Camp 5, Princeton. — Marched at 6 A. M. Heard firing
in advance. Turned out to be Company C on Camp Creek, attacked by
Lieutenant-Colonel Fitzhugh with four companies, dismounted, Jenkins' Cavalry
and Foley's bushwhackers. The company was in line ready to move off to return
to camp when they saw a party of bushwhackers coming down the road who called
out (Captain Foley called): “Don't fire; we are Richmond's men.” Immediately
after, a volley was fired into our men from all sides. They were surrounded by
three hundred Secesh. Finding the attack so heavy, Company C was ordered by
Lieutenant Bottsford to take shelter in the log house where they had quartered.
They kept up such a spirited fire that the enemy retreated, leaving four dead,
four mortally [wounded], four more dangerously. All these we got. Captain
Foley had his shoulder broken. The enemy fled in confusion leaving their dead
and wounded on the field. This was a splendid victory for Lieutenant Bottsford
and Sergeant Ritter, of Company C, and Sergeant Abbott, Company I. They were
the prominent officers. Our loss was a German, Pfeffer, killed; Lenox and
another mortally wounded, three severely wounded, and fifteen others slightly.
Sergeant Ritter had a bullet shot into his head lodging between the scalp and
skull. He fell, but instantly jumped up saying, “You must shoot lower if you
want to kill me.” It was a gallant fight. Company C wears the honors.
I came up to the scene of the conflict soon after the enemy
fled. They say our coming drove them away. I couldn't speak when I came up to
the gallant little company and they presented arms to me. I went around shaking
hands with the wounded. They all spoke cheerfully. We immediately pushed on in
mud and rain after the retreating foe. Captain McIlrath's company (A) [led]. At
a house where three cavalrymen were leaving two of the enemy's wounded, they
killed one and captured his horse and shotgun, etc. I then sent the cavalry
under Lieutenant-Colonel Paxton in advance. They soon were fired on by a gang
of bushwhackers from a hill and their horses badly stampeded. One horse threw
his forelegs over Colonel Paxton's horse's neck. The cavalry dismounted,
charged up the hill, and caught one dragoon.
Finding the cavalry would dismount and skirmish all the bad
hillsides (and they were abundant — being twelve miles of defiles), I again put
the Twenty-third in advance. At Ferguson's we saw Captain Ward, quartermaster
Rebel army, badly wounded and another young soldier.
We pushed on rapidly, crossing Wolf Creek, Camp Creek, and
wading Bluestone waist-deep — rain falling, mud deep and slippery. We came in
sight of the wagons of the retreating foe, but for want of cavalry familiarized
to the business, we were unable to overtake them. We were told of great
reinforcements at Princeton or soon to be at Princeton. The Forty-fifth
[Virginia] there or coming. Captain Ward, a pleasant gentleman, said we would
probably “get thunder at Princeton.” We kept ahead. On approaching town we saw
great clouds. Some thought it smoke, some supposed it was clouds. Within two
miles we knew the Rebels were burning the town. We hurried forward; soon
reached an elevated ground overlooking the place. All the brick buildings,
court-house, churches, etc., were burning. I ordered up the howitzers to
scatter out the few Rebel cavalry who were doing it; deployed the regiment by a
file right into a field and marched forward by battalion front. The town was
soon overrun. Some fires were put out; four or five tolerably fine dwellings
were saved; a number of small buildings and some good stables were also saved.
And so ended the first of May — twenty-two miles in mud and
rain. An exciting day. Five enemy killed, nine badly wounded that we got; three
unwounded prisoners, and about a dozen Rebels wounded. Total five killed, three
prisoners, twenty-one wounded. A good day's work.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 238-40
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