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1863
So stealthy did Lee move from his camps on the Rapidan, in
his march to Pennsylvania, in 1863, that he reached the Shenandoah
Valley, and approached the front of Milroy, in comnmand at
Winchester, without being discovered or his approach being
suspected. On Friday, the 12th of June, two reconnoitring parties
were sent out, the one on the Strasburg, the other on the Frout
Royal Road, to discover if there was any augmentation of force
beyond the usual cavalry strength. That on the Frout Royal Road was
headed by the Twelfth Cavalry, four hundred strong, under command of
Lieutenant Colouel Joseph L. Moss, who had succeeded Lieutellant
Colonel Kohler. At Cedarville, a point twelve miles out from
Winchester, Colouel Moss encountered a heavy force of the enemy,
composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, he immediately
returned and reported the facts at headquarters, which were
discredited. " The report was discredited, " says General Milroy, in
his official report, " by myself and by General Elliott, my second
in command. I deemed it impossible that Lee's Army, with its immense
artillery and baggage trains, could have escaped from the Army of
the Potomac, and crossed the Blue Ridge. " This delusion was soon
dissipated, and the correctness of the report made apparent, by the
advance of Lee's Army on all the roads leading from the south. Soon
afterward, a force under Colonel Ely, consisting of the Twelfth
Pennsylvania Cavalry, the Eighty-seventh Pennsylvanians Eighteenth
Connecticut, and Fifth Maryland Infantry, and a section of Battery
L, Fifth Artillery, was again sent forward on the Strasburg Road,
and a mile out encouutered the enemy with a battery posted in a wood
to the right of the Frout Royal Road, where a light artillery
skirmish ensued. Retiring to the junction of the two roads, to
prevent being flanked, Colonel Ely took position, where he remained
unmolested during the day, with the exception of the occasional
advance of detachments of rebel cavalry, which was easily repulsed.
At evening, Colonel Ely retired his forces behind the Creek and
Race, which cross the Strasburg and Front Royal Roads, and which
afforded Some protection. The enemy followed in two lines, as if to
attack, but was thrown into confusion by a rapid fire of artillery
opened upon him from Carlin's Battery, stationed on the Southern
extremity of Apple-pie Ridge. The enemy's skirmishers now advanced,
and a brisk fire was opened on Ely's front, which was kept up during
the following day. For three days Lee's Army was held in check by
this small force of less than twelve thousand men. The enemy refused
to assault, but gradually gathered in around the town, until nearly
every way of escape was cut off. At a council of war, held on the
night of Sunday, the 14th, it was decided that an attempt should be
made by the command to cut its way out, and push for the Potomac.
under cover of darkness, the brigades moved at a little after
midnight, in the order of their numbers. Four miles out, on the
Martinsburg Road, the enemy was encountered in strong force, and a
heavy night engagennent took place, in which the Twelfth
participated, sustaining considerable loss. Lieutenant Colonel Moss
had his horse shot under him, and was disabled by the fall, the
command devolving on Major Titus. Taking advantage of the noise of
the contests the column separated, one part moving towards Harper's
Ferry, the other by way of Math, and Hancock, to bloody nuu. The
Twelfth was with the latter.
At Bloody Run the regiment was rallied, Colonel
Pierce resuming command, and advanced to M'Connellsburg, skirmishing
lightly with parties of the,enemy by the way.Here it was joined by
Captain Wallace, with a company of militia having a piece of
artillery, which was moved up to the mouutain. On the 5th of July,
two days after the close of the battle of Gettysburg, a detachment
from the First New York Cavalry, and the Twelfth, came upon the
enemy's trains at Cunningham Cross Roads, near the Maryland border,
making captives of the guard, Six hundred and forty in numbers and
capturing five hundred and fifty horses and mules, one hundred and
twentyfive wagons, and three brass twelve pounders. This success was
not achieved without a struggle; Lieutenant Irwin, of company E,
being among the wounded. In a subsequent encounter near Mercersburg,
sixty of the enemy were captured, and txventy-four wagons taken.
'At the close of the Gettysburg Campaign, the
regiment marched to Sharpsburg, where it remained until the 3rd of
August. It then crossed the Potomac, and moved up to the
neighbrohood of Martinsburg, where, with the exception of an
occasional collision with the rebel cavalry and bushwhackers, it
remained employed in the usual guard, scout, and picket duty,
without serious molestation, until the opening of the campaign of
1864. In the meantime, the regiment had, upon the expiration of its
original term of service, re-enlisted for a second term, and
proceeded in a body to Philadelphia for a veteran furlough. On
returning to the front in April, 1864, with ranks strengthened by
recruits, it resumed its duties in guarding the frontier, Colonel B.
S. Rogers being in command of the Post. In July previous, Lieutenant
Colonel Moss had resigned and had been succeeded by Major Bell, who
now had the active command of the regiment.
Information from [Samuel P.
Bates]
"History of Pennsylvania volunteers,
1861-1865"]
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