The SENECA correspondent has written many letters about the exploits of New York’s 1st Veteran Cavalry. The following is a different take on the death of Captain Brett, the battle of Piedmont, and the brutal march over the mountains with the Piedmont prisoners.
From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in 1864:
FROM THE 1st VETERAN CAVALRY.
The following is a copy of a letter from CHARLES F. WISEWELL to his brother, dated,
MARTINSBURG, June 21st, 1864.
BROTHER FRANK: – Our regiment arrived in Martinsburg, yesterday morning, from Stanton [sic], and I can assure you we have had some pretty tough times since the Battle of New Market. We have come here for the purpose of recruiting our horses, which are pretty well played out; there not being fifty serviceable horses in the Regiment, at present. As I stated in my last letter, which I wrote while at Newton, that we had retreated back to get out of the way of the Rebs, as as soon as we got reinforced, we again started up the valley, to have some more fun with the Johnneys.
Some days before this, while our wagon train was passing through Newton, it was fired at by persons in some of the houses. Gen. Hunter then sent back some of the cavalry and had them burn the town. – About a week after that, while Capt. Brett was coming through there with another train, he was surprised by a party of guerrillas, the train captured, and the Capt. killed. the scout who reported it, said, the last he saw of Capt. Brett he had his sabre in one hand, and a revolver in another, in the very midst of them, fighting and cheering on the boys to follow him. Our company are all very sorry at the loss of our Captain, for we all thought a great deal of him here. When we arrived at New Market, where the last battle was fought, we found that the dead bodies of our soldiers had been left unburied, that the Rebs had had stripped them of all their clothes, and then left them. We stayed there two days and then moved on towards Staunton. Through every place that we passed, where they had any Government property, it had to be burned. We destroyed over three millions dollars worth of property. At Port Republic we first met the Rebs. (This was on Sunday morning.) Our Regiment being on the advance was the first to meet them. It would not pay for us to sit on our horses and have them firing at us. We were ordered to dismount and form a skirmish line until the infantry could come up and relieve us. For about an hour we had quite smart firing on both sides, until the main advance came up with artillery which opened on them, and they on us. The firing was quite heavy. We kept driving them all the while, until they fell back on some breastworks which they had constructed out of rails, where lay their whole force, and then we had the battle for three hours. There was a continual roar of musketry and artillery. Gen. Stahl ordered our brigade to dismount, with their combines, and go as a support for the infantry. And a battery on our right, which did some awful work amongst them, and for an hour we had some very hard fighting, when the second brigade of cavalry flanked them and got in their rear. Then the infantry in front charged on them, and drove them on a run, and our cavalry coming up in their rear, they didn’t know which way to go, but to throw down their arms and give themselves up as prisoners. Our brigade was then ordered back to their horses, double-quick, and then we charged on them. We completely routed them, we cut them down on that charge like grass. If it hadn’t been for this artillery, we would have captured their whole army. When we charged on them, the shot and shell from their cannon were bursting and flying around our heads like hail-stones, which was not so pleasant. After the battle was over, I went to the place where the Rebs had their breastworks of rails, and there were some of the worst-mangled men I ever saw.
Some with their heads shot clear off, others cut in two, one part of the body lay in one place and the other a rod or two from it. I saw one man where a shell had struck a rail and the rail had struck him in the head, passing clear through him. General Jones was killed. I saw him. He was shot through the temple. We killed and captured about fifteen hundred, – three colonels, five majors, and about fifty commissioned officers. I cut one of the buttons from Gen. Jones’ coat, and have sent it home to you by mail, which I hope you will get. I have a canteen made out of cedar, which I took off a Rebel officer, and if you want it, I will send it home to you; and tell Romain that I have sent him a fiddle that I captured, and it is a first-rate one. If he wants it, by paying the express charges on it he can have it[.] The next day we entered Staunton. The first Union soldiers that were ever there. And most of the citizens were glad that the Yanks (as they call us,) had come. This was a very important place for the Rebs on account of its being the junction of several railroads. These we destroyed, and burned a great many of their Government manufactories. We stayed there four days, when our Regiment, with several Regiments of infantry, were detailed to guard prisonors [sic] and wagon train across the mountains to the nearest railroad station, which was about one hundred and fifty miles from Staunton. That was the worst march of all. We had no rations for ourselves or horses, and it took us a week to cross, and by the time we got over we were nearly starved. The mules gave out on the wagon-train, and so did our cavalry horses, and before we had crossed over, we had to shoot over three hundred mules, and about two hundred horses, and burned some forty or fifty Government wagons, and two pieces of artillery, so that they couldn’t get hold of them. Above all men to be dreaded, are the Bushwackers in the mountains, which swarm full of them, and every chance they got they would pick off our men. If a man lingered behind the rear guard, he was a goner. While crossing above the Alleghanies, our Company were out of the rear-guard. We were delayed on account of the breaking of a wagon, which brought us about a mile about a mile behind the main advance, when all of a sudden we heard several shots fired in the mountain, wounding Gen. Story in the arm and thumb, killing several horses. We all dismounted and darted after them. The Sergt. told us not to take a single prisoner, but shoot them like dogs. We followed some distance, but took none of them. If we had, they would have been strung up by the neck to the first tree we came to. I hope that I may never have to pass the road again. I would rather be in a dozen battles than run the risk of getting bushwacked. We reached the railroad station, and there shipped the prisoners; then took the cars and came to Martinsburg[.] WE expect to join Gen. Hunter, every day, and by reading his movements, you will no [sic] where we are. This just suits me, if I could only see the folks at home once in a while; but hoping I may see you all again, I must close with love to all. From CHARLIE.
General Story was really Sergeant Story:
Vinton F Story
” I would rather be in a dozen battles than run the risk of getting bushwacked”
General “Grumble” Jones shot in the head at Piedmont
