The regiment, consisting of twelve squadrons, each one hundred strong, was fully recruited and organized on or about the 1st of March, 1864.

The First Battalion, commanded by Major Stevens, was, at the organization of the regiment, stationed in South Carolina, under command of Major-Gen. Q. A. Gillmore.

The Second Battalion, Major Keith commanding, sailed from Boston for Hilton Head, S.C., on the 20th of March, 1864, on board transport steamer "Western Metropolis ;" and arrived there April 1, 1864.

The Third Battalion, Major Cabot commanding, sailed from Boston on the 23d of April, 1864, with a detachment of one hundred and fifty men for First Battalion, on board transport "Western Metropolis ;" and arrived at Hilton Head, S.C., April 27, 1864. It then received orders to return to Fortress Monroe and report to Major-Gen. Butler, commanding Department Virginia and North Carolina, after debarking at St. Helena Island, S.C., to coal and water the steamer.

The battalion re-embarked May 1. Arrived at Newport News, Va., where it encamped, May 3, 1864.

The First Battalion was also ordered to Virginia. Arrived at Bermuda Hundred, under command of Capt. Richmond, May 8, and participated in the movement of the 9th and 10th. It also participated in the engagements at Drury's Bluff, commencing on the 12th of May, and ending on the 16th.

During the remainder of May, July, August, September, October, and November, picket-duty, scouting, constructing fortifications at City Point, expeditions into Florida and to John's Island, S.C., with its skirmishes and engagements, the movement to the north side of James River the middle of August, and the constantly changing service of cavalry troops, was briefly the history of the regiment.

With the opening of the new year, the companies were divided among different army corps; the regimental headquarters being at Vienna, Va., in the Army of the James.

March 28, when the army left winter-quarters, Companies F and K were with the Twenty-fourth Army Corps in the pursuit of the Army of Northern Virginia, and participated in the several engagements; while Companies E and H remained with the Twenty-fifth Corps before Richmond, and were the first troops to enter the city. "The guidons of these companies were the first Union colors carried into Richmond and raised by Union troops.

They floated from the Capitol Building until a larger flag supplied their place."

April 6, according to orders, Col. Washburn, with a part of his cavalry, and two regiments of infantry, each about four hundred strong, started to destroy High Bridge before the retreating rebels. Near the structure, Gen. Read arrived with orders to hold and not burn it. Here the enemy were found to be in superior numbers.

Thus situated between two forces of the enemy, the larger between him and the Army of the James, to charge and break through the enemy, if possible, seemed the only honorable course for Gen. Read to take. No other was suggested.

Twice the cavalry charged, breaking through and dispersing one line of the enemy; re-forming and charging a second, which was formed in a wood too dense to admit of free use of the sabre. In vain, however: eight of twelve officers engaged were put hors du combat, three killed, and five severely wounded. The little band was hemmed in and overpowered by two divisions of cavalry, Rosser's and Fitz-Hugh Lee's, the advance of Gen. Lee's

army.

Col. Washburn, whose intrepid bravery in this fight endears his name to his associates, and adds the crowning glory to a life elevated by the purest patriotism, died a few weeks afterwards from the effects of his wounds.

"To the sharpness of that fight," says a rebel colonel, inspector-general on Lee's staff, to Gen. Ord, "the cutting-off of Lee's army at Appomattox Court House was probably owing. So fierce were the charges of Col. Washburn and his men, and so determined their fighting, that Gen. Lee received the impression that they must be supported by a large part of the army, and that his retreat was cut off." Acting under this impression, he halted his army, gave what the inspector-general" calls stampeding orders, and began to throw up the line of breast works which were found there the next day. Three trains of provisions, forage, and clothing, which had been sent from Lynchburg on the South-side Road, were sent back, to prevent them from falling into our hands; and his army, which was on third rations, and those of corn only, was thus deprived of the provisions, the want of which exhausted them so much

64

Moreover, by the delay occasioned by this halt, Gen. Sheridan was enabled to come up with Ewell's division at Saylor's Creek. When Lee discovered his mistake, and that the fighting force in his front was only a small detachment of cavalry and infantry, Gen. Ord, with the Army of the James, had already profited by the delay, and so closed up with him that a retreat directly south was no longer practicable: he was obliged to make the détour by way of Appomattox Court House. Gen. Rosser concurs in this opinion, and states that the importance of the fight has never been appreciated.

That Lieut.-Gen. Grant and Gen. Ord appreciate its importance, and confirm the principal facts stated above, is shown by the following extract from Gen. Grant's Report of the Armies of the United States :

:

Gen. Ord advanced from Burkesville towards Farmville, sending two regiments of infantry and a squadron of cavalry, under Brevet Brig.-Gen. Theodore Read, to destroy the bridges. This advance met the head of Lee's column near Farmville, which it heroically attacked and detained until Gen. Read was killed and his small force overpowered. This caused a delay in the enemy's movements, and enabled Gen. Ord to get well up with the remainder of his force; on meeting which, the enemy immediately intrenched himself."

The regiment performed courier guard-duty in Richmond, after Lee's surrender, until Nov. 14; when it was mustered out of service, and finally discharged at Galloupe's Island, Nov. 26, 1865.

FIFTH REGIMENT OF CAVALRY.

The Fifth Regiment was composed of colored men, the only regiment of colored cavalry organized in the State, and under the following command:

It was mustered into the service of the United States by companies, at dates ranging from January to May, 1864. The First Battalion, Major H. N. Weld commanding, left the State May 5, 1864; the Second, under Capt. Z. B. Adams, May 6, 1864; and the Third, commanded by II. P. Bowditch, May 8, 1864.

The battalions reported to Major-Gen. Casey at Washington, D.C., and proceded to Camp Casey.

Col. Russell took command of the provisional brigade of colored troops there; and Major Weld succeeded him at the head of the regiment until May 13, when orders came to report to Gen. Butler at Fortress Monroe. Thence it moved to City Point on the 16th, and was assigned to the command of Gen. E. W. Hinks, third division, Eighteenth Army Corps.

Picket-duty and infantry drill followed. June 15, the affair at Bailor's Farm, on the Petersburg Road, occurred. The main body of the regiment engaged the enemy's batteries, and Col. Russell and Major Adams were severely wounded; when Major Bowditch assumed command. The main body of the regiment crossed at Point of Rocks the 17th, and Major Weld joined it with the troops

he held the whole force was then transferred to Weld's third brigade, of Hinks's division. On the 28th, the regiment reported to Gen. Butler at Point of Rocks, and was assigned to Gen. Terry's division, and sent to Point Lookout, Md., to guard rebel prisoners.

No narrative of this regiment for 1865 was received. The monthly reports of January and February gave their station as "at Point Lookout, Md. ;" March, as "in the field, near Richmond, Va.; " April, "near Petersburg, Va.; " May, "near City Point, Va.;" June, "Camp Lincoln, Va.; and from that time, to date of muster-out, at Clarksville, Tex., Oct. 31, 1865.

It was engaged for a long time as guard of rebel prisoners at Point Lookout, Md., and afterwards was sent to Texas, where the men were chiefly employed in digging and other laborious work. At one time, a great many of the men were on the sick-list, caused by exposure and over-work. This was the condition of the regiment when Col. Chamberlain arrived in Texas, and assumed command; after which the men were better cared for, and sickness decreased.

The regiment, on its return from Texas, came from New Orleans in transports to New York. It remained in New York only a few hours, and then proceeded by steamboat and railroad to Boston. Upon arriving here, the regiment was sent to Galloupe's Island, where it remained until it was discharged and paid, the latter part of November.

In addition to the regular cavalry, there was organized, between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3, the First Battalion of Frontier Cavalry, composed of Companies A, B, C, D, and E.

The battalion was attached to the Twenty-sixth Regiment of New-York Cavalry, and honorably performed guard-duty on the frontier of the Empire State. It was mustered out June 30, 1865.

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CHAPTER XXX.

THE LIGHT BATTERIES,

First Light Battery.-Joins the Army of the Potomac. At Fredericksburg. - Gen. Sedgewick. Gen. Sheridan. Nims's Battery goes to the Department of the Gulf. Hard Marches. Gallant Conflict. Second Light Battery. - Organization. Goes to New Orleans. At Port Hudson, Pleasant Hill, and Sabine Cross-roads. - Goes to Barancas. At Fort Blakely. - Cavalry Fight. Return Home. - Third Light Battery. Organization. - Peninsular Campaign. - Antietam. — Fredericksburg. Gettysburg. —Mine-run Wilderness. Before Petersburg. — Mustered out. Fourth Light Battery.-In Louisiana. — Expedition. - Battle of Baton Rouge. Bonfonca. Port Hudson. -Furloughed. Returned to the South. - In Tennessee.Goes to Alabama. - Spanish Fort Blakely. - Returns Home. - Fifth Light Battery. — Reports to Gen. Porter. - Yorktown. - Seven-days' Fight. - Fredericksburg. - Campaigns of 1863.-The Wilderness and Petersburg. - Mustered out. Sixth Light Battery. Goes to New Orleans. - Baton Rouge. - Laberderville. - Port Hudson. Bayou Lafourche.

FIRST LIGHT BATTERY.

HE officers of the First Light Battery were,

THE

Captain

First Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

Josiah Porter.

William McCartney.
Jacob Federhen.

Under the above command, the battery went to camp Cameron Aug. 27, 1861; and left for Washington, Oct. 3, to form a part of the Potomac Army. Nothing excepting a change from the first division, Sixth Corps, to the artillery brigade, and heavy marching, occurred until Dec. 12, when the battery went into position south of Fredericksburg, and was under fire.

The next day, ordered by Gen. Howe in front of the Barnard House to take the place of a battery of rifled guns which had been driven before the enemy, the troops fought so gallantly, they were complimented on the field by the commanding general. After guarding Franklin's Ford, resting in camp at Oak Church, making the "mud march" early in 1863, the battery May 3, went into the fight at Chancellorsville, and handsomely repulsed Barksdale's brigade.