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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/31972-h.zip b/31972-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..6f1f888 --- /dev/null +++ b/31972-h.zip diff --git a/31972-h/31972-h.htm b/31972-h/31972-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..62e0c09 --- /dev/null +++ b/31972-h/31972-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,913 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of My Service in the U. S. Colored Cavalry, by Frederick W. Browne. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + + p {margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em;} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 {text-align: center; clear: both;} + + body {margin-left: 12%; margin-right: 12%;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right; font-style: normal;} + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of My Service in the U.S. Colored Cavalry, by +Frederick W. Browne + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: My Service in the U.S. Colored Cavalry + A Paper Read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion, + March 4, 1908 + +Author: Frederick W. Browne + +Release Date: April 13, 2010 [EBook #31972] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SERVICE IN U.S. COLORED CAVALRY *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<h1>MY SERVICE IN THE U. S.<br />COLORED CAVALRY</h1> +<p> </p> +<h3>A PAPER READ BEFORE<br />THE OHIO COMMANDERY OF THE LOYAL LEGION<br />MARCH 4, 1908</h3> +<p> </p> +<h4>BY</h4> +<h3>FREDERICK W. BROWNE, <span class="smcap">Second Lieut.</span><br /> +<span class="smcap">1st U. S. Colored Cavalry</span></h3> +<p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> + +<h4>Paper<br />of<br />Frederick W. Browne,<br /> +Second Lieut. 1st U. S. Colored Cavalry<br />of<br />Cincinnati, Ohio,</h4> + +<h4>Read before The Ohio Commandery<br />of The Loyal Legion,</h4> + +<h4>March 4, 1908.</h4> +<p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> + + +<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> +<h2>MY SERVICE IN THE U. S. COLORED CAVALRY</h2> + +<p>Having served over two years in a good, hard-fighting infantry regiment, +and being encamped at Newport News, Va., holding the dignified rank of +Sergeant, I one day met our little fighting Major John G. Chambers who +asked me if I would like a commission in the 1st U. S. Colored Cavalry, +then forming at Fort Monroe, to which I made answer that I would, and two +or three days thereafter I received an order, mustering me out of the +service and also an order to report to Colonel Garrard for duty as an +officer of the new regiment. Early the next morning, going down to the +wharf to embark for Ft. Monroe, I showed to the sentry on the wharf (as my +authority for leaving) the order mustering me out. He looked it over and +said in a home-sick way, “I would give $800 for that paper.” I reported to +Colonel Garrard, and for the first time saw this officer with whose +reputation as a brave and efficient Major of the 3d N. Y. Cavalry I had +been well acquainted in the Department of North Carolina. This regiment, +being the first colored cavalry regiment, had in its ranks a rather better +class of men than the infantry regiments had; some being from the North +and some being the outlaw negroes who, in slavery times, had been able to +maintain their liberty in the swamps of Eastern Virginia and North +Carolina. The regiment was officered largely from the 3d N. Y. Cavalry, +and they were a thoroughly efficient and capable corps of officers. The +regiment was soon filled, mounted and equipped, and constant drill soon +made it have the manner and bearing of soldiers. Every one knew that the +Campaign of 1864 meant business, and therefore all was in readiness when +about May 1st orders came to move. We marched out through Hampton, of +which not one house was left except the little old stone church which is +still standing there. Through Big Bethel, the scene of one of the earliest +disasters of the war, to Yorktown, memorable for its two sieges in two +wars, and thence on to Williamsburg, passing between Yorktown and +Williamsburg our infantry who, much to our surprise were marching very +hurriedly back to Yorktown. We learned afterward they were put on board +transports at Yorktown and sent up the James to City Point and Bermuda +Hundred. The next day we went up the Peninsula, passing 6 and 12 Mile and +burnt ordinarys, camping at night at New Kent Court House. I commanded the +picket that night on the Bottoms Bridge Road and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> the enemy’s scouts were +against us all night, keeping matters well stirred up. The next morning we +turned South and met the enemy at Jones Ford on the Chickahominy. They +were in an earthwork across the Ford and we opened on them with our +howitzers in front and deployed as to cross in front, but a force was sent +to the right up stream who managed to cross, and, coming down on the +opposite side of the river, took the enemy in flank and soon drove them +away from the ford. Killing some and capturing some of the enemy, and +having some killed and wounded, our movement having been a feint to make +the enemy believe that Butler’s Army of the James, as it was afterward +called, was moving up the Peninsula, having been accomplished, we returned +to Williamsburg, arriving there the next day, where, to our astonishment, +we met an order to go back at once and cross the Chickahominy at Jones +Ford, sometimes called Jones Bridge, and proceed to Harrison’s Landing, +which we at once did, again fighting our way across at Jones Ford. +Steamers were lying at the wharf in front of the old Westover mansion, +and, going on board, we were soon thereafter landed at Bermuda Hundred and +passing out took the advance of Butler’s Army, being at the time the only +cavalry he had. The first day out we came to the Richmond and Petersburg +turnpike and turning to the right on said pike started “on to Richmond,” +but as the road approached Drewry’s Bluff we were fired on by both +infantry and artillery and forced back with loss. Halting and feeding at +the Howlett House, a fine mansion on a high bluff overlooking the James, +where the Confederates afterward erected a strong battery to hold back our +Navy from ascending the river. In the afternoon we started out again on +the same road with orders to break the Richmond & Petersburg R. R., which +ran parallel with the pike; beyond the pike, when we crossed, we left +three companies to guard and hold the crossing which was in a low swamp +and heavily wooded ground. The remainder of the force passed through the +swamp up a steep hill, and when we were fairly on top of the hill there +came a crashing volley of musketry down behind us at the crossing, and +looking down to the pike we saw the fragments of those three companies +drift down the pike toward Petersburg like dry leaves before an autumn +gale. A brigade of Confederate infantry was concealed in that swamp, who, +letting us pass, thinking they had us cut off and securely bagged, had +then simply risen and fired a volley at close range into these three +companies. This volley killed Lieutenant Mains and killed and wounded a +good many of the men. When we<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> heard the volley, Lieutenant Vandervoort, +commanding the howitzers, tore down the fence, running his guns out into +an open field on the brow of the hill, opened fire on the confederate +infantry: but the Colonel did not think our position was just what he +desired, as we now had the confederate infantry behind us and we knew the +confederate cavalry was guarding the R. R. in front of us. These we went +out expecting to fight but were not reckoning on the infantry, so we +started on toward the R. R., seeking another road to return to our own +lines and soon found one into which we turned at a gallop. Just as we did +so the Confederate Cavalry, whose curiosity had been excited by the +firing, and had come down the road to meet us, poured a volley into us, +the bullets rattling on the wooden fence at the turn of the road like +hail. This did not retard our speed and we came back into our infantry +lines in such a cloud of dust that they sprang into line to meet us. The +next morning we again struck the Richmond and Petersburg Pike and turned +toward Richmond, this time with the infantry behind us, and we soon struck +the enemy’s infantry near where they had fired on the three companies the +day before and we soon turned over the task to our infantry. We lined up +along the side of the pike with our horses’ tails in the bushes and the +infantry and artillery defiled past us, going from our left to our right +into action. Among the infantry was the 6th Connecticut, armed entirely +with Spencer rifles. Just beyond the right of our regiment the pike +crossed a low ridge or swell of ground, and on this ridge in the pike our +people planted a couple of 20 pounder Parrott guns and opened with them on +the enemy. This fire the enemy’s artillery quickly returned, and I was +sitting on my horse lazily watching our men work the pieces and the +constantly recurring puffs of white smoke as the confederate shells burst +over their heads when suddenly I noticed a commotion among the gunners who +came running back down the pike with their rammers and swabs in their +hands, and the teams with the caissons and limbers came back on the run +and immediately the confederate infantry swarmed over the guns. I was no +longer sleepy. It looked as if the cavalry was going to have a chance to +win more glory, but our infantry was too quick, and with a counter charge +they at once retook the guns. The gunners and the teams ran back, and +immediately the guns were again jumping like mad creatures under the +recoil of their discharge. Of the battle beyond this ridge I could see +nothing, but the firing was heavy and at once there came from the front, +defiling past us to the rear, a ghastly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> procession of men wounded in +every way in which men could be wounded and still retain the power of +locomotion. Among them was a stout, hearty sergeant of this 6th +Connecticut regiment limping to the rear, using two muskets as crutches. +The calf of his right leg had been struck by a solid shot or unexploded +shell. Though no bones had been broken, there was nothing left of the calf +but bloody strings of flesh and trouser leg. But we were getting too near +Richmond, and during the next day or two the enemy in our front was very +heavily reinforced and outflanking our right Heckman’s Brigade, +impetuously attacked at the earliest dawn along the whole front. Heckman’s +Brigade was veteran troops who had heretofore had only victories and it +fought with stubborn temper, but the confederates finally advanced with +such a rush that they ran over Heckman’s Brigade and left it, the dead and +wounded and living in the rear of the confederate line of battle, not even +stopping to place guards in charge; and a good many of our men, finding +they were not restrained, passed down to the left, around the left of the +confederate line and got back once more into our own lines, thus missing +the pleasures of Andersonville.</p> + +<p>The battle raged all day and only ceased with darkness. During the night +Butler decided to withdraw his army within his fortified lines at Bermuda +Hundred. Our cavalry picket line was ordered to hold its place only until +the enemy advanced and then fall back also, within the fortified lines. +Personally I was in command of that part of the line at Weirs Bottom +Church where we had a howitzer. The infantry retired during the night, and +in the morning we were unsupported except for the fortified lines about 3 +or 4 miles in our rear. We had the howitzer loaded with shell and aimed at +the road where it crossed the low hill back of the Howlett House, but the +enemy were in no hurry to close in, and it was about 3 o’clock P. M. when, +looking at this point in the road where our howitzer was aimed, I saw 8 or +10 confederate cavalry slowly and watchfully advancing. They were just +where the howitzer was aimed and we fired on them at once, but they jumped +their horses to the right and left out of the road like cats, and when the +shell got there, there was nothing but the road for it to hit. They +scattered to the right and left across the fields and carefully inspected +our position but did nothing further on that part of the line.</p> + +<p>I had been in the saddle night and day and was thoroughly worn out and was +more than half sick with malarial fever, and so after dark, holding my +horse’s reins in my hands, I sat down at the road side with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> my back to +the trunk of a tree, never dreaming of going to sleep, but alas, the next +thing I knew I heard the Captain of my Company, who had commanded the line +a little to the left, give the command, “Fours right, gallop, march,” and +away they all went in the darkness, leaving me alone in the woods. Be sure +I was on my feet trying to gather a few of my scattered senses, when +suddenly I heard a horse whining in the darkness, out a short distance in +the woods, and rushing headlong in the direction of the sound, ran bodily +against my horse who was quietly browsing on the young leaves. Mounting at +once and spurring out into the road, started on the gallop down the road +after the company; but soon coming to where the road forked, and not +knowing where any of the roads led, as we were retiring on a different +road from the one we went out on, I checked the horse to a walk and let +him have his head and go where he pleased, and taking a good swinging +stride with his head low he went on his way without hesitation. For +myself, I drew a revolver and cocked and held it ready for what might +happen. Going on thus for about an hour I suddenly heard in the darkness +in front of me, the jingle of horse equipments and at once the challenge, +“Who comes there?” To this I at once answered, “A friend,” and riding up +with my revolver in my hand found one of the men of my own company. Asking +where the company was, I rode on to the bivouac and dismounting, with my +saddle for a pillow, slept. Thus I believe I was the last man of that +whole army to retire from the front of the enemy, but I never called the +General’s attention to the fact. As General Grant said, we were bottled up +at Bermuda Hundred and the enemy used to amuse himself by firing on the +transports going up and down the river below Bermuda Hundred, especially +at a high bluff commanding the river, called Fort Powhatan. So Butler sent +my company of cavalry and a battery of artillery and a regiment of +infantry to hold and fortify the place. The artillery and infantry +fortified toward the land with the river at their backs and the cavalry +bivouacked outside the fortification. We scouted the country out toward +Petersburg and brought in supplies of all sorts, among which were several +fish seines, and with these we caught some fine shad, and with rowing and +bathing we had a good time.</p> + +<p>One morning an “intelligent contraband” came into camp and I asked him +where he came from. He said he was a slave on the plantation of Mr. +Wilcox, whose plantation was up the river. I was interested in horses and +he told me that Mr. Wilcox, who was an officer in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> the 2d Virginia +Cavalry, had a very fine horse at home, resting and feeding up, and was +now in first rate shape. That it was broken only to the saddle. The more I +thought of this horse the worse I felt, and so I soon took my saddle and +bridle, and strapping on a revolver, went down to the river and had a +couple of our men row me up till we were opposite the Wilcox plantation, +when I went ashore, and shouldering my saddle and bridle told the men to +row back to camp, and going up across the fields went into the stable and +without difficulty found the horse. Saddling and bridling him, I mounted +and rode out past the house where I saw some ladies but did not speak to +them. That horse was a beauty, and he went over fences, ditches, etc., +like a bird. His color was a dark bay. A creek runs into the James River +between the Wilcox plantation and Fort Powhatan and I had to ride about a +mile back into the country before I could find a ford. I put the horse on +a gallop to the ford, crossed and started back toward camp; when across +the fields to the right, on a converging road, I saw a squad of +confederate cavalry. It was a race for the fork of the roads, but I was +the better mounted and got there first and came into our lines flying. One +of the men said, “For God’s sake, Lieutenant, don’t come in that way +again, we came near shooting you.” I tied my prize to the picket line and +felt that I had done a good thing.</p> + +<p>When we first went there Colonel Kiddoo was in command, but he had been +superseded by another. About 6 o’clock an orderly appeared and gave me an +order to report at headquarters, and upon so reporting, the Commander +opened on me with “I understand you have been outside the lines without +leave.” I said, “Colonel Kiddoo gave me a standing authority to scout as I +deemed proper,” whereupon I was informed that said authority was revoked. +Then the Commander said, “I understand you stole a fine horse and brought +him into the lines,” to this I said, “I could prove that he was a +confederate cavalry horse and I did not need any authority to capture +him.” Whereupon he said, “Have that horse here at my headquarters +to-morrow morning at 9 o’clock.” and I went back to camp determined to, in +the morning, take the worst horse from the picket line and send him up to +headquarters, but that night a courier rode into our camp with orders to +go on board the steamer on which he came, then lying at the landing, and +report to our regiment at Bermuda Hundred. I took the horse up the river +with me and about midnight we joined the regiment and soon had our picket +line stretched and the horses fastened and stable guard mounted. I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> saw my +prize beauty securely fastened and went to bed. The first thing the next +morning I went out to see him, and he had disappeared. The stable guard +swore that no horse got loose and no human being approached the line +during the night, but my horse was gone and I am still looking for him. +Still shut up in the Bermuda Hundred lines, cavalry was of but little use +there, but one day headquarters decided to make use of us and an order +came to camp for the regiment to report at a certain point near the line +at 9 o’clock P. M., in light marching order, and we were there. An orderly +rode along the line with word for all officers to report at the right of +the regiment. Going there, the Colonel informed us that the order was that +the regiment was to pass out through the lines, and as soon as the head of +the column was fired on by the enemy it was to charge right through the +fortified lines of the confederate army, and getting through to its rear +onto Richmond and Petersburg Pike, and destroy all confederate wagon +trains and then pass on and tear up as much as possible of the Richmond & +Petersburg R. R., and then when pursued by a superior force to escape +westerly into the Shenandoah Valley or eastwardly to Norfolk. I may say +that so far as I ever knew there was not so much as a hatchet in the +regiment with which to destroy anything, or a match with which to set the +fragments on fire, and as we rode back to the company I said to my +Captain, “Well! somebody is drunk at headquarters,” to which he made no +response in particular, seeming engaged in thought. The regiment at once +started down the road into the dark pine woods and presently came to our +infantry outposts, who informed us that the enemy were right in front and +we would be fired on at once, which was exactly what happened, and, +according to orders, as soon as the Confederate infantry opened on us the +order to charge was given, and on we went at a gallop, but were soon +brought up in a heap. The head of the column had run into a heavy slashing +of felled trees, among which, and in the woods on both sides of which was +a heavy force of Confederate infantry. I was at the middle of the column, +and, looking down the road to the front, in the darkness the fire of the +Confederate infantry looked like a swamp full of fire flies. The men in +the head of the column were firing on the Confederates with their +revolvers. The Colonel was at the front, and seeing the hopelessness of +the situation, gave the command, “Fours, right about, gallop, march,” but +it was slow getting the command back to the rear of the column, and I +suppose we were in there about 20 minutes. A while after this the white +<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>cavalry became so short of horses that we were dismounted, the officers, +of course, retaining their own horses, and the regiment moved back into a +camp near the landing at Bermuda Hundred. While here one of our +Lieutenants, named Bittner, got into a quarrel with the sutler, and, +taking about ten men with their carbines, went to the sutler’s tent and +ordered his men to tear it down, which they proceeded to do when the +sutler came out with a revolver and blazed away at Bittner’s head, putting +a bullet through his jaw, into his throat, whereupon Bittner’s men opened +fire on the sutler with their carbines and the sutler ran for his life, +the men chasing him and firing as fast as they could, and managed to put a +bullet through the sutler’s lungs from rear to front. He ran into the +adjutant’s tent, and falling on his cot, died there: and a few minutes +afterwards they brought Bittner into camp on a board. He survived the +wound. A few days thereafter Lieutenant Spencer, by the Colonel’s order, +shot one of the men dead in his tracks for disobedience of orders. We lay + +there in camp for a while, and then were sent into the lines about +Petersburg, and details were made each day to act as ambulance corps and +haul away the dead and wounded, who were all the time falling on the siege +lines. While engaged in this work one day, two men got into a quarrel and +one of them shot the other one dead in the Company street. He was at once +arrested and tried by general court martial, and one day he was brought +into camp by the provost guard with an order that he be hanged at once in +the presence of the regiment. So a squad was sent into the woods to +prepare the scaffold, and another went to the quartermaster’s train for a +piece of rope, and another dug the grave. It was a drizzly day and the +ground wet, so the grave soon filled with water. The regiment was drawn up +on three sides of a square around the grave and the prisoner was brought +in an old farm cart, drawn by hand. The rope was adjusted around his neck, +and then the cart was drawn out from under him, but the rope was new and +wet and he hung dangling and kicking in the air, so the old grizzle +bearded sergeant, who had charge of the execution squad, took hold of his +feet and pulled down till he broke the prisoner’s neck, and so the +performance was ended.</p> + +<p>Late in the fall of 1864 we were sent to Norfolk, Va., to do Provost Guard +duty, and were there to the end of the war. Norfolk was at that time the +base of supplies, so to speak, of the great armies up the James, and of +the great naval establishment which we at that time had. Its inhabitants +were chiefly gamblers, thieves, saloon keepers and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> prostitutes, and out +in the roads lay the fleets of France, Great Britain, Russia and the +United States, and when the sailors got shore leave, things at times got +very hot; in fact, on two or three occasions we were obliged to fire on +the fighting mobs in the streets to disentangle them.</p> + +<p>After Lee’s surrender all the colored troops in the East were collected at +City Point and organized into the 25th Corps. It was understood we were +going to Mexico to fight the French and Maximillian, but strange stories +got around among the colored troops. The story being that the Government +was going to send them south to work on the cotton plantations to pay the +national debt, and many went to their officers to ask if it was true, and, +being assured there was no truth in it, would declare themselves +satisfied; but a marked change came over them, and they became sullen and +disobedient.</p> + +<p>This increased, and when half of my regiment was put on a small, light +draft river steamer, to go down the James River to Hampton Roads, they +went aboard with no good grace and we had only begun our journey down the +river when the men on the lower deck began firing at objects on the shore. +I was on the upper deck, and, drawing my revolver, started down to stop +the firing, but I had got but half way down when a dozen carbines were put +to my head and breast, and I was told that I could kill one man, but it +would be the last one I ever would kill, and hundreds were standing around +with their carbines in their hands. The argument was convincing, and I +returned to the upper deck. Shortly after they either run out of +ammunition or got tired of the sport, as they ceased firing. When we got +to Hampton Roads and went on board the steamship Meteor, which was to take +us to Texas, we found that the other half of the regiment had also +mutinied on their way down the river, and when the whole regiment got +together on the decks of the Meteor and compared notes of what they had +done, they just went wild, and, refusing to obey all orders, began raising +the devil generally. It was already dark when we went on board the Meteor, +and during the night word was sent to Gen. Nelson A. Miles, the commandant +of Ft. Monroe. He sent orders for the regiment to land at the wharf at +eight o’clock the next morning, and when the steamship headed for the +wharf the men very readily fell in at the order, supposing they were to +have their own way and not be sent south. The wharf was then where it is +now, between the Chamberlain and Hygeia Hotels, though neither of those +hotels were there at the time. Approaching the wharf we saw the garrison +of Ft.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> Monroe drawn up in line about 150 feet from the beach, on the +exact spot where the Hygeia Hotel was afterward built. They were facing +the water, and when my regiment went ashore it was marched in between the +garrison and the water, and then the order was given to ground arms. Many +obeyed the order at once, but many hesitated and looked back at the +garrison, and then all laid down their arms. They were at once marched +back on board the ship, and the ship returned to her anchorage above the +Rip Raps. This was the first and last time I ever saw Gen. Nelson A. +Miles. He was a tall, handsome, blonde complexioned young man of about 25 +years of age, who wore the straps of a Major-General with dignity and +honor. When the ship returned to her moorings the men at first seemed +dazed, but as the day wore on they became more and more unruly, and +presently we found they had broken into the hold of the ship into the +sutler’s stores and were all hands getting wild drunk. They were shut out +from this, but they already had a good supply hidden under their skins and +elsewhere, and they went wild. Just about sunset a big pock-marked mulatto +got on top of the pilot house near the bows of the ship and was haranguing +the crowds on the deck below him, when he turned, and, shaking his fist at +the group of officers on the quarter deck, he said, “You damned white +livered —— of —— we will throw you overboard,” at which a great howl +went up from his audience, whereupon three of the officers with their +revolvers in their hands forced their way through the crowd and jerked the +orator off the pilot house and dragged him back on the quarterdeck where +Capt. Whiteman, of Xenia, Ohio, put his pistol to his breast and told him +to hold up his hands and put his thumbs together. We were going to swing +him up to the rigging by his two thumbs, but the fellow simply folded his +arms and looked at his captors with an air of drunken bravado. Whiteman +told him three times to hold up his hands, but he made no motion to obey +and Whiteman fired. I was standing at Whiteman’s left and was looking the +man in the face when the shot was fired, and he did not change a muscle, +and I thought Whiteman had missed him, but, looking down to his breast, I +saw blood reddening his shirt front, and at once his arms dropped limply +at his sides and he fell in a heap at our feet on the deck. When they saw +their champion go down the men raised a wild yell and shouting, “Kill +them; throw them overboard,” they seized axes, hand spikes, pieces of +lumber and whatever could be used as weapons which they found around the +deck, and came pouring aft to attack us. Some of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> officers of the +regiment were sick, some on detached duty, some were absent on furlough, +and some on shore, so there were just sixteen of us to face the torrent. +Without a word of command, perhaps by that instinct born of years of +military service, we lined up across the quarter deck, each with a +revolver in each hand. It seemed as if we would be swept away in a minute, +but not a shot was fired, and they came pouring aft. Presently I saw one +or two of those in front drop back and let others get ahead, and presently +all stopped and glared at us like wild beasts. Then one threw down his axe +and another his handspike and they all sneaked off toward the bow of the +ship. Then we knew we had conquered. There was a thirty pounder Parrott +gun lashed to the rail on the quarter deck, and, sending for the howitzer +crews, we ordered the gun unlashed and the muzzle swung out so it swept +the deck forward, and made them load it with cannister. Then we sent for +the band and we sat around on the quarter deck with our revolvers in our +hands and made them play for about an hour, but at every pause in the +music we could hear the dying groans of the man shot. The surgeon had laid +him on a blanket on the deck where he fell, and so great was his vitality +that he lived for two days. Before that, while I was still in the +infantry, I was in a fight where the man behind me was killed and the man +first on my left was wounded, and I had a bullet through my coat, which +happily did not touch the hide, all in about five minutes, and I thought +that was pretty strenuous; but I can say it was but a Sunday School picnic +compared to the time when, in the fading light of a summer day, sixteen of +us lined up across the quarter deck of the old steamship Meteor and faced +a howling, rushing mob of 700 half-drunken devils in the absolute +assurance that we had found the place where without poetry or trimmings we +must either conquer or die.</p> + +<p>The ship sailed the next day. We went to Mobile, to the Southwest pass of +the Mississippi, and then to Brazos Santiago, Texas, where we landed on +July 3d, 1865. We lay in camp on the sand hills for about three months, +but soldiering had lost its interest, and one morning I wrote out my +resignation and took it to the Colonel. He laughed and said he would sign +it, but I could not get it through. I took it to the Commander of the +brigade and he signed it, but said as the Colonel had. I went on board a +small steamer going up the Rio Grande to Brownsville, arriving there the +next morning. I went to the headquarters of Gen. Weitzel. He demurred, but +signed it, saying<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> I would never get it past Gen. Steele, but with the +expenditure of some eloquence I persuaded <i>him</i>, and, returning to Brazos +Santiago, took a steamer for New Orleans via Galveston. At Galveston I had +to get the signature of Gen. H. G. Wright, and then went on to New +Orleans, and, going to the headquarters of Gen. P. H. Sheridan, left the +papers, being told to come back the next day. The next day I received a +certified copy of the order mustering me out, dated September 27th, 1865, +making my service in the army all told, three days less than four years.</p> + +<p>With the order in my pocket, I returned to my room in the St. Charles +Hotel, and, taking off my hat, looked at the crossed sabres on its front. +With my pocket knife I cut them off; then taking off my jacket, I cut off +the shoulder straps and realized, not without a heart pang, that I was no +longer a soldier.</p> + +<p>I still have the pistols which I held in my hands when we lined up across +the quarter deck of the Meteor. I still have the crossed sabres and straps +which I cut off in the St. Charles Hotel. They are not as pretty as they +were forty-two years ago, but they still have for me a certain value.</p> + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of My Service in the U.S. Colored Cavalry, by +Frederick W. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: My Service in the U.S. Colored Cavalry + A Paper Read before the Ohio Commandery of the Loyal Legion, + March 4, 1908 + +Author: Frederick W. Browne + +Release Date: April 13, 2010 [EBook #31972] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SERVICE IN U.S. COLORED CAVALRY *** + + + + +Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images +generously made available by The Internet Archive/American +Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + MY SERVICE IN THE U. S. + COLORED CAVALRY + + A PAPER READ BEFORE + THE OHIO COMMANDERY OF THE LOYAL LEGION + MARCH 4, 1908 + + + BY + FREDERICK W. BROWNE, SECOND LIEUT. + 1ST U. S. COLORED CAVALRY + + + + + Paper + of + Frederick W. Browne, + Second Lieut. 1st U. S. Colored Cavalry + of + Cincinnati, Ohio, + + Read before The Ohio Commandery + of The Loyal Legion, + + March 4, 1908. + + + + +MY SERVICE IN THE U. S. COLORED CAVALRY + + +Having served over two years in a good, hard-fighting infantry regiment, +and being encamped at Newport News, Va., holding the dignified rank of +Sergeant, I one day met our little fighting Major John G. Chambers who +asked me if I would like a commission in the 1st U. S. Colored Cavalry, +then forming at Fort Monroe, to which I made answer that I would, and two +or three days thereafter I received an order, mustering me out of the +service and also an order to report to Colonel Garrard for duty as an +officer of the new regiment. Early the next morning, going down to the +wharf to embark for Ft. Monroe, I showed to the sentry on the wharf (as my +authority for leaving) the order mustering me out. He looked it over and +said in a home-sick way, "I would give $800 for that paper." I reported to +Colonel Garrard, and for the first time saw this officer with whose +reputation as a brave and efficient Major of the 3d N. Y. Cavalry I had +been well acquainted in the Department of North Carolina. This regiment, +being the first colored cavalry regiment, had in its ranks a rather better +class of men than the infantry regiments had; some being from the North +and some being the outlaw negroes who, in slavery times, had been able to +maintain their liberty in the swamps of Eastern Virginia and North +Carolina. The regiment was officered largely from the 3d N. Y. Cavalry, +and they were a thoroughly efficient and capable corps of officers. The +regiment was soon filled, mounted and equipped, and constant drill soon +made it have the manner and bearing of soldiers. Every one knew that the +Campaign of 1864 meant business, and therefore all was in readiness when +about May 1st orders came to move. We marched out through Hampton, of +which not one house was left except the little old stone church which is +still standing there. Through Big Bethel, the scene of one of the earliest +disasters of the war, to Yorktown, memorable for its two sieges in two +wars, and thence on to Williamsburg, passing between Yorktown and +Williamsburg our infantry who, much to our surprise were marching very +hurriedly back to Yorktown. We learned afterward they were put on board +transports at Yorktown and sent up the James to City Point and Bermuda +Hundred. The next day we went up the Peninsula, passing 6 and 12 Mile and +burnt ordinarys, camping at night at New Kent Court House. I commanded the +picket that night on the Bottoms Bridge Road and the enemy's scouts were +against us all night, keeping matters well stirred up. The next morning we +turned South and met the enemy at Jones Ford on the Chickahominy. They +were in an earthwork across the Ford and we opened on them with our +howitzers in front and deployed as to cross in front, but a force was sent +to the right up stream who managed to cross, and, coming down on the +opposite side of the river, took the enemy in flank and soon drove them +away from the ford. Killing some and capturing some of the enemy, and +having some killed and wounded, our movement having been a feint to make +the enemy believe that Butler's Army of the James, as it was afterward +called, was moving up the Peninsula, having been accomplished, we returned +to Williamsburg, arriving there the next day, where, to our astonishment, +we met an order to go back at once and cross the Chickahominy at Jones +Ford, sometimes called Jones Bridge, and proceed to Harrison's Landing, +which we at once did, again fighting our way across at Jones Ford. +Steamers were lying at the wharf in front of the old Westover mansion, +and, going on board, we were soon thereafter landed at Bermuda Hundred and +passing out took the advance of Butler's Army, being at the time the only +cavalry he had. The first day out we came to the Richmond and Petersburg +turnpike and turning to the right on said pike started "on to Richmond," +but as the road approached Drewry's Bluff we were fired on by both +infantry and artillery and forced back with loss. Halting and feeding at +the Howlett House, a fine mansion on a high bluff overlooking the James, +where the Confederates afterward erected a strong battery to hold back our +Navy from ascending the river. In the afternoon we started out again on +the same road with orders to break the Richmond & Petersburg R. R., which +ran parallel with the pike; beyond the pike, when we crossed, we left +three companies to guard and hold the crossing which was in a low swamp +and heavily wooded ground. The remainder of the force passed through the +swamp up a steep hill, and when we were fairly on top of the hill there +came a crashing volley of musketry down behind us at the crossing, and +looking down to the pike we saw the fragments of those three companies +drift down the pike toward Petersburg like dry leaves before an autumn +gale. A brigade of Confederate infantry was concealed in that swamp, who, +letting us pass, thinking they had us cut off and securely bagged, had +then simply risen and fired a volley at close range into these three +companies. This volley killed Lieutenant Mains and killed and wounded a +good many of the men. When we heard the volley, Lieutenant Vandervoort, +commanding the howitzers, tore down the fence, running his guns out into +an open field on the brow of the hill, opened fire on the confederate +infantry: but the Colonel did not think our position was just what he +desired, as we now had the confederate infantry behind us and we knew the +confederate cavalry was guarding the R. R. in front of us. These we went +out expecting to fight but were not reckoning on the infantry, so we +started on toward the R. R., seeking another road to return to our own +lines and soon found one into which we turned at a gallop. Just as we did +so the Confederate Cavalry, whose curiosity had been excited by the +firing, and had come down the road to meet us, poured a volley into us, +the bullets rattling on the wooden fence at the turn of the road like +hail. This did not retard our speed and we came back into our infantry +lines in such a cloud of dust that they sprang into line to meet us. The +next morning we again struck the Richmond and Petersburg Pike and turned +toward Richmond, this time with the infantry behind us, and we soon struck +the enemy's infantry near where they had fired on the three companies the +day before and we soon turned over the task to our infantry. We lined up +along the side of the pike with our horses' tails in the bushes and the +infantry and artillery defiled past us, going from our left to our right +into action. Among the infantry was the 6th Connecticut, armed entirely +with Spencer rifles. Just beyond the right of our regiment the pike +crossed a low ridge or swell of ground, and on this ridge in the pike our +people planted a couple of 20 pounder Parrott guns and opened with them on +the enemy. This fire the enemy's artillery quickly returned, and I was +sitting on my horse lazily watching our men work the pieces and the +constantly recurring puffs of white smoke as the confederate shells burst +over their heads when suddenly I noticed a commotion among the gunners who +came running back down the pike with their rammers and swabs in their +hands, and the teams with the caissons and limbers came back on the run +and immediately the confederate infantry swarmed over the guns. I was no +longer sleepy. It looked as if the cavalry was going to have a chance to +win more glory, but our infantry was too quick, and with a counter charge +they at once retook the guns. The gunners and the teams ran back, and +immediately the guns were again jumping like mad creatures under the +recoil of their discharge. Of the battle beyond this ridge I could see +nothing, but the firing was heavy and at once there came from the front, +defiling past us to the rear, a ghastly procession of men wounded in +every way in which men could be wounded and still retain the power of +locomotion. Among them was a stout, hearty sergeant of this 6th +Connecticut regiment limping to the rear, using two muskets as crutches. +The calf of his right leg had been struck by a solid shot or unexploded +shell. Though no bones had been broken, there was nothing left of the calf +but bloody strings of flesh and trouser leg. But we were getting too near +Richmond, and during the next day or two the enemy in our front was very +heavily reinforced and outflanking our right Heckman's Brigade, +impetuously attacked at the earliest dawn along the whole front. Heckman's +Brigade was veteran troops who had heretofore had only victories and it +fought with stubborn temper, but the confederates finally advanced with +such a rush that they ran over Heckman's Brigade and left it, the dead and +wounded and living in the rear of the confederate line of battle, not even +stopping to place guards in charge; and a good many of our men, finding +they were not restrained, passed down to the left, around the left of the +confederate line and got back once more into our own lines, thus missing +the pleasures of Andersonville. + +The battle raged all day and only ceased with darkness. During the night +Butler decided to withdraw his army within his fortified lines at Bermuda +Hundred. Our cavalry picket line was ordered to hold its place only until +the enemy advanced and then fall back also, within the fortified lines. +Personally I was in command of that part of the line at Weirs Bottom +Church where we had a howitzer. The infantry retired during the night, and +in the morning we were unsupported except for the fortified lines about 3 +or 4 miles in our rear. We had the howitzer loaded with shell and aimed at +the road where it crossed the low hill back of the Howlett House, but the +enemy were in no hurry to close in, and it was about 3 o'clock P. M. when, +looking at this point in the road where our howitzer was aimed, I saw 8 or +10 confederate cavalry slowly and watchfully advancing. They were just +where the howitzer was aimed and we fired on them at once, but they jumped +their horses to the right and left out of the road like cats, and when the +shell got there, there was nothing but the road for it to hit. They +scattered to the right and left across the fields and carefully inspected +our position but did nothing further on that part of the line. + +I had been in the saddle night and day and was thoroughly worn out and was +more than half sick with malarial fever, and so after dark, holding my +horse's reins in my hands, I sat down at the road side with my back to +the trunk of a tree, never dreaming of going to sleep, but alas, the next +thing I knew I heard the Captain of my Company, who had commanded the line +a little to the left, give the command, "Fours right, gallop, march," and +away they all went in the darkness, leaving me alone in the woods. Be sure +I was on my feet trying to gather a few of my scattered senses, when +suddenly I heard a horse whining in the darkness, out a short distance in +the woods, and rushing headlong in the direction of the sound, ran bodily +against my horse who was quietly browsing on the young leaves. Mounting at +once and spurring out into the road, started on the gallop down the road +after the company; but soon coming to where the road forked, and not +knowing where any of the roads led, as we were retiring on a different +road from the one we went out on, I checked the horse to a walk and let +him have his head and go where he pleased, and taking a good swinging +stride with his head low he went on his way without hesitation. For +myself, I drew a revolver and cocked and held it ready for what might +happen. Going on thus for about an hour I suddenly heard in the darkness +in front of me, the jingle of horse equipments and at once the challenge, +"Who comes there?" To this I at once answered, "A friend," and riding up +with my revolver in my hand found one of the men of my own company. Asking +where the company was, I rode on to the bivouac and dismounting, with my +saddle for a pillow, slept. Thus I believe I was the last man of that +whole army to retire from the front of the enemy, but I never called the +General's attention to the fact. As General Grant said, we were bottled up +at Bermuda Hundred and the enemy used to amuse himself by firing on the +transports going up and down the river below Bermuda Hundred, especially +at a high bluff commanding the river, called Fort Powhatan. So Butler sent +my company of cavalry and a battery of artillery and a regiment of +infantry to hold and fortify the place. The artillery and infantry +fortified toward the land with the river at their backs and the cavalry +bivouacked outside the fortification. We scouted the country out toward +Petersburg and brought in supplies of all sorts, among which were several +fish seines, and with these we caught some fine shad, and with rowing and +bathing we had a good time. + +One morning an "intelligent contraband" came into camp and I asked him +where he came from. He said he was a slave on the plantation of Mr. +Wilcox, whose plantation was up the river. I was interested in horses and +he told me that Mr. Wilcox, who was an officer in the 2d Virginia +Cavalry, had a very fine horse at home, resting and feeding up, and was +now in first rate shape. That it was broken only to the saddle. The more I +thought of this horse the worse I felt, and so I soon took my saddle and +bridle, and strapping on a revolver, went down to the river and had a +couple of our men row me up till we were opposite the Wilcox plantation, +when I went ashore, and shouldering my saddle and bridle told the men to +row back to camp, and going up across the fields went into the stable and +without difficulty found the horse. Saddling and bridling him, I mounted +and rode out past the house where I saw some ladies but did not speak to +them. That horse was a beauty, and he went over fences, ditches, etc., +like a bird. His color was a dark bay. A creek runs into the James River +between the Wilcox plantation and Fort Powhatan and I had to ride about a +mile back into the country before I could find a ford. I put the horse on +a gallop to the ford, crossed and started back toward camp; when across +the fields to the right, on a converging road, I saw a squad of +confederate cavalry. It was a race for the fork of the roads, but I was +the better mounted and got there first and came into our lines flying. One +of the men said, "For God's sake, Lieutenant, don't come in that way +again, we came near shooting you." I tied my prize to the picket line and +felt that I had done a good thing. + +When we first went there Colonel Kiddoo was in command, but he had been +superseded by another. About 6 o'clock an orderly appeared and gave me an +order to report at headquarters, and upon so reporting, the Commander +opened on me with "I understand you have been outside the lines without +leave." I said, "Colonel Kiddoo gave me a standing authority to scout as I +deemed proper," whereupon I was informed that said authority was revoked. +Then the Commander said, "I understand you stole a fine horse and brought +him into the lines," to this I said, "I could prove that he was a +confederate cavalry horse and I did not need any authority to capture +him." Whereupon he said, "Have that horse here at my headquarters +to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock." and I went back to camp determined to, in +the morning, take the worst horse from the picket line and send him up to +headquarters, but that night a courier rode into our camp with orders to +go on board the steamer on which he came, then lying at the landing, and +report to our regiment at Bermuda Hundred. I took the horse up the river +with me and about midnight we joined the regiment and soon had our picket +line stretched and the horses fastened and stable guard mounted. I saw my +prize beauty securely fastened and went to bed. The first thing the next +morning I went out to see him, and he had disappeared. The stable guard +swore that no horse got loose and no human being approached the line +during the night, but my horse was gone and I am still looking for him. +Still shut up in the Bermuda Hundred lines, cavalry was of but little use +there, but one day headquarters decided to make use of us and an order +came to camp for the regiment to report at a certain point near the line +at 9 o'clock P. M., in light marching order, and we were there. An orderly +rode along the line with word for all officers to report at the right of +the regiment. Going there, the Colonel informed us that the order was that +the regiment was to pass out through the lines, and as soon as the head of +the column was fired on by the enemy it was to charge right through the +fortified lines of the confederate army, and getting through to its rear +onto Richmond and Petersburg Pike, and destroy all confederate wagon +trains and then pass on and tear up as much as possible of the Richmond & +Petersburg R. R., and then when pursued by a superior force to escape +westerly into the Shenandoah Valley or eastwardly to Norfolk. I may say +that so far as I ever knew there was not so much as a hatchet in the +regiment with which to destroy anything, or a match with which to set the +fragments on fire, and as we rode back to the company I said to my +Captain, "Well! somebody is drunk at headquarters," to which he made no +response in particular, seeming engaged in thought. The regiment at once +started down the road into the dark pine woods and presently came to our +infantry outposts, who informed us that the enemy were right in front and +we would be fired on at once, which was exactly what happened, and, +according to orders, as soon as the Confederate infantry opened on us the +order to charge was given, and on we went at a gallop, but were soon +brought up in a heap. The head of the column had run into a heavy slashing +of felled trees, among which, and in the woods on both sides of which was +a heavy force of Confederate infantry. I was at the middle of the column, +and, looking down the road to the front, in the darkness the fire of the +Confederate infantry looked like a swamp full of fire flies. The men in +the head of the column were firing on the Confederates with their +revolvers. The Colonel was at the front, and seeing the hopelessness of +the situation, gave the command, "Fours, right about, gallop, march," but +it was slow getting the command back to the rear of the column, and I +suppose we were in there about 20 minutes. A while after this the white +cavalry became so short of horses that we were dismounted, the officers, +of course, retaining their own horses, and the regiment moved back into a +camp near the landing at Bermuda Hundred. While here one of our +Lieutenants, named Bittner, got into a quarrel with the sutler, and, +taking about ten men with their carbines, went to the sutler's tent and +ordered his men to tear it down, which they proceeded to do when the +sutler came out with a revolver and blazed away at Bittner's head, putting +a bullet through his jaw, into his throat, whereupon Bittner's men opened +fire on the sutler with their carbines and the sutler ran for his life, +the men chasing him and firing as fast as they could, and managed to put a +bullet through the sutler's lungs from rear to front. He ran into the +adjutant's tent, and falling on his cot, died there: and a few minutes +afterwards they brought Bittner into camp on a board. He survived the +wound. A few days thereafter Lieutenant Spencer, by the Colonel's order, +shot one of the men dead in his tracks for disobedience of orders. We lay +there in camp for a while, and then were sent into the lines about +Petersburg, and details were made each day to act as ambulance corps and +haul away the dead and wounded, who were all the time falling on the siege +lines. While engaged in this work one day, two men got into a quarrel and +one of them shot the other one dead in the Company street. He was at once +arrested and tried by general court martial, and one day he was brought +into camp by the provost guard with an order that he be hanged at once in +the presence of the regiment. So a squad was sent into the woods to +prepare the scaffold, and another went to the quartermaster's train for a +piece of rope, and another dug the grave. It was a drizzly day and the +ground wet, so the grave soon filled with water. The regiment was drawn up +on three sides of a square around the grave and the prisoner was brought +in an old farm cart, drawn by hand. The rope was adjusted around his neck, +and then the cart was drawn out from under him, but the rope was new and +wet and he hung dangling and kicking in the air, so the old grizzle +bearded sergeant, who had charge of the execution squad, took hold of his +feet and pulled down till he broke the prisoner's neck, and so the +performance was ended. + +Late in the fall of 1864 we were sent to Norfolk, Va., to do Provost Guard +duty, and were there to the end of the war. Norfolk was at that time the +base of supplies, so to speak, of the great armies up the James, and of +the great naval establishment which we at that time had. Its inhabitants +were chiefly gamblers, thieves, saloon keepers and prostitutes, and out +in the roads lay the fleets of France, Great Britain, Russia and the +United States, and when the sailors got shore leave, things at times got +very hot; in fact, on two or three occasions we were obliged to fire on +the fighting mobs in the streets to disentangle them. + +After Lee's surrender all the colored troops in the East were collected at +City Point and organized into the 25th Corps. It was understood we were +going to Mexico to fight the French and Maximillian, but strange stories +got around among the colored troops. The story being that the Government +was going to send them south to work on the cotton plantations to pay the +national debt, and many went to their officers to ask if it was true, and, +being assured there was no truth in it, would declare themselves +satisfied; but a marked change came over them, and they became sullen and +disobedient. + +This increased, and when half of my regiment was put on a small, light +draft river steamer, to go down the James River to Hampton Roads, they +went aboard with no good grace and we had only begun our journey down the +river when the men on the lower deck began firing at objects on the shore. +I was on the upper deck, and, drawing my revolver, started down to stop +the firing, but I had got but half way down when a dozen carbines were put +to my head and breast, and I was told that I could kill one man, but it +would be the last one I ever would kill, and hundreds were standing around +with their carbines in their hands. The argument was convincing, and I +returned to the upper deck. Shortly after they either run out of +ammunition or got tired of the sport, as they ceased firing. When we got +to Hampton Roads and went on board the steamship Meteor, which was to take +us to Texas, we found that the other half of the regiment had also +mutinied on their way down the river, and when the whole regiment got +together on the decks of the Meteor and compared notes of what they had +done, they just went wild, and, refusing to obey all orders, began raising +the devil generally. It was already dark when we went on board the Meteor, +and during the night word was sent to Gen. Nelson A. Miles, the commandant +of Ft. Monroe. He sent orders for the regiment to land at the wharf at +eight o'clock the next morning, and when the steamship headed for the +wharf the men very readily fell in at the order, supposing they were to +have their own way and not be sent south. The wharf was then where it is +now, between the Chamberlain and Hygeia Hotels, though neither of those +hotels were there at the time. Approaching the wharf we saw the garrison +of Ft. Monroe drawn up in line about 150 feet from the beach, on the +exact spot where the Hygeia Hotel was afterward built. They were facing +the water, and when my regiment went ashore it was marched in between the +garrison and the water, and then the order was given to ground arms. Many +obeyed the order at once, but many hesitated and looked back at the +garrison, and then all laid down their arms. They were at once marched +back on board the ship, and the ship returned to her anchorage above the +Rip Raps. This was the first and last time I ever saw Gen. Nelson A. +Miles. He was a tall, handsome, blonde complexioned young man of about 25 +years of age, who wore the straps of a Major-General with dignity and +honor. When the ship returned to her moorings the men at first seemed +dazed, but as the day wore on they became more and more unruly, and +presently we found they had broken into the hold of the ship into the +sutler's stores and were all hands getting wild drunk. They were shut out +from this, but they already had a good supply hidden under their skins and +elsewhere, and they went wild. Just about sunset a big pock-marked mulatto +got on top of the pilot house near the bows of the ship and was haranguing +the crowds on the deck below him, when he turned, and, shaking his fist at +the group of officers on the quarter deck, he said, "You damned white +livered ---- of ---- we will throw you overboard," at which a great howl +went up from his audience, whereupon three of the officers with their +revolvers in their hands forced their way through the crowd and jerked the +orator off the pilot house and dragged him back on the quarterdeck where +Capt. Whiteman, of Xenia, Ohio, put his pistol to his breast and told him +to hold up his hands and put his thumbs together. We were going to swing +him up to the rigging by his two thumbs, but the fellow simply folded his +arms and looked at his captors with an air of drunken bravado. Whiteman +told him three times to hold up his hands, but he made no motion to obey +and Whiteman fired. I was standing at Whiteman's left and was looking the +man in the face when the shot was fired, and he did not change a muscle, +and I thought Whiteman had missed him, but, looking down to his breast, I +saw blood reddening his shirt front, and at once his arms dropped limply +at his sides and he fell in a heap at our feet on the deck. When they saw +their champion go down the men raised a wild yell and shouting, "Kill +them; throw them overboard," they seized axes, hand spikes, pieces of +lumber and whatever could be used as weapons which they found around the +deck, and came pouring aft to attack us. Some of the officers of the +regiment were sick, some on detached duty, some were absent on furlough, +and some on shore, so there were just sixteen of us to face the torrent. +Without a word of command, perhaps by that instinct born of years of +military service, we lined up across the quarter deck, each with a +revolver in each hand. It seemed as if we would be swept away in a minute, +but not a shot was fired, and they came pouring aft. Presently I saw one +or two of those in front drop back and let others get ahead, and presently +all stopped and glared at us like wild beasts. Then one threw down his axe +and another his handspike and they all sneaked off toward the bow of the +ship. Then we knew we had conquered. There was a thirty pounder Parrott +gun lashed to the rail on the quarter deck, and, sending for the howitzer +crews, we ordered the gun unlashed and the muzzle swung out so it swept +the deck forward, and made them load it with cannister. Then we sent for +the band and we sat around on the quarter deck with our revolvers in our +hands and made them play for about an hour, but at every pause in the +music we could hear the dying groans of the man shot. The surgeon had laid +him on a blanket on the deck where he fell, and so great was his vitality +that he lived for two days. Before that, while I was still in the +infantry, I was in a fight where the man behind me was killed and the man +first on my left was wounded, and I had a bullet through my coat, which +happily did not touch the hide, all in about five minutes, and I thought +that was pretty strenuous; but I can say it was but a Sunday School picnic +compared to the time when, in the fading light of a summer day, sixteen of +us lined up across the quarter deck of the old steamship Meteor and faced +a howling, rushing mob of 700 half-drunken devils in the absolute +assurance that we had found the place where without poetry or trimmings we +must either conquer or die. + +The ship sailed the next day. We went to Mobile, to the Southwest pass of +the Mississippi, and then to Brazos Santiago, Texas, where we landed on +July 3d, 1865. We lay in camp on the sand hills for about three months, +but soldiering had lost its interest, and one morning I wrote out my +resignation and took it to the Colonel. He laughed and said he would sign +it, but I could not get it through. I took it to the Commander of the +brigade and he signed it, but said as the Colonel had. I went on board a +small steamer going up the Rio Grande to Brownsville, arriving there the +next morning. I went to the headquarters of Gen. Weitzel. He demurred, but +signed it, saying I would never get it past Gen. Steele, but with the +expenditure of some eloquence I persuaded _him_, and, returning to Brazos +Santiago, took a steamer for New Orleans via Galveston. At Galveston I had +to get the signature of Gen. H. G. Wright, and then went on to New +Orleans, and, going to the headquarters of Gen. P. H. Sheridan, left the +papers, being told to come back the next day. The next day I received a +certified copy of the order mustering me out, dated September 27th, 1865, +making my service in the army all told, three days less than four years. + +With the order in my pocket, I returned to my room in the St. Charles +Hotel, and, taking off my hat, looked at the crossed sabres on its front. +With my pocket knife I cut them off; then taking off my jacket, I cut off +the shoulder straps and realized, not without a heart pang, that I was no +longer a soldier. + +I still have the pistols which I held in my hands when we lined up across +the quarter deck of the Meteor. I still have the crossed sabres and straps +which I cut off in the St. Charles Hotel. They are not as pretty as they +were forty-two years ago, but they still have for me a certain value. + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of My Service in the U.S. Colored Cavalry, by +Frederick W. 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