Civil War Experiences

"You will remember how urgent the boys were last summer for a history of the Regiment to be prepared. I resolved then to gratify them and am engaged on it now. I want you to aid me to the extent of giving me a detailed account of yourself--nativity, date of birth, former service, engagements that you were in that led up to your promotion, your service with us, your wounding and incidents accompanying it, your period of treatment in the Hospital, your civil record since, and be kind enough not to be at all modest in setting it all forth. I shall not use your language, neither shall I give you credit for the biography, and you may drop all modesty with me and give it to me in full. You may have kept something of a diary or there may be some old letters that you have written which will give me some record by dates of the Regiment's service. I want it all."

In 1896 I complied with this request to the extent of giving a brief account of my service in the Army. Since then, members of my family and a few personal friends have asked me to incorporate in this account incidents that I recalled, some of which they had heard me relate, asserting that they would be of interest to my grandchildren.

The following story is my attempt to accede to these requests. I am naturally proud of having had the privilege of serving under the Generals I have mentioned, and the story recited in the following pages is in accordance with my recollection of events that occurred over forty-five years ago.

HENRY C. MEYER. NEW YORK, May, 1911.

CONTENTS

PAGE

CHAPTER I 1

Enlistment; Journey to Regiment; First Picket Duty; Raid to Fredericks Hall.

CHAPTER II 8

Night after Battle of Cedar Mountain; Death of Captain Walters at Rapidan; Retreat from Rapidan; Battle at Brandy Station.

CHAPTER III 13

Second Battle at Bull Run; Destruction of Seymour's Squadron; Death of Compton; A Wounded Soldier's Heroism; Fitz-John Porter's Message to Kilpatrick; Longstreet's Assault on Left of Pope's Army; To Alexandria to Refit.

CHAPTER IV 20

Refitting at Ball's Cross Roads; Skirmishing around Centerville; Advance after Antietam; Soldier's Opinion on McClellan's being Superseded; Battle of Fredericksburg; Death of Bayard.

CHAPTER V 23

Detailed at General Gregg's Headquarters; The Stoneman Raid.

CHAPTER VI 27

Gettysburg Campaign; Battle at Brandy Station; Wounded at Stuart's Headquarters.

CHAPTER VII 33

Battles at Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville.

CHAPTER VIII 42

Crossing the Potomac; Scenes in Frederick and Liberty; Girls' Boarding School at New Windsor; March to Gettysburg.

CHAPTER IX 47

Second and Third Days of Battle at Gettysburg; Gregg's Cavalry Engagement on the Right; Repulse of Stuart.

CHAPTER X 54

Day Following the Battle at Gettysburg; Compelling Citizens to Assist in Burying the Dead; Scenes in Gettysburg; Nick Finding John Burns; Following up Lee's Army; Wounded Confederates Left Behind.

CHAPTER XI 58

Return to Virginia; Crossing at Harper's Ferry; Battle at Shepherdstown; Confederate Prisoner Reporting the Condition of a Cousin in Confederate Army; Advance from Sulphur Springs to the Rapidan.

CHAPTER XII 62

Transferred to General Kilpatrick's Headquarters; Battle on Retreat from Culpeper; Battle at Buckland's Mills; Granted a Furlough; Recommended for a Commission; Appointed a Second Lieutenant; Leaving General Kilpatrick.

CHAPTER XIII 71

Joined 24th New York Cavalry at Auburn, N. Y.; Trip to Washington; At Camp Stoneman; March to Join Army of the Potomac; Experience at Battle of the Wilderness; First Sight of General Grant.