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

524 SIXTY-FOURTH REGIMENT-FOURTH CAVALRY. 1862
opened with schrapnel and canister. Never was artillery more effectively served.
Rapid as were the discharges, the effect of each was plainly visible. The dense
masses of the enemy on the heights in front wavered, were checked, and finally
turned back over the hill. At this juncture the regiment was ordered from the
field by the General-in-Chief. As it filed away, the head of Meagher's Brigade
was met, just advancing upon the field. After leaving the field, Colonel Childs
was ordered to re-organize the stragglers, and while this was going on, a captain
in a staff officer's uniform announced, " that while our fighting had held the
enemy on that side of the Chickahominy, M'Clellan's advance had marched
into Richmond and was in full possession of the city." The report was believed; the disheartened troops revived, and cheer after cheer rent the air, inducing
the belief in the rebel army that large reinforcements were arriving, and that
the battle would be renewed on the same ground.
At night the regiment crossed the river and had a day of rest. On Sunday,
after many delays, it marched past Savage Station, across White Oak Swamp,
and on the following day, June 30th, was posted on the extreme left of Seymour's
Brigade of M'Call's Division. The position of the former seemed admirable,
and he expressed himself in advance, in extravagant terms of satisfaction.
There was a long delay in which perfect quiet reigned. At length was heard
rapid firing on the skirmish line, and soon the rebels made their appearance
and charged in columns, firing as they came. They were warmly greeted, but
answered with equal violence. A battery immediately in front of the Fourth,
began to move hurriedly from the field, and its infantry support carried back
along with it, broke the line of the cavalry, but was quickly re-formed. One
of the guns fell into the hands of the enemy, and as it was being turned upon
our own men, Captain Parke, of company B, with his platoon charged upon,
and recovered it. For the rest of the day the regiment was under a hot fire, but
not otherwise engaged. The use of cavalry as dismounted skirmishers was
not then thought of, and the nature of the ground prevented any effectual
mounted charge. Adjutant Biddle and two men were wounded, and fell into
the hands of the enemy. Surgeon Marsh remained upon the field, to care for
the wounded, and was also held a prisoner. At Malvern Hill on the following
day, a squadron of the Fourth acted as a body guard to General Porter, and
the rest of the regiment was on the field and under fire, supporting weak parts
of the line as needed. The camp at Harrison's Landing gave rest to the whole
army. In the night attack on the 31st of July, by the rebels from the opposite
side of the James, the Fourth lost four men and six horses. On the following day, a detachment was sent across the river to act in conjunction with the
other troops in making the ground secure from future surprises.
From, Harrison's Landing the regiment marched via Williamsburg to Yorktown, where it was joined by the battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Kerr,
whence it proceeded to Washington, arriving too late to have a part in the second battle of Bull Run. In the movement into Maryland, the army being again
under General M'Clellan, the Fourth had the advance until it reached Frederick City, when it was assigned to General Averell's Brigade. The illness of
the latter preventing him from taking the field, the command of the brigade
devolved upon Colonel Childs, that of the regiment upon Lieutenant Colonel
Kerr. The brigade crossed the Antietam with the troops upon the left, and
was posted in front of the Stone Bridge, where the Fourth supported Clark's
Battery and held the line upon its right. A single solid shot, which fell in the