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

366 SIXTIETH REGIMENT-THIRD CAVALRY. 1864
four and five days and nights out of quarters during the week-the weather
very cold and the men poorly clad. For a long time there was not a dozen
pairs of good boots in the entire regiment, and the men were under the necessity of tying their feet in old blankets to protect them from the frost. At this
unfortunate time the re-enlistment of veteran volunteers took place, and so
miserable was their condition that only about seventy-five were willing to bind
themselves for another three years of service. The principal excitement at this
time in the command was the semi-weekly hunt after the ubiquitous Moseby,
and his hair-breadth escapes were the wonder of all. Near the close of the
year a shade of gloom was cast over the regiment by the untimely death of
Captain Walter S. Newhall, a fine officer, the pride of the regiment, who for
some time had been acting as Assistant Adjutant General on the Brigade staff
who had ridden with Zagonyi at Springfield, and had served with the Third
from the winter of 1861. He was accidentally drowned, in a creek near Rappahannock Station, while on his way home to spend Christmas with his family.
On the 26th of January, 1864, in the re-organization of the forces which
was made preparatory to the opening of the spring campaign, the regiment,
greatly reduced by the severity of its service, was relieved from duty.with the
Cavalry corps, and ordered to report at the headquarters of the Army of the
Potomac, then at Brandy Station, for duty with the Provost Marshal General.
The army commenced a forward movement on the 4th of May. During the
terrific fighting in the Wilderness, the Third was constantly at the front,
acting as escort to Generals Grant and Meade, filling gaps in lines of battle,
and performing the arduous duties of an emergency command. During the
battles 6f the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, North Anna and Cold
Harbor, the regiment was continually employed upon important and dangerous
duties, and gained the approbation of its superior officers to such an extent
that all efforts to have it ordered to its place in the Cavalry corps were unavailing.
After passing once more through the well remembered swamps of the Chickahominy, the scenes of the disastrous Peninsula campaign, the Third took the
advance of the army, and made the first connection with General Butler's command, upon the south side of the James. Generals Grant and Meade, with
the Third as escort, crossed the river on a pontoon bridge on the morning
of the 16th of June, and immediately pushed forward towards Petersburg.
After much manoeuvring and hard fighting the regiment went into camp at
General Meade's headquarters, near what was afterwards Meade Station, on
the Military Railroad. About this time Colonel M7Intosh was promoted to
Brigadier General. In the fall of 1863, he had been on detached service, Colonel Taylor of the First Pennsylvania taking command of the brigade. During
the campaign of the Wilderness he had commanded a brigade in the Third
Cavalry Division. In this he continued after his promotion, served in the
Shenandoah Valley, and lost a leg at Cedar Creek, the scene of Sheridan's
triumph. * Lieutenant Colonel Jones was promoted to Colonel of the regiment,
but was not mustered as such.
The three years' term of service of the originally enlisted men had now nearly
expired, though of recruits and veterans there were about three hundred, half
of the entire number, who had still an additional period to serve. Accordingly
on the 27th of July an order was issued from the headquarters of the Army of
the Potomac, directing the officers and men whose terms had expired, to pro