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

750 SEVENTIETH REGIT'=T —SIXTH CALVALRY. 1864
the enemy was driven, but soon came upon his supports and made a determined stand. The remainder of the brigade came up, Captain Carpenter was
sent in on the left, and the whole line pressed on. Discovering a weak point,
the enemy made a sudden dash and broke through. Fresh troops were immediately thrown in, the breach repaired and the enemy again driven. Major
Starr and Lieutenants Coxe and Kirk were wounded, the latter mortally, and
Captain Carpenter and Lieutenant Hazel were taken prisoners. Two men were
killed and eighteen wounded. Upon the fall of Major Starr, Captain Charles
L. Leiper assumed command.
On the 9th, Sheridan started on his first raid, and upon his arrival upon
the Virginia Central Railroad, the Sixth was sent to Beaver Dam Station to
destroy the road. Nearly an entire night was spent in tearing up track, and
destroying bridges and culverts. Early on the morning of the 11th, the command moved forward towards Richmond, the Reserve Brigade acting as advance guard, one-half of the regiment being deployed as skirmishers on both
sides of the road. Before noon the enemy's cavalry was met, which proved to
be General Stuart with his entire corps. Pushing on, driving all opposing
forces, the command ran against the fortifications of Richmond, from which
the enemy's infantry soon sallied, in confident expectation of bagging the entire Union force. Leaving Gregg and Wilson to hold the infantry in check,
Sheridan ordered Merritt to open the road across Meadow Bridge. Dismounting all save three regiments, he ordered a charge, and while the enemy was
hotly engaged with the mounted force, embracing the Sixth, led by Colonel
Gibbs, crossed the bridge and charged down the narrow causeway beyond,
scattering the foe and opening the way. Withdrawing, Sheridan passed on to
the James River, and thence returned by White House to Chesterfield Station,
where he re-joined the army.
At Old Church, on the 30th of May, the cavalry engaged the enemy, and
Merritt's Brigade, with a battery of Napoleon guns, was sent forward to check
his further advance. The Sixth was sent in on the left of the line and charged
the rebel flank; a hand to hand encounter followed in which the regiment lost
heavily, but fought with great valor. Captain Leiper, in command, was severely wounded, and Lieutenant Morton and two men were killed. Captain
Clark now assumed command. At Cold Harbor, on the following day, it was
again hotly engaged, fighting dismounted, and driving the rebels back until
reinforced. Lieutenant Murphy was among the killed. During the night a
barricade was constructed in front of the bivouac, and early on the following
morning the enemy attacked with infantry and artillery; but the carbineers
held their position against repeated assaults, repulsing a whole division.
Sheridan's second raid, which extended to Trevilian Station, was commenced
on the 4th of June. A number of recruits from Philadelphia joined the regiment before starting. Before reaching the station, the enemy was encountered
strongly posted in a railway cut. The cavalry fought dismounted, and after a
severe struggle was forced back. The loss in the Sixth was forty-one wounded,
two mortally. Returning, the corps marched to White House, where the trains
of the Army of the Potomac were found and escorted to the James River.
After crossing, the cavalry was hastily marched to Ream's Station to the assistance of Wilson, but was too late to render him any aid, and on the 3d of
July went into camp in front of Petersburg. Here Major Starr re-joined the
regiment and resumed command.