Summary:
Lieut. Col. Franklin A. Stratton commanded the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry of
the Army of the Potomac. Stratton reports on skirmishes with the enemy and
captures of men and supplies.
Sir
Near Richmond, Va.
April 29, 1865.
SIR
I have the honor to make the following report of operations of this regiment during the late campaign:
...
The regiment moved with the division on the 2d, 3d, and 4th to the vicinity of Amelia Court-House. At Deep Creek we attacked the rebel rear guard, strongly posted, and after half an hour's skirmishing drove them out with considerable loss, having only one man wounded on our side. On the 4th, upon nearing the Court-House, Maj. McFarlan, commanding the advance battalion, met and charged the enemy's cavalry outposts, driving their skirmish line back upon their infantry support. He was followed up in the charge by the remainder of the regiment, which was ordered forward by Col. Evans, commanding the brigade. Only two or three men were lost. The next day I supported the First Maryland Cavalry in its attack on the enemy at the railroad, to the left of the Court-House. Two or three men were slightly wounded in this affair. Moving thence, via Burkeville, to Prince Edward Court-House, on the 7th, we there, in conjunction with Maj. Baker's battalion, captured a considerable number of rebels, including one or two officers. the following day we marched to the vicinity of Appomattox Station, on the South Side Railroad, and on the morning of the 9th moved out to the main road from Appomattox Court-House to Lynchburg, about a mile westerly from the Court-House, this regiment having the advance. Capt. Nimmon's squadron was deployed, dismounted, and pushed across the road to develop the enemy's position. I moved the remainder of the regiment into the wood on the left, dismounting four companies, under Maj. Skelley, holding Capt. Nimmon commenced skirmishing I discovered the enemy pushing out about a brigade of infantry from the wood on our right and moving down the slope at right angles with our line. Changing from to the right, I opened fire with some effect, but receiving orders in a few minutes to fall back retired slowly to deploy again, about 200 yards in front of the road, to protect the left flank, which I did. Capt. Ring's squadron and one squadron under Lieut. Cook were formed in line on the main road to repel the enemy, who were following closely our dismounted men, retiring under their orders to fall back. The enemy's cavalry being reported moving to our left and rear, I sent Maj. McFarlan to move the led horses as his judgment might direct for their safety. This duty he creditably performed, and afterward had the horses ready for mounting as soon as wanted by me.
While affairs were in this position Davies' brigade, dismounted, aided by our dismounted men, repelled the attack of the enemy on this road. At this moment some of the rebel cavalry dashed in upon our rear, and were met and checked by such men as could be brought up in time. Almost at the same time our infantry, a part of the Twenty-fourth Corps, advanced in line from the woods in our rear, sweeping back the head of the column of rebel cavalry, and pushing beyond us toward the Court-House soon left us in the rear. During this cavalry attack Capt. Ring made a dashing charge on a superior force of cavalry in our rear with some effect, although I had no men at hand mounted to support him. Receiving orders to mount the regiment I did so without delay, and, under orders, moved down the road about a mile westerly to meet the rebel cavalry, there posted across the road. Before any decisive operations were commenced at this point orders to suspend hostilities were received. Although a portion of the engagement was quite sharp this morning I lost but one man killed and three or four wounded.
From this place, on the evening of the 9th, I detached Capt. Elliott's squadron to search for artillery supposed to be abandoned by the enemy in the vicinity of Red Oak Church. A copy of his report has already been forwarded, from which it will be seen that he captured 60 prisoners, 54 pieces of field artillery, 36 gun carriages and caissons, and 1 battle-flag.
On the 12th the command marched to Lynchburg and occupied the town about 4 p.m. Upon entering the place I received orders to take command of the troops in the place, consisting of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry and Maj. Baker's battalion, and to take possession of and destroy all public property. These orders were carried out as far as possible during the evening. The next day I turned over the command and the captured property to Lieut.-Col. Potter, of Gen. Turner's division, of the Twenty-fourth Corps. Very large amounts of military stores were found here, comprising ordnance and ordnance stores of every kind, quartermaster's property, a large amount of subsistence stores, 25 locomotives, many cars, and much other railroad property, and much property of a miscellaneous nature. This property was all turned over by me to Lieut.-Col. Potter as stated. I found here 56 field pieces, 6 heavy guns, 41 mortars, 7 forges, 75 caissons and gun carriages, 15,000 muskets, several hundred sabers, and a large quantity of ammunition.
Including the guns, &c., captured on the 9th, at Red Oak Church, the Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry has captured and taken possession of and delivered to the proper officers 110 field pieces, 41 mortars, 6 heavy guns, 111 caissons and carriages, a large amount of ordnance stores, 1 battle-flag, and many prisoners.
Leaving Lynchburg on the 16th the regiment marched with the brigade to Burkeville, and thence, via Goode's Bridge, to Richmond, at which place it arrived on the 24th instant.
I cannot speak too highly of the soldierly conduct of both officers and men of the regiment during this brief campaign. I have heretofore recommended several officers for promotion and others as deserving honorable mention, but their service, under the eye of the commanding general, has enabled him to judge of their merits.
FRANKLIN A. STRATTON,
Lieut. Col. Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry,
Cmdg. Regt.
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. 264, Pages 1255, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
