Summary:
Col. Thomas C. Devin commanded the Second Brigade of the Army of the Potomac
which included the 17th Pa. Cav. Devin reports that the regiment engaged the
enemy several times, while both mounted and dismounted.
Capt. A. E. DANA, Asst. Adjt. Gen., First Div., Cavalry Corps.
July 4, 1864.
CAPT.
I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this brigade, from May 4 to 26, inclusive: On the afternoon of May 4 the brigade marched from Culpeper, and encamped near Sheppard's Grove, on the road to Richards' Ford. May 5, crossed the Rapidan at Ely's Ford, and advanced to Chancellorsville. On the morning of May 6 I was ordered to advance with the brigade and Heaton's battery to the Brock road and take up a position on the right of Gen. Custer, and to endeavor to communicate with and watch the left of our infantry line. If I found Gen. Custer engaged I was ordered to support him. On reaching the position, I found Gen. Custer briskly engaged with the enemy, who had also opened a heavy fire upon him from a battery of three guns posted in a field in his front. I formed the brigade in support, and ordered Lieut. Heaton to place his battery in position behind the crest of the hill in rear of Custer's line, and then to run up his guns by hand to the crest, which was covered with dwarf pine. By this means the guns were trained and ready to open before the enemy were aware of their presence. The guns were at once opened, and in a few minutes the rebel battery was driven from the ground, with a loss of captain, lieutenant, several men, and 8 horses killed. The enemy made no further demonstration at this point during the day. I succeeded in connecting Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry with left of Second Corps, and Sixth New York Cavalry with right of Gen. Gregg, near Todd's Tavern. About 5 p. m. I was ordered to retire to the Furnaces, where the brigade encamped. On the morning of May 7 I was ordered to march to the point occupied the day previous, Gen. Custer following. We met the enemy on the road, drove in his advance, and succeeded in establishing the line on the right; but, as Gen. Gregg had not yet come up on the left, the enemy obstinately held the road to Todd's Tavern. A brisk skirmish ensued on that road, part of Sixth New York Cavalry charging down the road, but were repulsed with some loss, the enemy being dismounted and behind barricades. The advance of Gen. Gregg on the left soon after compelled the enemy to retire, and I was ordered to advance to Todd's Tavern, where the brigade was massed. Brig.-Gen. Merritt having assumed command of the division about 4 p. m., I was ordered to support the Reserve Brigade, then engaged with the enemy on the road to Spotsylvania Court-House. On reaching the front I was informed by Col. Gibbs that his ammunition was exhausted, and upon his request I successively dismounted Sixth and Ninth New York Cavalry and Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and relieved all of the Reserve Brigade that my front would cover. The men went in with a will and drove the enemy through the woods until dark, when I fell back slightly and took up a position at the cross-roads, holding well on the flanks. The brigade having advanced so far that no connection could be made with our troops on the right, I was ordered to fall back to the edge of the woods and encamp.
On the morning of May 8 I was ordered to march in rear of the Reserve Brigade, on the road to Spotsylvania Court-House. The enemy were met near the point to which we had driven them the night previous, and a sharp fight ensued. I was ordered to support, and dismounting Ninth New York Cavalry and Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, sent them in on the right and left of the Reserve Brigade. The enemy was driven back to a strong position, barricaded along his whole front, which he succeeded in holding until the cavalry was relieved by the Fifth Corps, when the brigade was ordered to retire. The casualties in the brigade during the two days' fighting around Todd's Tavern summed up as follows: Killed, 7 men; wounded, 3 officers, 43 men; missing, 4 men; total, 3 officers, 54 men.
The brigade was then ordered to proceed to Silver's, on the plank road, near which point in encamped.
THE RAID.
On the morning of May 9 the division, under the command of Brig.-Gen. Merritt, left camp at daybreak. I was ordered to follow in rear of Custer's brigade, and after crossing the Ny, Po, and Mat Rivers, reached Chilesburg, where the division halted to feed. The march was resumed, and, fording the North Anna, the brigade reached a point near Beaver Dam Station, on Virginia Central Railroad, after dark. At this point the Sixth New York Cavalry and Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry were detached to destroy the railroad at the station, after which the brigade encamped.
May 10, the brigade marched in rear of the division to Negro Foot, where a halt was made. After feeding animals the march was resumed, the brigade crossing Ground Squirrel Bridge, on the South Anna, after dark. The Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry was left on the north side to hold the bridge. The Ninth New York Cavalry and Sixth New York Cavalry encamped on south side.
May 11, the brigade, having first burned the bridge, marched in rear of the Reserve Brigade, and reached Allen's Station, on Fredericksburg Railroad, at 11 a. m. Parties were immediately detached to destroy the railroad as far as Hungary Station. The enemy showing himself in strong force on left and front, I was ordered to advance to the front and drive him from the Brook turnpike. I moved to Yellow Tavern, where I found part of the Reserve Brigade. Advancing the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry through the woods on the right, I swung around on the turnpike, driving the enemy from and seizing the cross-roads leading to Ashland and Hanover Court-House, the point being 6 miles from Richmond. I was then ordered to make a reconnaissance toward Richmond, at least as far as Brook Bridge. The Sixth New York Cavalry was ordered to advance, and the two leading squadrons to charge on the rebel cavalry about 500 yards in front. The enemy fled, closely pursued by the Sixth for over 2 miles, across the bridge, and into the outer works of Richmond. Our men were here checked until three squadrons dismounted and drove the rebels from the works, the mounted men charging them beyond Brook Church, and nearly to the inner works. The bells could be heard ringing, locomotives whistling, and general alarm and bustling seemed to prevail in Richmond. I reported the facts to the general commanding division, and was ordered to hold my advanced position as well as the cross-roads, 3 miles in rear. I had but two regiments (Ninth New York Cavalry having been sent to the left to support Reserve Brigade), and one section Williston's battery. I detached two squadrons of Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry to a cross-road between Brook Bridge and my position to cover the rear of Sixth New York Cavalry, and with the other four squadrons and section of battery held the Ashland fork, opening upon the enemy's flank, while Gen. Custer charged him in front. The Ninth New York Cavalry, which had been sent to my left, had successfully charged and routed Fifth Virginia Cavalry from a strong position, killing their colonel (Pate) and killing and wounding a large number of their officers and men, and capturing 8 commissioned officers and 84 men, for whom they have receipts, although the regiment claims to have captured 115 men and 10 officers. At dark I was ordered to send a reconnaissance to the Mechanicsville turnpike. I ordered Maj. Hall, of Sixth New York Cavalry, on this duty with two squadrons. The reconnaissance was successfully made as far as Meadow Bridges, capturing an orderly with dispatches from Gen. Bragg. At midnight, I was ordered to march in advance of the division and in rear of Gen. Wilson. Passed through the outer works of Richmond, and about daybreak reached the vicinity of Meadow Bridges. Found Gen. Wilson engaging the enemy on the right. I was here ordered to send my pioneers to repair the Meadow Bridges, which the enemy were endeavoring to destroy. Lieut. Cating, with 8 pioneers, drove the party from the bridges and commenced work, but it was soon found that it would require a large force to repair and also to keep off the enemy. working detachments were sent down, and two regiments of First Brigade, armed with spencer rifles, were sent in to keep the enemy in check. After some hours' labor the bridges were repaired, under the direction of Gen. Custer, and I was ordered to follow the First Brigade across the bridge. The enemy having erected strong works on the left of the railroad, covering the bridges and road, and obstinately refusing to leave them, I was ordered to support Gen. Custer with two regiments. I dismounted and advanced the Ninth New York Cavalry and Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry on the left of the railroad. Those two gallant regiments, after coolly deploying in the open field under the enemy's fire, charged full upon his rifle-pits, utterly routing him and capturing a number of prisoners in the works, besides 30 of the enemy's wounded found in and around the works, who could not be taken off. The movement cost me some gallant officers and men. Lieut. Shultz, Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, was killed, and Maj. Corrigan, Ninth New York Cavalry, lost a leg, and has since died of his wounds. The enemy was pursued for a mile, but having no mounted men over the bridge, we were unable to reach him. After the brigade was mounted and formed I was ordered to march with the division to Gaines' Mill.
May 13, marched with the division from Gaines' Mill to a point near Bottom's Bridge, and encamped.
May 14, crossed the Chickahominy at Bottom' Bridge, and marched to Malvern Hill.
May 17, I received orders to advance with my own and Reserve brigade to the cross-roads at New Market, and threaten the enemy in that direction. I placed the Reserve Brigade in position near New Market, and with the Second Brigade advanced to Camp Holly. From that point I ordered one regiment to proceed on the Varina road in the direction of Chaffin's Bluff. The regiment (Ninth New York Cavalry) returned at night, having met a party of Forty-second Battalion Virginia Cavalry, who they routed, capturing 1 commissioned officer. I returned to camp at Malvern Hill, and the same night marched to Long Bridge.
May 18, crossed the Chickahominy at Jones' Bridge, and marched to Baltimore Store, and encamped.
May 21, marched to White House and encamped.
May 22, crossed the Pamunkey at night and encamped.
May 23, marched by King William Court-House, to the Mattapony, opposite Dunkirk, at which point I was ordered to bridge the river, if possible. This I effected by means of scows or ferry-boats, lashed together, anchored, and covered with lumber, procured by tearing down the store-houses at the ferry. The bridge was amply sufficient to cross the corps. The Sixth New York Cavalry were sent across mounted, and held the roads in front.
May 24, the brigade marched, with the division, by Mangohick Church to Reedy Swamp, where it encamped. Horses and men suffered terrible with heat and dust. I had the horses led for 5 miles, and lost but few.
May 25, marched in rear of the division, by Chesterfield Station, to Pole Cat Creek, where it encamped near the train.
Although diminished in numbers by the absence of one regiment (Fourth New York Cavalry) an battery, the brigade sustained its well-earned reputation throughout this short and sharp campaign. The regimental commandants, Col. Sackett, Ninth New York Cavalry; Lieut.-Col. Anderson, Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry; and Lieut.-Col. Crocker, Sixth New York Cavalry, were conspicuous at all times for their gallantry and enterprise, and were well supported by their officers and men. To the brigade staff, Surgeon Clarke, Capt.'s Mahnken, Wright, and White, and Lieut.'s Cating and Parker, acting aides, I am indebted for valuable service. The lists of casualties have already been forwarded.
Trusting this report may be found satisfactory, I am, very respectfully, you obedient servant,
THOS. C. DEVIN, Col., Cmdg. Brigade.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I., Volume 36. Part I, Reports., Serial No. 67, Pages 833, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
