Named Entity Results, Pleasanton

Doc. 214.-General Pleasanton's Reconnois Sance. General Pleasanton's report. army of the Potomac, October 8, 1862. I crossed the Potomac on the morning of the first instant, with seven hundred men, consisting of the Eighth Illinois cavalry, three squadrons from each of the Eighth Pennsylvania and Third Indiana cavalry and Pennington's battery of artillery. I drove the enemy's picket out of Shepherdstown, and followed the Ninth Virginia cavalry on the Martinsburgh road so rapidly tGeneral Pleasanton's report. army of the Potomac, October 8, 1862. I crossed the Potomac on the morning of the first instant, with seven hundred men, consisting of the Eighth Illinois cavalry, three squadrons from each of the Eighth Pennsylvania and Third Indiana cavalry and Pennington's battery of artillery. I drove the enemy's picket out of Shepherdstown, and followed the Ninth Virginia cavalry on the Martinsburgh road so rapidly that they fled, leaving one of their dead in the road. This dead body was still in the road on my return in the evening, showing that I had possession of it the whole day. Five miles from Shepherdstown the road forks, one branch going in the direction of Bunker's Hill, and it was on this road that Lee's brigade was posted; the other passed on to Martinsburgh, and in obedience to my orders I moved on it. Two miles of travel brought me to the Opequon Creek, on the opposite bank of which, and so

Rebel reports and narratives. General Lee's despatch. headquarters army of Northern Virginia, camp on Washington's Run, October 2, 1862. General S. Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-General, C. S.A., Richmond, Va.: General: The enemy's cavalry, under General Pleasanton, with six pieces of artillery, drove back our pickets yesterday in front of Shepherdstown. The Ninth Virginia cavalry, which was on picket, repulsed the enemy several times by vigorous charges, disputing the ground step by step, back to the main body. By the time his artillery reached him, Col. W. F. H. Lee, who was in command of the brigade, was obliged to place it on the west bank of the Opequon, on the flank of the enemy, as he approached Martinsburgh. Gen. Hampton's brigade had retired through Martinsburgh, on the Tuscarora road, when Gen. Stuart arrived and made dispositions to attack. Lee's brigade was advanced immediately, and Hampton's ordered forward. The enemy retired at the approach of Lee alo

when it became evident that one of the most important objects would prove a failure through his wilful connivance, was immediately hanged upon the spot; thus meeting a fate he so richly deserved. The command had moved forward to far within the enemy's lines long before any alarm was given to the authorities at Richmond or General Lee, and when it did become known in Richmond, that a force of Union cavalry had crossed the Rapidan, so secret and well-planned had been the expedition by General Pleasanton, and so well executed by General Kilpatrick, they had not the most distant idea of its whereabouts, when, in fact, the command was at that time almost within sight of Richmond, and a few hours later was hurling leaden messengers of death from a battery placed inside the defences of that city into its very suburbs. The details of this movement, so far as it may be proper, I shall proceed to give nearly in the order in which they transpired. The command left Stevensburgh, Virginia, o

centre passed through Frederick. In this city the manifestations of Union feeling were abundant and gratifying. The troops received the most enthusiastic welcome at the hands of the inhabitants. On the thirteenth, the advance, consisting of Pleasanton's cavalry and horse artillery, after some skirmishing, cleared the main passage over the Catoctin Hills, leaving no serious obstruction to the movement of the main body until the base of the South-Mountain range was reached. While at Frederi, and having as a lateral movement, direct relations to the attack on the principal pass, while it at the same time presented the most direct practical route for the relief of Harper's Ferry. Early in the morning of the fourteenth instant, General Pleasanton, with a cavalry force, reconnoitred the position of the enemy, whom he discovered to occupy the crests of commanding hills in the gap on either side of the national road, and upon advantageous ground in the centre upon and near the road, wi

e route to the mouth of the Monocacy. General Pleasanton started for this point via Frederick Cith checked the enemy's advance. At this time Pleasanton's command was not more than four hundred strhad of troops being in that vicinity. General Pleasanton succeeded in driving the rebels from theorces would have been certain; but with his (Pleasanton's) small force, which did not exceed one fouof me, and were on their way to report to Gen. Pleasanton. As, however, it was ascertained that thn the gray of the morning we pushed on to Gen. Pleasanton's quarters, at White's Ferry on the Potom-past 11 Saturday night. From Mechanicstown, Pleasanton set out in pursuit at one A. M., Sunday mornGenerals Stuart, Hampton, and Fitz-Hugh Lee. Pleasanton's force did not number over five hundred hor of forcing a passage to Monocacy Ferry. General Pleasanton was able to prevent this, and having suc's Ferry, and all that the small force of Gen. Pleasanton could do was insufficient to prevent thei[4 more...]

ing several regiments of cavalry and the Second artillery, battery M, all under command of General Pleasanton, broke camp at Purcellsville, and began the onward march. Our road lay through a most bearsing a brother of full five years of age in order to keep him quiet. Lieutenant Krin, of General Pleasanton's staff, who was appointed Provost-Marshal of the village, immediately arrested all the ma Keenan, which had been thrown out on picket in the direction of Union, three miles away. General Pleasanton, who was at the right of the village, immediately hastened to the front, taking with him tnly opened very near to the village. Can't we reach that? remarked one of his officers to Gen. Pleasanton. Reach it? I guess I can, replied the General, and in less than a moment's time one of thehe distant woods and fields, evidently determined on disputing our advance to Union, which General Pleasanton had been ordered to occupy at all hazards, and the possession of which was necessary to th

Hampton's brigade, which fell back after engaging Averill. This morning Gen. Pleasanton led the advance again, Averill following in the rear. He pushed on from Pfight to-day. Stuart and Hampton both slept last night in the house in which Pleasanton has his Headquarters this evening. Stuart had made his arrangements and awai were planted. As our cavalry came in sight the enemy opened on them. General Pleasanton, at the head of the column, speedily made his dispositions for the fight.en were deployed in front as skirmishers on the right, left, and centre. General Pleasanton, with his aids, and a number of other officers, including Captain Custer,urishing their swords and cheering to the utmost limits of their voices. General Pleasanton himself, who naturally displays an enthusiastic temperament when it is ar which has been amputated. Immediately after these brilliant encounters, General Pleasanton pushed a body of cavalry down to Sandy Hook near the mouth of the gap, an

ar equals it. It will go down to history as one of the bravest achievements on record. Gen. Sigel is in ecstasies to-night. He is writing an order of thanks. The prisoners were brought in an hour ago by a squad, and here come the remainder of the troop, welcomed with wild hurrahs. The South will learn by and by that there are bold riders and brave men who were born in the cold regions of the North as well as in the sunny South--men who have not been gentlemen all their lives, brought up to the chase; but who have tilled the soil, wielded the hammer, held the plough, the spade — free men, who believe in free labor. The fabulous glory of the Black Horse cavalry is fading. Stuart has his compeers — Pleasanton and Dahlgren. We are beginning to learn war. We have had Southern dash and valor against inexperience, in horsemanship; but the cool intrepidity, determination and bravery of the Northern soldier is beginning to be felt. We shall hear more from Captain Dahlgren and his me

ield, was a stone wall, extending from Scott's Creek up to the woods. There was the place to stop the stampede. He reached the gateway. With pistol and sword he stopped the foremost piece of artillery. The others came crowding on, the drivers in a fever-heat of panic; but they were blocked. Officers rallied them, and their courage began to return, and notwithstanding the infantry was tumbling headlong over the wall, and fleeing through the woods, the artillery recovered its senses. Pleasanton, with his cavalry, was in the field. Leaving the cavalry, he took charge of the artillery, turned it up on the ridge, manned it in battery, brought up his cavalry to support it — a feature novel and laughable — and in five minutes had the foundation of a dam. Captain Best, chief of artillery to Sickles's corps, with marvellous energy brought his pieces into position, all pointing toward the approaching avalanche--forty pieces ready to open their thunders. General Hooker was at Chancellor