J.
E. Hilgard, Esq.
Asst
in Chge
U.S.
Coast Survey
Sir:
In compliance with your request to be furnished with a brief
sketch of my military history while on leave of absence from the
Coast Survey during the rebellion, I have the honor to send you
the following.
I
was appointed Lt Col O.V.I. [Ohio Volunteer Infantry] 11th June
1861, accompanied my regiment to W Va in the latter part of July,
was stationed at Cheat Mountain Summit and detailed for charge of
the construction of the defenses there. Participated in the various
affairs which resulted from the efforts of the rebels under Gen.
R.E. Lee to force our position in September, more especially in
the repulse of Col Rust's rebel brigade. Was with my regt in Gen
J.J. Reynolds unsuccessful attempt upon the position of the enemy
on the Staunton Road twelve miles east of Cheat Mtn in October,
known as his "Reconnaissance in Force." On the 14th October
1861 was appointed Colonel of the 44th O.V.I. and on 1st Nov took
command of that regt at Camp Piatt on the Kanawha River W. Va. Remained
there until 1st May 1862, when moved with regt to Gauley Bridge.
Shortly
afterwards having been attached to Crook's brigade of the Kanawha
Division served in command of my own & the 47th O.V.I. at Lewisburg
W Va. where Col Crook (now Maj Gen) with the 36th O.V.I. soon arrived
and assumed command. Accompanied Crook in command of regt on his
raid upon Va Cen RR. about the 20th May. In this expedition the
infantry marched over eighty miles in sixty hours including all
stoppages! Commanded regt in the battle of Lewisburg W Va on 23rd
May 1862. Led regt in charge upon rebel left consisting of a battery
of four guns supported by about twelve hundred infantry. Routed
them and captured the whole battery except two gun limbers. Killed
wounded and captured about two hundred of the enemy in addition.
Leaving sufficient guard for the guns and prisoners, without waiting
swept around upon the flank and rear of the force opposed to Crook's
regt. The forces speedily gave way and the victory was ours within
a half hour of the time the fight commenced.
Remained
in Crook's brigade participating in his advance to Salt-Sulphur
Springs and sundry other smaller expeditions until Gen Cox with
the bulk of the Kanawha Division was in August ordered to join Gen
Pope east of the Blue Ridge, when against my urgent solicitation
to the contrary, I was left with my own regt, the 47th O.V.I., the
9th Va Inf., and four Co's 2nd Va Cav. in command of the defenses
on the East Side of New River, in the vicinity of Gauley [Mount?]
on the 15th August. In reply to Col Crook who also [desired?] my
being taken along, Gen Cox is reported to have said that being an
Engineer I was the most proper and in fact the only Commanding Officer
at his disposal competent to the trust.
In
the early part of September, enemy in heavy force, about fifteen
thousand under Gen Loring advanced upon our lines but upon the west
side of New River. Col Siber 37th O.V.I. commanding our forces at
Fayette fought there from noon until after dark and then fell back
towards the falls. Col Lightbourn 4th Va Inf. who was left in command
of the district when Gen Cox left ordered me to also fall back to
the Falls and take positions to cover Col Siber's retreat which
we accordingly did and were on hand to take up the fight at daylight
next morning when the enemy approached the river in pursuit of Siber's
column. A fight ensued which lasted until near noon, when the enemy
having effected a crossing above the falls with most of his men
were gradually enveloping my small command of only my regt and two
pieces of artillery, about six hundred men all told and I gradually
withdrew. We skirmished with them all day falling back only when
outflanked making but eleven miles to the rear whilst our train
made over twenty-five miles. About midnight I was joined by six
Cos of the 47th O.V.I. which had been stationed at [Summersville?]
and was obliged to destroy their baggage and make their way by a
bridle path through the hills intersecting our line of march near
[?].
The
following day the skirmishing was resumed at daylight and continued
throughout the day, we doing all we could to delay their progress
by blockading or obstructing the road by falling trees and holding
narrow places until outflanked. Our retrograde this day was about
twelve miles to the vicinity of Camp Piatt where we made dispositions
for a final stand, but Col Siber's force was crossed over to the
East Side during the night and I received orders from Col. Lightbourn
to continue the retreat to Charleston about ten miles distant the
next day which we accordingly did. The enemy not coming up with
us until we entered the town, my command being still the rear guard
skirmished through the town crossing Elk River about one o'clock
P.M. Destroyed the bridge and deployed along the bank of the river
(about sixty yards wide). The enemy brought eighteen pieces of artillery
to bear upon our position, shelled us vigorously until dark and
maneuvered unsuccessfully to cross Elk. After dark in pursuance
of orders we resumed our retreat. The enemy did not follow us and
thus ended our three days almost constant fighting. The rebel General
in speaking of it to prominent citizens of Charleston characterized
it as "one of the best-conducted retreats of the war."
Our
train moving in close order occupied about thirteen miles of road.
We did not lose any property of any material value. What was abandoned
was destroyed as well as all the hay, straw, grain, etc. along our
line. I do not remember our loss and have no means of knowing that
of the rebels in this prolonged operation. During those three days
we received our orders from Col Lightbourn except to retreat. He
was generally with the train aiding the Quartermasters in keeping
the wagons in motion. The provisions were all pushed ahead, so far
and fast, of the fighting department that my men nearly starved,
having no regular issue made to them for the five or six days during
which the retreat to the Ohio River continued. Within the five months
following Col Lightburn was promoted Brig Gen as was reported at
the time as a reward for his distinguished service.
In
October my regt was ordered to Covington Ky and attached to the
army of Central Ky then under the command of Maj Gen Gordon Granger.
I was given command of the 2nd Brigade Gillmore's Division which
except my own regt was composed of new troops. We marched to Lexington
where a camp of instruction was temporarily established and until
about the middle of Dec I was diligently engaged in the instruction
of my command. About that time it was reported that John Morgan
was about to make a raid into Ky, and I was ordered with my brigade
to Richmond Ky, remained there ten days in two weeks and received
orders to march to Danville, from thence after a sojourn of four
or five days, we marched to Frankfurt and went into winter quarters
on 1st January 1863.
In
Feb having information of the treasonable purposes of certain politicians
about assembling in Frankfurt, and considering the wide spread dissatisfaction
with the Proclamation of Emancipation on the part of the Citizens
of Kentucky, as demonstrated in part by the speeches and acts of
members of the Legislature then in session, who although elected
by large Union majorities were every day making speeches full of
violent denunciations of the President threatening resistance by
force etc. The Kentucky troops under my command becoming almost
mutinous, I reported to Maj Gen H. G. Wright through Brig Gen Q.A.
Gillmore these circumstances and asked for instructions. None were
given. And feeling that the responsibility of permitting treason
to be openly organized under my nose lay with me, I determined "to
nip it in the bud" which I accordingly did by ordering the
convention to disperse; an order that their guilty consciences caused
them to obey with alacrity.
On
the 21st (27th?) Feb. I was ordered with my regt which had been
[mounted? reunited?] and the 104 O.V.I. to Danville to aid in checking
a raid which was in progress by a party of John Morgan's rebel command
under Col. Clarke. I was posted at Danville by order of Gen Gillmore
while most of my mounted men went in pursuit of Clarke to the Eastern
part of the State. In the early part of March, everything being
quiet in that part of the State and having been informed of the
destruction by fire of my house and of the death of one of my children,
I was relieved from duty for ten days and went home to make arrangements
for the comfort of my family. Before this time elapsed Gen Gillmore
telegraphed me to return immediately which I did reaching Lexington
the day Gen [Porter?] retreated from Danville before Pegram. Gen
Gillmore placed me in command of post and troops at Lexington with
orders to prepare the place for defence which I proceeded to do
but [?] him to let me resume command of the section of my brigade
that was with Gen Carter. In a day or two he determined to assume
the offensive and I was ordered to gather up such troops as could
be spared from Lexington and follow him which I did arriving at
Somerset Ky at the close of his victory [?] there over Pegram's
forces. Having made a forced march of over seventy miles without
a halt of over two hours.
About
the middle of March I was ordered with my brigade to take post at
Mt. Vernon Ky with instruction to look out for the [frontier?] from
the Rock Castle River to the eastward comprising Big Creek and Cumberland
Gaps and numerous smaller passes in the Cumberland range of mountains
dividing Kentucky from Virginia & Tennessee, then in possession
of the enemy. This duty brought portions of my command in almost
daily collision with the enemy and required untiring vigilance.
We remained there until July when the 23rd Army corps was organized
and I was ordered to rendezvous at Camp Nelson with my brigade which
became 1st Brigade 3rd Division. In August we moved with Maj Gen
[Hartsuff?] into East Tenn where we were joined by Maj Gen Burnside
with the Cavalry Division and whole force marched for Knoxville
which was reached about the middle of September without any fighting
and I was detailed as post commandant. Two days afterward with half
of my brigade we moved for Cumberland Gap believing that the rebel
garrison there would get away if we did not move rapidly. My command
did their best - very much to the satisfaction of Gen Burnside who
accompanied us. On our arrival dispositions were made for assault
- but before the movement commenced the enemy surrendered about
3200 officers and men. Gen Burnside gave me charge of the [positions?]
upon the surrender and I directed the details for taking charge
of prisoners, property, etc.,etc., and started the prisoners north
and then in pursuance of orders turned over the command to Col [Lemient?]
and returned to Knoxville and resumed command of the Post. Some
two weeks later the enemy having pushed down from Virginia I with
my brigade accompanied Gen Burnside on an expedition to [Watauga?]
Bridge about one hundred miles east of Knoxville on the Virginia
and East Tennessee R.R. where the enemy being entrenched appeared
determined upon a stand. They retreated however during the night
of our arrival and we returned to Knoxville.
My
health had become quite precarious. I had not recovered entirely
from a cold contracted in my march from Frankfurt to Danville Ky
in February which settled upon my right lung, and about the 1st
of Nov I broke down completely and on advice of the Medical Director
Dr. Jackson was relieved from duty and given a leave for thirty
days and soon after started for home in Ohio. About the 20th Nov
I heard of the advance of the enemy under Longstreet upon Knoxville
and started back to my command not being able to join it by reason
of its being shut up in Knoxville. I reported for duty to Maj Gen
J.G. Foster at Tazewell Tenn and was temporarily assigned to duty
as Engineer on his staff and was actively engaged in reconnaissance
in the direction of Knoxville and Bulls Gap until the retreat of
Longstreet which enabled me to resume command of my brigade which
was at that time with the force under the immediate command of Maj
Gen Parke following up Longstreet's retreat. The privations suffered
by that army during the two months succeeding the raising of the
siege of Knoxville from insufficient food, clothing, and shelter
rendered almost unendurable by the inclemency of the weather probably
has no parallel in the whole history of the war or the country.
About
the 1st of January 1864 my regt reenlisted as veterans and on the
10th in pursuance of orders started on its return march to Ohio
shoeless, hatless, ragged tatterdemalions, without blankets or overcoats
and but three days half rations of meat and corn meal only. We started
from Strawberry Plains during a violent snow storm. We had to ford
Clinch River then full of running ice which was only effected by
felling a large number of over hanging trees at a narrow place,
thus creating a temporary [gorge?] below which we effected our crossing
with the aid of a foraging train which was fortunately in that vicinity.
We passed the Cumberland Mountains at the Big Creek Gap and crossed
the Cumberland River at Williamsburg upon the ice. Supplies of food
met us some twelve miles beyond this place and from that time our
hunger was appeased. We reached Camp Nelson Ky on the 15th of January
having been less than six days marching on foot over ice, snow and
frozen ground over a high range of mountains across two considerable
rivers a distance of about one hundred and forty miles!
Upon
an order of the War Dept my regt was reorganized as the 8th Ohio
Cavalry and [?] to the maximum number allowed, to wit twelve companies
numbering in the aggregate twelve hundred and fifty men.
The
condition of my health having become worse by reason of the privations
and exposures endured in common with my command and being advised
by the surgeon of the regt and my family physician at home that
I would certainly not be able to remain on active duty in command
of troops, particularly cavalry, and having no way to retain my
position without a reasonable prospect of being able to perform
its duties, I reluctantly tendered my resignation which being accepted
on the 20th of April 1864, I quietly settled down at home for a
year, during which by careful nursing I was enabled to so far regain
my health as to be able to resume my duties as an assistant of the
U.S. Coast Survey.
In
conclusion allow me to say that my career although not very notorious
or leading through battles of great magnitude was of a kind which
draws upon a man's resources and energies very prodigally and offers
no return but slight award in the way of fame or promotion.
That
I was not of the killed, wounded or missing in any of the great
or decisive conflicts is probably due to the fact that circumstances
not under my control prevented my engaging in them.
The
only fair opportunity I ever had was at Lewisburg Va where the orders
for battle were verbal about as follows. Enemy deploying into line
on opposite side of valley in plain sight about three fourths of
a mile distant displaying more than double our numbers. The space
between our forces and the enemy occupied by the long straggling
town. Col Crook and myself riding from the town to where our men
were bivouaced. I asked "What are you going to do?" He
answered, "Fight them." "How will we do it?"
"You take the right and I'll take the left of the town and
we'll go for them." "All right." The enemy opened
upon us as we were forming with shell killing one and wounding two
of my men as they commenced moving towards us. We met about half-way
in an open field neither party having any cover. We reserved our
fire until within about a hundred yards and then charged their battery
which consisted of one twelve pdr field howitzer, two three-inch
rifled cannon, and one twelve pdr smooth bore all of which we captured
except two gun limbers. Their infantry ran away leaving forty or
fifty killed and about eighty wounded and over one hundred prisoners
in our hands leaving a guard over these we pushed forward in pursuit
until [checked?] by the [?] bridge over Greenbriar River. This is
one of the few instances where the rebel journals of the day admitted
a square defeat.
This
sketch being written from memory I am unable to recall with strict
certainty dates and numbers but - in the main - it is correct.
I
have the honor to be very respectfully,
S.A. Gilbert,
Asst. U.S. Coast Survey
