compilers. — The wldely-known compilers brought to this 
 work a peculiar fltness — an expert acquaintance with the needs 
 of every grade, the valuable experience of successful teaching, a 
 discerning familiarity with the works of our best authors, and a 
 wealth of culture and innate refinement. 
 
 Johuson's Primer, fiuxible cover ... . . t .10 
 
 Johnson's Primer, boards. . . . .1,5 
 
 Jolinsou's First Reader, boards . ... .16 
 
 Johnson's Second Reader, boards. . , ,2{i 
 
 Johnson's Third Reader, cloth. . . . . . .85 
 
 Johnson's Fourth Header, cloth ... .45 
 
 Johnson's Filth Reader, cloth . . . . to