Showing posts with label 6th PA CAV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 6th PA CAV. Show all posts

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Diary of Mary Brockenbrough Newton: June 24, 1862

Yankee scouts are very busy around us to-day. They watch this river, and are evidently fearing a flank movement upon them. Wagons passing to Dr. N's for corn, guarded by Lancers, who are decidedly the worst specimens we have seen. Compared with them, the regulars are welcome guests. It is so strange that Colonel Rush, the son of a distinguished man, whose mother belonged to one of the first families in Maryland, the first-cousin of James M. Mason, and Captain Mason of our navy, of Mrs. General Cooper and Mrs. S. S. Lee, should consent to come among his nearest of kin, at the head of ruffians like the Lancers, to despoil and destroy our country! I suppose that living in Philadelphia has hardened his heart against us, for the city of Brotherly Love is certainly more fierce towards us than any other. Boston cannot compare with it. This is mortifying, because many of us had friends in Philadelphia, whom we loved and admired. We hope and believe that the Quaker element there is at the foundation of their illwill.

SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern Refugee, During the War, p. 147-8

Monday, May 26, 2014

Major General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, June 11, 1863

Camp, June 11,1863.

This army is weakened, and its morale not so good as at the last battle, and the enemy are undoubtedly stronger and in better morale. Still, I do not despair, but that if they assume the offensive and force us into a defensive attitude, that our morale will be raised, and with a moderate degree of good luck and good management, we will give them better than they can send. War is very uncertain in its results, and often when affairs look the most desperate they suddenly assume a more hopeful state. See the changes and transitions at Vicksburg, to say nothing of our own experience. This makes me hope that it will be our turn next time. The day before yesterday Pleasanton, with all the cavalry and two brigades of infantry, crossed just above us, and had a very brilliant affair with the enemy's cavalry, who it appears were just ready and about starting on a grand raid, some say into Pennsylvania.1 They outnumbered us, but after handling them pretty severely, Pleasanton came back. The Lancers particularly distinguished themselves, though I am sorry to hear with considerable loss.2  It is said Major Morris3 is missing, supposed to have been thrown from his horse and fallen into the enemy's hands. Captain Davis4 was killed. Lennig5 is missing, believed to be wounded. Captain Leiper6 is missing. Lieutenant Ellis7 is wounded. Lieutenant Colladay,8 missing. Charley Cadwalader9 was with them, also Captain Dahlgren, of General Hooker's staff. This latter officer says he was with Morris, and had just jumped a ditch, when his horse was shot. On dismounting, and looking around, he saw Morris's horse without a rider, and he thinks Morris was thrown in jumping the ditch. Charles Coxe10 is all right, so also is Willie White,11 who had two horses shot under him, and broke two sabres. Newhall12 was on Pleasanton's staff, and was not with the regiment when it made a dashing and gallant charge on a battery, getting hi among the guns, which they would have captured had they been promptly supported. Harry Winsor13 is safe, also Welsh.14 I am glad the regiment has had a chance and so brilliantly availed themselves of it. George15 is quite disgusted with his luck, but I tell him a live dog is better than a dead lion.

The backing out of Burnside's course towards the Chicago Times looks suspicious on the part of the President. If peace can be secured without loss of honor, no one would be more rejoiced than I; but I do not see how this can be brought about, with matters as they stand at present. If we could only thoroughly whip these fellows two or three times, regular out-and-out defeats; but I don't advocate peace until we have clearly shown them, as we ought to have done long since, our superiority in the field. I can hardly expect you to enter fully into these views, but if you had been humiliated as I have been by seeing your cause and party defeated when they should be victorious, you would be roiled, too, and would not be willing to give up till things assumed an aspect more consistent with your pride and honor.

We are now on the qui vive to know what the enemy are going to do. I am removed from Hooker's headquarters and know nothing of what is going on, either of plans or surmises. In some respects this is convenient, as I am spared much speculation. In other respects it is not so agreeable, because I like to form my own judgment on what is going on, and to make my preparations accordingly. If Lee is going to assume the offensive, I presume he will not long delay; but whether he will move to our right, trying to get between us and Washington, or whether he will move up the valley as he did last summer, or whether he will attack us here, are questions the future only can solve. All we can do is to be on the lookout and ready. Perhaps Hooker may find a chance to assume the offensive and reverse matters, as the enemy did at Chancellorsville. This I think would be good luck for us.
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1 Battle of Brandy Station, Va., June 9, 1863.
2 "Rush's Lancers," 6th Pa. Cav.
3 Robert Morris, Jr., of Philadelphia, captured and died in Libby Prison.
4 Charles B. Davis, of Philadelphia.
5 Thompson Lennig, of Philadelphia.
6 Charles L. Leiper, of Philadelphia.
7 Rudolph Ellis, of Philadelphia.
8 Samuel R. Colladay.
9 Charles E. Cadwalader, of Philadelphia.
10 Charles B. Coxe, of Philadelphia.
11 William White, of Philadelphia.
12 Frederick C. Newhall, of Philadelphia.
13 Henry Winsor, Jr., of Boston.
14 Osgood Welsh, of Philadelphia.
15 Son of General Meade.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 383-5

Friday, February 7, 2014

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, November 7, 1862

CAMP AT WARRENTON, VA., November 7, 1862.

To-day Alexander Coxe1 has arrived. He had a pretty hard time catching us, and had to ride yesterday nearly fifty miles.

I have not had time to write to you for some days past, as we have been marching all the time, and owing to the crowded state of the roads, we have been obliged to leave camp very early in the morning and be detained till late in getting in. One night it was twelve o'clock before we went into camp. Soon after I wrote you, our reconnoitering parties ascertained positively the enemy had been or were falling back from Winchester, when we immediately started to try and get ahead of them; an operation I never had the remotest idea we would or could succeed in, as they are much less encumbered with trains than we are, and are much better marchers. Our corps and division reached this place last evening, the storm and the necessity of waiting till the railroad to this place can be opened and supplies thrown forward, have delayed us somewhat.

I note all you say about George.2 He will have a comparatively pleasant time, and I will quote for your comfort a part of a secesh lady's letter recently captured (i. e. the letter) in which she says: "I want John (her son) to go into the cavalry, because I see that very few of that arm of the service are either killed or wounded," which is a fact; we have not lost over a dozen cavalry officers since the war began.
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1 Alexander Brinton Coxe, aide-de-camp to General Meade.

2 Son of General Meade, lieutenant 6th Pa. Cav. — "Rush's Lancers."

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 324-5

Monday, January 27, 2014

Brigadier General George G. Meade to Margaretta Sergeant Meade, October 1, 1862

CAMP NEAR SHARPSBURG, MD., October 1, 1862.

I note the canard about General Sickles taking command of Hooker's corps, which arose from the fact that General Sickles has been placed in command of Hooker's old division. So, also, I saw a brilliant account in Forney's "Press" of the battle of Antietam, in which the writer, confusing Hooker's division with his corps, speaks of the gallantry of Generals Patterson and Grover in leading the men; whereas Hooker's division was at Alexandria, when Grover was with it, and Patterson has been for some time in Philadelphia. But such is history.

When Hooker placed me in command of the corps on the field, I immediately sought out Ricketts, told him I presumed there was a mistake, Hooker not knowing that he (Ricketts) outranked me, and I turned over the command to him, and only resumed it after getting the peremptory order from McClellan, which I sent you. Ricketts appreciated my course, and said there was no one he was more willing to serve under than myself, and that he only made his protest because he considered it a matter of principle. In this I think he was right, and I should have done the same thing myself, for I do not believe McClellan had the right to do as he did.

I am very much flattered to hear that Mr. Binney1 and other citizens desired to have me to defend Philadelphia. It was just as well, however, that they were refused; the service would have been temporary, and I should have lost the brilliant chances of the two battles. I envied Reynolds when he left for Harrisburg, and secretly thought the Governor might have applied for me. Afterwards — indeed, the next day, after South Mountain — I was grateful beyond measure that I had been overlooked. In reference to George,2 I think he had better accept the appointment in Averill's regiment, and not wait any longer for Rush.3 In regard to my own staff, I have received a letter from Mr. Coxe,4 in which he says his last hope is being elected into one of the Pennsylvania Reserve regiments. This amounts to nothing, because Seymour and Reynolds have prohibited elections in the division, and there have been none for some time. In the meantime, I have had two young men serving temporarily on my staff. One is a Mr. Mason, belonging to one of the Reserve regiments, and the other Mr. Dehon, of Boston, belonging to the Twelfth Massachusetts (Fletcher Webster's regiment). They are both very clever and active.

In regard to Willie, your brother, I will see what can be done. The trouble is, both Seymour and Reynolds have got into a snarl with the Governor about elections, the Governor maintaining that he will not appoint without elections, and they (in orders) prohibiting elections and getting McClellan to give acting appointments, subject to the approval of the Governor, which appointments are never submitted to the Governor for his approval. The consequence is there are a number of officers appointed who have never been commissioned by the Governor, and who in reality have no commissions. This makes it very difficult to know what to do, and how to unravel the snarl that Seymour and Reynolds have got into.

The news has just been brought into camp that the Southern Confederacy have sent Peace Commissioners to Washington. Alas, I fear, they have left it too late, and that the day has gone by for any terms to be granted them except complete submission! Either one extreme or the other will have to come to pass — the day for compromise, for a brotherly reconciliation, for the old Union, in reality as well as name, has passed away, and the struggle must be continued till one side or the other is exhausted and willing to give up. Peace — oh, what a glorious word, and how sweet and delightful would its realization be to me! And if such is the case, how desirable for thousands and thousands of others, who have not gained, as I have by war, distinction and fame!
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1 Horace Binney, of the Philadelphia Bar.

2 George Meade, son of General Meade and compiler of this work.

3 Richard H. Rush, colonel 6th Pa. Cavalry, known as "Rush's Lancers."

4 Alexander Brinton Coxe, of Philadelphia.

SOURCE: George Meade, The Life and Letters of George Gordon Meade, Vol. 1, p. 315-7