Summary:
Col. Oliver B. Knowles commanded the Third Brigade of the Army of the Potomac
which included the 21st Pa. Cavalry. Knowles reports on participating in the
engagement and incurring a slight loss.
Bvt. Maj. H. C. WEIR,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.,
Second Cavalry Division.
February 15, 1865.
MAJ
In compliance with instructions from headquarters Second Cavalry Division, I have the honor to make the following report of operations of this brigade in the engagements of the 5th, 6th, and 7th instant:
The brigade (with the exception of the Sixth Ohio Cavalry, who were ordered to report to Gen. Warren at 6 a.m., 5th instant) left its present camp at 3 a.m., 5th instant; marched, via Gary's Church and Reams' Station, to Dinwiddie Court-House, where we remained about one hour; then returned to the Rowanty, where we bivouacked.
At 1 a.m., 6th instant, orders were received to march, when in company with the division the brigade marched, via Monk's Neck bridge, to the Vaughan road and joined the infantry near Hatcher's Run, where the brigade was formed on the west side of the run. Here the Sixth Ohio Cavalry, which accompanied the infantry on the advance, rejoined the brigade, participated in the engagement on the 6th instant, with but slight loss. The Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry was ordered to report half to Gen. Crawford and half to a staff officer of Gen. Meade.
At 1 p.m., 7th instant, the brigade returned to Weldon railroad, where it remained during the night, and on the morning of 8th instant returned to camp.
I have the honor to mention the following-named enlisted men as having displayed marked bravery on the advance to Hatcher's Run while with the infantry: Sergt. Michael Eck, Company L, Sixth Ohio Cavalry; Corpl. Harley B. Scribner, Company L, Sixth Ohio Cavalry; Private William W. Porter, Company L, Sixth Ohio Cavalry; Corpl. W. Emerson Dunlap, Company K, Sixth Ohio Cavalry.
Respectfully submitted.
O. B. KNOWLES,
Col., Cmdg. Brigade.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I., Volume 46. Part I, Reports., Serial No. 95, Pages 371, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
