CHAPTER XII.

WINTER QUARTERS GRANT'S CAMPAIGN-WILDERNESS—

SPOTTSYLVANIA COURT-HOUSE-NORTH

ESDA CHURCH-MUSTER OUT.

ANNA-BETH

Guarding the railroad- Capture of guerillas - Colonel Hardin wounded - Expedition to Brentsville - Death of Major LarimerColonel Gustin's expedition to Occoquan—Captain Fisher; his escape from Libby Prison—Reorganization of the Army—General GrantAdvance—Crossing the Rapidan—The Army in the WildernessMuster out of the Ninth regiment—Surgeons Phillips, King and Lane -General Meade's address to the Army—The battle in the Wilderness -The advance to Parker's store—Line of battle—The Reserves surrounded—Escape to Lacy's farm—Capture of the Seventh regiment— Colonel Bolinger—Battle of Friday—General Wadsworth—Death of Colonel Dare—Movement to the right—Close of the day—Operations on Saturday—Night march to Spottsylvania Court-House—Battle on Sunday—Charge of the Reserves—Line of battle—Second chargeMcCandless wounded—Colonel Talley captured—Operations on Monday—Death of General Sedgwick—Sheridan's cavalry raid—Battle of Tuesday—The army at rest—Battle of Thursday—Hancock's coup de main—Desperate battle—Days of repose—The return of the Eighth regiment—Death of Surgeon Jones—Escape of Captain Robinson and Lieutenant Robinson—Attempt to turn the right—Exploit of Bucktails -Movement to Guinney's station—March to the North Anna—Operations south of the North Anna—Flank movement to Hanover—Battle of Bethesda Church—Expiration of term of service—Casualties—Return to Pennsylvania—Reception—Muster out—Campaign of the Third and Fourth regiments in Western Virginia—Battle of Cloyd's mountainBattle of New River—Casualties - Death of Colonel WoolworthReturn—Reception and muster out--The glory of the Reserves.

After the army had returned from the Mine run campaign, the Reserves went into winter-quarters at Bristoe, Manassas, and Alexandria, where the regiments remained, guarding the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, until the last of April, 1864. The presence of Moseby's guerilla bands gave rise

to numerous skirmishes with the Pennsylvania cavalry, which was attached to the Reserve Corps. The first of these occurred near Haymarket, in Prince William county, on the 8th of December. Colonel Fisher, commanding the Third brigade, had been ordered to retire his command from Manassas, and to encamp at Warrenton Junction. Soon after the countermarch had been performed, Colonel Fisher learned that a detachment of the enemy's cavalry was prowling about the country, and he determined to punish or disperse the marauders, and drive them from their hiding-places. A company of the Fourth Pennsylvania, and one of the First Rhode Island Cavalry, accompanied Colonel Fisher, and succeeded in surprising the enemy, and capturing Captain Lee, the commander of the guerrillas in Prince William county; several of his men were wounded and taken prisoners, and his company was dispersed.

Soon after the division had encamped on the line of the railroad, Colonel Hardin, accompanied by some of the officers of the Third brigade, went out to select sites for the erection of block-houses to protect the road; a short distance from Catlett's station a party of rebel guerillas, dressed in the National uniform, rode up to Colonel Hardin and his associates, and before they had discovered the character of the troops, the rebels opened fire; Colonel Hardin drew his sword, and at the first stroke unhorsed one of the enemy; but at the same instant he was struck in the left arm, above the elbow, by a musket ball, that shattered his arm so severely that it was subsequently amputated. The officers extricated themselves from the hands of the enemy and escaped to camp.

After the close of the campaigns of 1863, Lieutenantcolonel George A. Woodward, of the Second regiment, who had been disabled by a wound received at the battle of New Market cross roads, was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps. The command of the regiment was then assumed by Major Patrick McDonough, who was subsequently promoted to the lieutenant-colonelcy, and com

manded the regiment until it was mustered out of service. Adjutant E. M. Woodward* was honorably discharged on account of physical disability, and Lieutenant John L. Rhoads, of company G, appointed adjutant of the Second regiment.

On the 14th of February, a scouting party from the Thirteenth Pennsylvania cavalry, consisting of one officer and thirteen men, left Bristoe station, and proceeded to Brentsville. Major Larimer, Captain Carle, Lieutenant Clover, and Lieutenant Scudder, of General Crawford's staff, accompanied the expedition. The outposts of the enemy, found at Brentsville, fled at the approach of the National troops. The party pressed rapidly to Cedar run bridge, where the advance guard, consisting of Lieutenant Early, commanding the cavalry, and six men, accompanied by Major Larimer and Lieutenant Clover, fell into an ambuscade. The enemy suddenly opened fire from a dense pine thicket that bordered the road; Major Larimer fell dead, pierced by five bullets, two of the men were killed and three wounded; Lieutenants Early and Clover, and one private escaped by a circuitous route, and returned to camp; Lieutenant Scudder fell into the hands of the enemy on his way back to headquarters. An additional body of cavalry, and two companies of infantry were sent to the rescue; but the enemy had retreated, leaving the dead and wounded in the woods.

The body of Major Larimer was brought into camp, and on the following day was sent to Pennsylvania. On the 16th of February General Crawford issued an order, in which he said:

"It is the painful duty of the general commanding the

* Adjutant Woodward kept daily notes of the operations of the Second regiment, which he generously placed in the hands of the author. A very full and complete diary kept by Sergeant John Bills, of the Twelfth, and another by Reuben H. Gibble, a private in Company K, of the Fifth regiment, formed invaluable aid in the compilation of the History of the Pennsylvania Reserves.

division to announce to his command the death, at the hands of the enemy, of Major James H. Larimer, acting assistant inspector general of the division. Major Larimer entered the service in June, 1861, as a first lieutenant in the Fifth regiment Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, from which position he rose to the rank of a field officer. Ever zealous in the discharge of his duties, faithful in camp, fearless in the field, Major Larimer united with a reserved and unobtrusive deportment, the highest qualities of a soldier. His loss to his brother officers and the division will be keenly felt."

Scouting parties were frequently sent out by Colonel Fisher, commanding the Third brigade, with headquarters at Manassas; the most important of these was an expedition made by Lieutenant-colonel Gustin, of the Twelfth regiment, to Occoquan; a large quantity of horses, mules, and commissary stores, that had been collected and secreted for the rebel guerilla parties in that vicinity, were captured.

On the 23rd of January, the Fifth regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Dare, was ordered to proceed to Alexandria, and report for duty to the superintendent of the military railroad. The regiment established a camp in the suburbs of the city, and the men were employed to guard railroad trains from Alexandria to Brandy station and Culpepper.

On the 9th of February a number of officers made their escape from Libby prison, in Richmond. Among these was Captain Benjamin F: Fisher, of the Third regiment. He was a young man of liberal education; quick in conception, and energetic in the execution of movements and projects that pertained to his command. In 1861, when a lieutenant in camp at Tenallytown, he was detailed for signal duty; he rose rapidly in that department, and in the spring of 1863, was made chief signal officer in the Army of the Potomac. During the movement to Chancellorsville, Captain Fisher rendered great service to the commanding general, and again, was the first to detect and report Lee's movements up the Rappahannock at the beginning

of the campaign into Pennsylvania. On the 17th of June, he left the headquarters of the army, then at Fairfax station, to report to General Pleasonton, who was in command of the cavalry near Aldie. He was directed by the chief of staff to make a reconnoissance, under an escort to be furnished by General Pleasonton, to the Blue Ridge, in order to ascertain the location of Lee's forces; but whilst en route for Pleasonton's headquarters, he was captured by a band of Moseby's men, and when next heard from he was an inmate of Libby prison.

Colonel Ross, of Pennsylvania, who was also a prisoner, organized a working party for the purpose of effecting an escape from Libby. After many days of anxious labor he completed a tunnel about fifty feet long, extending from the cellar of the prison under an open lot of ground to the yard connecting with the adjoining building. The work was completed on the 9th of February, and the prisoners emerged from the yard in squads of two and three, and thence made their escape from the city, aided by the loyal citizens in the rebel capital. The exodus began about nine o'clock in the evening and continued until three o'clock next morning. Captain Fisher, with one companion, had been admitted into the organized party, and hence came out at about ten o'clock in the evening, and thus had a reasonable prospect for successful escape. They proceeded to the Chickahominy river that night, passing the guard stationed at Meadow bridge; they concealed themselves during the next day under a pine thicket several miles beyond the river. At dark they resumed their journey and continued traveling all night, avoiding the roads and again concealing themselves in the thickets and jungles of the Chickahominy swamp during the day. When they reached the vicinity. of the White house they were overtaken by a severe snow storm, and were compelled to lie for two days and one night under a laurel thicket, without stirring lest the rebel scouts, who were searching in every direction, should discover their hiding place. On the evening of the 18th of