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

1862 BATTLE OF ANTIETAM. 525
midst of the squadron supporting these guns, killed two men and four horses.
Colonel Childs was among the killed in this battle. He had completed an inspection of the skirmish line, and was with the staff, under cover of a hill, in a
place of comparative safety. While there chatting pleasantly, he was struck
by a solid shot on the right hip. The ball passed across him, throwing him
from his horse and disemboweling him. He was at once carried to better shelter, when conscious of his certain death, he first arranged his military duties,
sending Captain Hughes to report to General Pleasanton, and another of his
aids to Lieutentant Colonel Kerr, that he might take command of the brigade.
He then dispatched an orderly to Dr. Marsh, to tell him " if not attending to any
one whose life could be saved, to come to him, as he was in great pain." Lastly,
he called Captain Henry King, Assistant Adjutant General, to whom he delivered his last messages to his family, and wishes as to his property. He lived
forty minutes after he was struck, but was unconscious during the last twenty.
Upon the fall of Colonel Childs, Lieutenant Colonel James K. Kerr was promoted to Colonel; Major Doster, to Lieutenant Colonel, and Adjutant William
M. Biddle and Captain S. B. M. Young, were promoted to Majors.
During the early part of the fall of 1862, the regiment was encamped upon
the North bank of the Potomac, near Hancock, Maryland. A battalion under
command of Captain Duncan, was detailed for duty with General Newton, at
Clear Springs. The latter having ascertained by his scouts, that the enemy in
front was not in great force, he ordered Captain Duncan to cross the river and
make a descent upon the headquarters of the picket reserve at Hedgesville.
Heading his battalion, Captain Duncan proceeded cautiously, until within a
short distance of the town, when he ordered a charge, and before the astonished
rebels were aware of the presence of an enemy, they were made captives. Without firing a shot, the whole party, consisting of three officers and twenty men,
with horses and equipments complete, were brought off in triumph. For this
dashing exploit the command was honored with a complimentary order from
General M'Clellan.
The regiment was with Pleasanton in his pursuit of Stuart, and shared in
the mortification of seeing the latter escape across the Potomac without being
brought to battle. In the march of the army from Harper's Ferry to Warrenton, it took part in the numerous cavalry skirmishes which signalized that
movement. In the neighborhood of Upperville it had a brisk skirmish with a
large opposing force, routing and driving it several miles into the fastnesses
of the Blue Ridge. In the movement under Burnside from Warrenton to Falmouth, it formed part of the rear guard. During the battle of Fredericksburg,
it was stationed on the north bank of the Rappahannock, and was engaged in
guarding the fords above the town. After Burnside's mud march in January,
active operations closed, and the Fourth went into winter quarters at Potomac
Creek Station, where it was engaged in picketing the roads and fords near
Hartwood Church.
Upon General Hooker's accession to the chief command, the cavalry was
given that position in the organization of the army, which had previously been
denied it. It had to this time been but an appendage to infantry. But the establishment of a cavalry corps by Hooker, placed it at once upon its proper
footing, giving it the strength and vitality to achieve victory without the aid ot
infantry. In the battle of Kelly's Ford, in which General Averell led his division across the river, and gained over Fitz Hugh Lee the first real cavalry vic