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John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life, chapter 9 (search)
in an ambulance attended by a chaplain. The ambulance was well guarded in front, in rear, and on the flanks. The gallows also was strongly guarded. If I recollect aright, the troops were not ordered out to witness the spectacle. Nevertheless, thousands of them from adjoining camps lined the route, and, standing around the gallows, saw the prisoners meet their fate. No loyal heart gave them any sympathy. In April, 1864, I saw a man hanged for a different offence, on the plains of Stevensburg. He belonged to the second division of my own corps. Most of the corps, which was then twenty-seven thousand strong, must have witnessed the scene, from near or afar. In hanging the culprit the provost-marshal made a dreadful botch of the job, for the rope was too long, and when the drop fell the man's feet touched the ground. This obliged the provost-marshal to seize the rope, and by main strength to hold him clear of the ground till death ensued. It is quite probable that strangula
John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life, chapter 10 (search)
e apparent by this fact, that when an army first went into camp trees were cut with the scarf two or three feet above the ground, but as the scarcity increased these stumps would get chipped down often below a level with the ground. After fatigue call the next business, as indicated by the drum or army bugle, was to respond to Drill call (infantry). I will anticipate a little by saying that the last drill of any kind in which my own company engaged took place among the hills of Stevensburg, but a day or two before the army started into the Wilderness in ‘64. From that time until the close of the war batteries were kept in constant motion, or placed in the intrenchments on siege duty, thus putting battery drill out of the question; such at least was the fact with light batteries attached to the various army corps. The Artillery Reserve, belonging to the Army of the Potomac, may have been an exception to this. I have no information in regard to it. The artillery, like
John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life, chapter 12 (search)
straightway the average soldier mailed a letter home to mother, father, wife, sister, or brother, setting forth in careful detail what he should like to have sent in a box at the earliest possible moment, and stating with great precision the address that must be put on the cover, in order to have it reach its destination safely. Here is a specimen address:-- Sergeant John J. Smith, Company A., 19th Mass. Regiment, Second brigade, Second Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac, Stevensburg, Va. Care Capt. James Brown. As a matter of fact much of this address was unnecessary, and the box would have arrived just as soon and safely if the address had only included the name, company, and regiment, with Washington, D. C., added, for everything was forwarded from that city to army headquarters, and thence distributed through the army. But the average soldier wanted to make a sure thing of it, and so told the whole story. The boxes sent were usually of good size, often ei
John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee: The Unwritten Story of Army Life, Index. (search)
2-76 Sickles, Daniel E., 157,406 Smith, Andrew J., 263 Smith, E. Kirby, 160 Soldier's Aid Society, 85 Songs: Abraham's Daughter, 215; The battle Cry of freedom, 38, 42,335; Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, 38,335; Dead march, 158; John Brown's body, 335; Marching along, 335; Pleyel's Hymm, 158; Raw recruit, 215; The star-spangled banner, 42; Sweet by and by, 137; When Johnny comes marching home, 71,193; Yankee Doodle, 42 Southside Railroad, 350 Spotsylvania, 291,319 Stevensburg, Va., 163, 181 Suffolk, Va., 403 Sugar Loaf Mountain, Md., 404 Sutlers, 224-30 Swain, Charley, 248-49 Tents, 46-57,61-72,90-91, 300-302, 336-37,353 Thomas, George G., 259,262,404 Townsend, Edward D., 188,255-56 Tripler, Charles S., 299,303, 305 United service Magazine, 364 United States Army. Departments: Department of the Cumberland, 259, 262; Department of the Gulf, 146; Department of West Virginia, 267; Armies: Army of the Cumberland, 267; Army of the James, 266; A
Heros von Borcke, Memoirs of the Confederate War for Independence, Chapter 5: (search)
tended with difficulty, especially with the artillery, on account of the depth of the water. Lee's brigade was sent to the right, in the direction of Kelly's Ford; General Stuart and Staff marched with Robertson's brigade in the direction of Stevensburg, about one mile from Brandy Station, and both commands were to unite near the latter place. Our advance-guard came first in contact with the enemy, who, broken by the attack, fled in great confusion, and were pursued through the little villaghat old men and boys, all that were able to carry a gun, in spite of our earnest remonstrances, followed our column to join in the fight with the detested Yankees. The enemy, strongly reinforced, had now taken position about two miles from Stevensburg, on the outskirts of an extensive wood. Several small detachments had been pushed nearer towards us, and were patrolling on our flanks. One of these, in strength about half a squadron, mounted on grey horses, operated with great dash; but, a
Heros von Borcke, Memoirs of the Confederate War for Independence, Chapter 20: (search)
d-day, the fog cleared away, and we were enabled to discover that our antagonists had for once completely deceived us. The advance in front had only been made by some cavalry to occupy our attention while the main body had marched in the direction of the Rapidan river. With his accustomed quickness, Stuart divined at once the intentions of the Federal commander, and, leaving one regiment behind to watch the movements of the hostile cavalry, we directed our march with all rapidity towards Stevensburg and Germana Ford on the Rapidan, trusting to be able to throw ourselves in the way of the enemy before he could reach the latter important point, where our engineers had just been completing a bridge. Unfortunately we were too late; and on reaching the intersection of the road, near the free negro Madden's house, previously mentioned, we found the greater part of the Federal troops had passed already, and could see, at a distance of not more than three hundred yards, the dense masses of
John Esten Cooke, Wearing of the Gray: Being Personal Portraits, Scenes, and Adventures of War., A young Virginian and his spurs. (search)
he field-men falling, cut out of the saddle with the sabre; artillery roaring, carbines cracking --a perfect hurly-burly of conflict. Some day, perhaps, the present historian may give a page to this hard battle, and speak of its moving accidents; of the manner in which the cannoneers of the horse-artillery met and repulsed a charge upon their guns with clubs and sponge-staffs; how that gallant spirit, P. M. B. Young, of Georgia, met the heavy flanking column attacking from the side of Stevensburg, and swept it back with the sabre; how the brave William H. F. Lee received the charge upon the left and fell in front of his squadrons at the moment when the Federal forces broke; and how Stuart, on fire with the heat of battle, was everywhere the soul and guiding spirit of the desperate struggle. At four in the evening the assault had been repulsed, and the Federal cavalry were in hasty retreat across the river again. Many prisoners remained in the hands of the Confederates, but t
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), The battle of Beverly ford. (search)
uracy of Major McClellan's spirited account of these, and it is confirmed from various other trustworthy sources. Before reaching Brandy Station, Colonel Duffie had turned to his left, hoping to accomplish something in the enemy's rear. Near Stevensburg he encountered a force of cavalry, which was charged — the First Massachusetts and Third Pennsylvania Cavalry in advance-and driven through and beyond Stevensburg in disorder, as Major McClellan himself avows, with all possible candor. Here CStevensburg in disorder, as Major McClellan himself avows, with all possible candor. Here Colonel Duffie paused, distrusting, no doubt, his isolation from the main body of the Kelly's ford column. General Gregg had advanced directly upon Brandy Station without opposition, and thence to the Fleetwood hill, where Stuart made hasty preparations to receive him. Fleetwood hill is a ridge of ground, half a mile from Brandy Station, toward the Rappahannock, and west of the railroad. St. James' Church is on the river side of the hill, and Buford was now working his way up to it from that s
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), The Union cavalry at Gettysburg. (search)
ld by a large number of field-pieces supported by troops. General Gregg, with his own and Colonel Dufie's command, crossed at the same time at Kelly's Ford. Agreeably to orders from the corps commander, Colonel Dufie proceeded at once to Stevensburg to take position, while Gregg marched directly upon Brandy Station, which, owing to the number of miles to be marched and obstructions met in the roads, he did not reach until some hours after Buford's attack had been made. Upon an open plainld whose glories have not often been surpassed. Moving on a short interior line, the mass of the rebel mounted force was speedily concentrated at the point of danger, so as to give it largely the preponderance in numbers. Dufie's command, at Stevensburg, having encountered there some of the enemy, could not be gotten on the field in time to take part in the engagement; still the contest was maintained until the arrival of rebel infantry from Culpepper; after this a junction was made by the tw
The Annals of the Civil War Written by Leading Participants North and South (ed. Alexander Kelly McClure), The battle of fleet Wood. (search)
tion; but learning from Robertson that a column of the enemy was moving upon Stevensburg, this regiment, the Second South Carolina, Colonel M. C. Butler, was orderedranspiring near Brandy Station, affairs wore a far different complexion near Stevensburg, to which point Colonel M. C. Butler's Second South Carolina, and Colonel W.e enemy's charge without firing a gun. They were pursued through the town of Stevensburg, and for some distance beyond, nor could the men be rallied until satisfied dy Station, the Yankees being in my rear. I had reported their advance upon Stevensburg and Brandy, and was ordered, through Lieutenant Johnston, to hold the groundton with the information. Soon afterward the enemy was reported moving upon Stevensburg, in large force. I ordered Lieutenant Holcombe to report the fact to the Major General commanding, who informed me that a force had been sent to Stevensburg, and that troops were at Brandy Station. Before receiving this message, I had cont
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