2005 Chapters 3 & 4
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Chapter III

Breaking Camp - Our First's Days March - Arrival in Loudon Valley, Va. - Mud Ankle Deep - First Night On Picket - Mobley the Guerrilla - The First Engagement - A Retreat Ordered - Death of Capt. Morgan of the First New York Veteran Cavalry - Lieut. Hampton of the 15^th Badly Wounded and Taken Prisoner - Bravery of Our Men - The Losses.

On the 16^th of January, 1864, the regiment broke camp and took up their line of march for Virginia. A few dismounted men were left behind in command of Quartermaster Trull. The column passed through Washington and Georgetown and encamped the first night at Frederick, Md. From there we went to Harper's Ferry, reaching that place on the 19^th and crossing the river, encamped in Loudon Valley.

The night previous to our arrival, the rebels under command of one Mobley had attacked the troops that we had relieved. Being acquainted with the country, they had surprised and taken prisoners the Union pickets and then charged their main camp, killing and wounding quite a number while lying in their tents. The members of the 15^th were told of the exploits of this guerrilla leader and his men; what he had done, and how treacherous he was, and the detail sent out on picket that night for the first time in the enemy's country, will never forget their experience and what thoughts were conjured up.

The location of our camp was far from being a favorable one, as it was situated in a ravine with the mud ankle deep. Thanks to Lieut. Hurd of Co. H who was acting Quartermaster, enough lumber was secured so that each tent was provided with a board floor. The regiment remained here for a number of days and made frequent scouts up the valley after Mobley and his men but never succeeded in capturing him, although some of the 15^th were roundly abused by his mother, to whose house in the mountains they went one night in hopes of capturing him.

Breaking camp again we recrossed the river and encamped at Halltown, Va. On January 31^st , 1864, a detail left camp for several day's scout. On February 4^th they were at Moorfield, Va., and saw a rebel wagon train ascending a mountain road. The men were eager to capture it, but Col. Mulligan, who was in command of the troops composing the expedition, refused to let them. The casualties on the raid were two men wounded.

We were brigaded when we went to Halltown with the 21^st New York, 1^st New York Veterans and 22^nd Pennsylvania Cavalry.

On Friday, February 19^th, 1864, seventy-five men from the 15^th New York cavalry, under command of Capt. Michael Auer, and Lieuts. Hurd and Hampton; twenty-five men from the First New York Veteran cavalry, under command of Capt. Morgan, and fifty men from the 22^nd Pennsylvania cavalry, were sent by Gen., Hunter from Harper's Ferry to Upperville and Front Royal to meet a detachment. Leaving at 9 P.M. under Major Cole of the 22^nd Pennsylvania cavalry, they arrived at Upperville at 2:30 o'clock the next morning, halted in a piece of woods with pickets out till early dawn, and then charged on Col. Mosby's headquarters. This was the first cavalry work taken part in by the 15^th New York cavalry, and the results was the capture of sixteen privates and three officers, besides killing several and scattering the rest of the rebel raiders.

The next order was "On to Front Royal !" But the little Union force had not gone more than a mile and a half before the rapidly gathering squads of Confederate horsemen showed that a continued march would probably result in disaster and capture. A retreat was ordered with the nineteen prisoners placed in front under guard. Capt, Morgan was in command of the rear guard, and the force had only just retraced their steps through Upperville when the rebels made a charge on the rear guard, killing Capt. Morgan and driving his men into the main column. A counter charge drove the Confederates back and the retreat was resumed.

The worst was to come. The column was moving down a steep icy hill between two stone walls less than three rods apart. All of the horses were smooth shod, and the retreat was slow. At the foot of the hill was a sudden turn in the road to the right, and the rebels conceived the plan of cutting across lots, intercept the front of the column and rescue the prisoners before the rear guard could come down the slippery hill road to their assistance. Capt, Auer, of the 15^th, was then in command of the rear guard, and seeing the movement he ordered Lieut. B. N. Hurd, also of the 15^th, to go back with a detachment of twenty men to hinder the plan, while he dashed across the field with a force to stop the rebel's advance. Capt, Auer led his men across till they reached a rail fence which their horses could not vault on account of it's being up hill. A hay stack just over the fence was sheltering the rebels, and before a gap could be made in the fence the horses of Capt, Auer and Lieut. Hampton, of the 15^th had been shot, and Lieut. Hampton shot through the shoulder and knocked senseless by a sabre blow on the head. Deprived of its officers, the company fell back just as Lieut. Hurd with his twenty men were coming down to their aid from the top of the hill. Lieut. Hurd soon took in the situation and realized that he was completely cut off from the main line unless he could reach the road and join the column by running the gauntlet of the icy track down the hill with rebels firing from then walls. Some of the twenty succeeded, but not all.

"Surrender, you ---- ----," yelled the rebels, leaning over the walls with their pistols. Lieut. Hurd was one of the last to run the gauntlet, and firing his last shot as he passed the enemy, he dropped over on the side of the big black horse. The first fire pierced the horse through, and he fell mortally wounded with his rider clinging to his neck. In trying to extricate his feet from the stirrups, however, one of the spurs pierced the horse's flank, at which he leaped again to his feet and dashed with his rider past the enemy's line. No sooner had he reached the main body than the noble animal again sank to the ground, and died of his wounds. Capt, Auer had obtained another horse in the meantime and was urging on the lieutenant in his race for life.

Lieut. Hampton was not killed, but on regaining consciousness found himself in the hands of the enemy. His wounds were dressed by the rebel surgeon, and he was treated like a gentleman while he remained with them. He had but lately joined the 15^th New York Cavalry, having been transferred from the 8^th New York Cavalry. While serving in the latter regiment he was also taken prisoner and was confined four months.

The casualties of the Fifteenth were six men wounded and captured. The rebel loss was several killed and wounded, besides the nineteen prisoners captured and brought safely into camp.

Sergeant Hatch, of Co. A, (who was afterwards killed at Green Springs Run), was very conspicuous for bravery in this action.

Chapter IV

 Scouting and Foraging - The Faithful Old Darkeys - Disloyalty of the White Element - An Episode - Off for Burlington or "Mud Camp" - An Isolated Place - Companies L and M Joins the Regiment - Col. Richardson Arrives and Takes Command - A Mounted Band - Shot on Picket - Saltpetre Works Destroyed - Disagreeable Weather - Night Alarms - Punished for Insulting Women.

Scouting and foraging expeditions were the almost daily occupations of the regiment while lying at Halltown. The inhabitants of the Shenandoah valley were intensely disloyal and showed their hate in a variety of ways towards the Union soldiers. Charlestown, the hot-bed of secession in the valley, was visited several times, the citizens showing their spite by keeping in doors and peeking out through closed blinds, while the boys retaliated by singing "John Brown's Body." The court house at Charlestown was an object of interest, it being the place where John Brown was tried and condemned.

No little amusement was occasioned while out foraging, by the pitiful wail of the inmates of the houses that you 'uns had taken everything and had left them nothing to eat. But the faithful old darkeys with a comical wink would pilot the boys to a hay or straw stack or a mound of earth, which being torn down or uncovered would disclose a quantity of bacon and hams, and the wagons would return to camp at night well laden with the necessaries of life, while across the pommel of the saddles might be seen dangling many a fowl.

One day while the regiment was marching along the turnpike, returning to camp from one of their frequent scouts, a member of the regiment, whose haversack was empty and whose hunger must be appeased, entered a house whose only occupant was a lady, and accosted her thus:

"Madam, can I get anything to eat here ?"

"No, sir, your folks have taken everything I have."

"What do you live on?"

In the meantime the soldier's eyes had not been idle, and he espied a cupboard in one corner of the room. Addressing the woman again, he said:

"Well, I must have something to eat, so I will just look around and see what I can find."

Advancing toward the cupboard, the women halted him with the remark that she might possibly find him something, and opening the cupboard door she took out a nice piece of boiled ham and half a loaf of bread, and handed them to him. The soldier politely thanked her and rejoined his regiment.

February 24^th.- A detail of about 200men left camp early on a scout. They were gone all day, catching here and there a glimpse of small squads of rebels, but their horses were too fleet for us, and they managed to keep out of harm's way. On returning to camp at night they found it deserted, the rest of the regiment having left for Burlington, West Va., and the rest of the brigade sent to other places. It being late, and men and horses tired out, they unsaddled and concluded to remain all night, being served with hot coffee by the members of the 21^st New York Cavalry who were encamped near by.

February 25^th.- Got an early start and overtook the balance of the regiment.

February 26^th.- Arrived at Romney and encamped all night, a number of the boys taking up their quarters in the court house and some staying in private houses where they regaled themselves on hoecake and bacon served up to them by those ever faithful friends of the soldiers, the negroes.

February 27^th.- Reached Burlington and went into camp; and what a place for a camp. It was appropriately named "Camp Mud." It was situated between two high hills, the ravine being not over 75 to 100 feet wide, and when the tents were pitched there was not much spare room left. Why we were sent there is a problem not yet solved. One single regiment in the enemy's country, some 40 or 50 miles from any other command. Some one blundered, but as it was, the Johnnies did not molest us much.

February 28^th.- Companies L and M joined the regiment.

February 29^th.- A scouting party of 300 started out.

March 1^st.- Snowed and rained all day. The camp in a horrible condition as regards mud and slush.

March 2^nd.- A detail started off on a scout toward Petersburg.

 March 3^rd.- After and early breakfast boots and saddles sounded, the march was resumed, and soon afterwards the picket fires of the rebels were seen but no enemy encountered. Passed through Petersburg during the day and went into camp beyond the town for the night.

March 4^th.- The scouting party returned to camp.

March 10^th.- Boots and saddles sounded three times at night. Co. K put under arrest for causing a disturbance.

March 12^th.- A scouting party sent out to Moorfield.

March 13^th.- Colonel Richardson arrives and assumes command of the regiment for the 1^st time since we left Syracuse. A novelty to be seen in camp is a brass band mounted. The members composing it were taken from the different companies, and after a little practice rendered some excellent music.

March 15^th.- The weather becomes quite cold.

March 22^nd.- Another detail started off on a scout at 3 A.M. They proceeded as far as Franklin and destroyed the saltpetre works located there. The column was gone several days and endured many hardships as the weather was very disagreeable. They captured a jackass battery but lost it on their return trip while coming down the mountain side.

March 25^th.- At ten o'clock at night picket firing was heard, boots and saddles sounded, and the camp was in a state of excitement for a few minutes. The men were finally dismissed with the injunction to sleep on their arms all night to be ready for any emergency.

March 30^th.- Three inches of snow fell.

April 8^th.- The regiment was ordered out dismounted and they were marched to the vicinity of the guard house and formed in a hollow square. Several members of the regiment, who had been arrested for insulting women, were then brought out and underwent the humiliating operation of having their heads shaved.

April 10^th.- Another scouting party sent out to the vicinity of Moorfield. Scouting seemed to be the chief occupation of the regiment and served in a measure to keep them out of mischief.

The paymaster was a welcome visitor while we lay in camp at Burlington. Some of the regiment were off on a scout when he arrived, and on their return had to take up with what sort of money he had left. One man was paid off entirely in "shinplasters" in small denominations, and he had a wad nearly as big as a roll of wall paper lugging off to his tent.

April 17^th.- Thomas Emily, of Co. G, while out on picket was shot through the wrist by a bushwhacker, and subsequently died from the effects of the wound. All of the inhabitants in the vicinity of the camp would profess to be staunch Unionists during the day, but as soon as night came they would sneak up to the pickets and shoot them down in cold blood.

April 19^th.- Called up at 3 A.M., as an attack on the camp was momentarily expected.

April 20^th.- Boots and saddles again sounded at 4 A.M., and the men stood to their horse anxiously awaiting events. There being no cause for the alarm they were ordered back to their tents, but cautioned to be on the alert.

April 23^rd.- Orders were received to pack up and be ready to leave at a moments notice.

April 24^th.- The regiment left camp at 10 A.M., traveled all day and went into camp at Frankfort.

April 25^th.- Resumed the march and went as far as Springfield and went into camp. Laid here for several days, being joined by several other regiments.

April 29^th.- Everything packed up ready for a move. The dismounted men sent to the rear. The regiment left camp and reached Romney at 5 A.M. on the morning of April 30^th.

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