History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

1861 ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION. 1015
George D. Bayard, of the Fourth Regular Cavalry, a young officer of great
promise, and of considerable experience in Indian warfare, was selected to command, and the organization was completed by the choice of Jacob Higgins,
Captain of company G, Lieutenant Colonel, and Owen Jones, Captain of company B, Major. Drill was now commenced in earnest, and prosecuted with a
zeal characteristic of its enterprising commander. The line officers were daily
instructed by him, and they in turn instructed their subordinates, and put their
lessons in practice on the field, under his immediate supervision. The men
were at first armed with sabre and pistol, and ten carbines to each company,
which number was subsequently increased until each man was supplied with
one. A part of the horses were selected by the company officers, and were
chosen with special reference to cavalry service. The remainder were selected
by Colonel Bayard himself from the government corral at Washington. Under
good care and training these horses became notable for excellence, and many of
them remained the best after several lots of fresh animals had been worn out.
This regiment was organized as the Fifteenth of the Reserve Corps, the law
authorizing the organization of the corps requiring " one regiment of cavalry."
It joined the division at its camp at Tenallytown, where it remained until the
10th of October, when it moved to Camp Pierpont, Virginia. Here details of
one officer and thirty men were daily sent during the winter on picket, and frequent expeditions were made into the country.
On the 27th of November, Colonel Bayard was ordered to scout the country
beyond Difficult Creek, a small stream crossing the pike about six miles from
camp, and make a descent on Dranesville, a village seven miles further on.
Marching all night and arriving at the village just before daylight, several
houses were quickly surrounded, and a search for guerrillas, reported to harbor there, commenced. Several suspicious persons were arrested, and after a:
half hour's halt, he took'up the march for camp. Two miles from town, the
head of the column was fired on by guerrillas concealed in the pine thickets by
the roadside. Detachments were immediately dismounted and pushed into the
woods, and in a few minutes had killed or captured the whole party. Assistant
Surgeon Samuel Alexander, and private Joseph Hughling, company D, were
killed, and two men were severely wounded. Colonel Bayard was slightly
wounded, and had his horse killed under him.
Five companies, under Lieutenant Colonel Higgins, participated in the
battle of Dranesville. At the opening of the engagement, the cavalry was ordered to push forward, and compel the enemy to unmask his position. Colonel
Higgins sent two companies, H and I, under Captain Streck, forward on the
road north of the. town, while companies C, D and E, under Captain Taylor,
charged directly through it, and pushed on until the enemy, opening on their
flank and rear, compelled them to withdraw. The infantry now became engaged, and the cavalry was ordered to the support of Easton's Battery, where
it remained until the close of the action, which resulted in the total route of the
enemy.
On the 3d of January, 1862, Lieutenant Colonel Higgins resigned, and Major
Jones was promoted to succeed him. Adjutant S. D. Barrows, who had pre
viously been commissioned Second Major, was now promoted to First Major,
and Richard J. Falls was commissioned Second Major.
On the 7th of January, the two independent companies, L and M, which
had been stationed in Baltimore, joined the regiment. Upon the opening of the