WALTER S. NEWHALL 
 
 A MEMOIR. 
 
 Whom neither shape of danger can dismay, 
 Nor thought of tender happiness betray ; 
 Who, not content that former worth stand fast, 
 
 From well to better, daily self-surpast : 
 Who, whether praise of him must walk the earth 
 Forever, and to noble deeds give birth, 
 Or he must fall, to sleep without his fame, 
 And leave a dead, unprofitable name, 
 Finds comfort in himself and in his cause ; 
 And, while the mental mist is gathering, draws 
 His breath in confidence of Heaven's applause ; 
 This is the Happy Warrior ; this is He 
 That every man in arms should wish to be." 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 PUBLISHED FOR THE BENEFIT OF 
 
 THE SANITARY COMMISSION 
 1864. 
 
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, 
 
 BY C. SHERMAN, SON & CO., 
 For the U. S. Sanitary Commission, 
 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District of 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 CAXTON PRESS OF C. SHERMAN, SON &, CO. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 THIS brief Memoir was drawn up at the request 
 of a manager of the Metropolitan Fair in aid of 
 the Sanitary Commission. It was thought that a 
 sketch of the career of the most distinguished 
 young men who have died in the present struggle 
 for law and right would interest all who sympa- 
 thize with the cause, and that the story of their 
 upright lives might be an example to those who 
 emulate their brave deeds. In every war above 
 all, in one like this there are countless sublime 
 acts which are never heard of, hosts of heroes 
 among the nameless dead. "Their works do fol- 
 low them," and are written on high in characters 
 which the whole world shall read at the last great 
 day. Until then their stories are not for us, and 
 we must turn to the register of those who had 
 made themselves known before they fell. 
 
 The subject of the following pages was of that 
 number, and his parents felt that they could not 
 refuse to the use of his country the record of the 
 
iv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 life he gave in her service. The narrative has 
 been compiled from his own letters, placed at the 
 disposal of the editor by his family, and from the 
 recollections of his friends and fellow officers. 
 There has been no attempt to embellish the story; 
 it stands in its simplicity, pointing to a moral as 
 old as Time, that the best Christian is the bravest 
 soldier, and the purest life has the most peace- 
 ful end. 
 
 GERMANTOWN, March, 1864. 
 
TO THE OFFICERS AND MEN 
 
 Hegiment JtennssUwttifl boittnte^r Catwlrs, 
 
 THIS MEMOIR OF A LATE COMRADE 
 
 IS DEDICATED. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 His BOYHOOD, 9 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 THE FIRST CALL TO ARMS, . . . . , .23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI, 33 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 THE PENINSULA, 52 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 THE FIRST WINTER IN THE FIELD, 77 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 THE RAIDS, 89 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 HOME INVADED, 102 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 THE GUERRILLAS, . . 114 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 THE END, 133 
 
' THERE is no light in earth or heaven 
 But the cold light of stars, 
 
 And the first watch of night is given 
 To the red planet Mars. 
 
 ' Is it the tender star of love ? 
 The star of love and dreams ? 
 
 no ! from yon blue tent above 
 A hero's armor gleams. 
 
 ' And earnest thoughts within me rise 
 
 As I behold afar, 
 Suspended in the evening skies, 
 
 The shield of that red star. 
 
 1 star of strength ! I see thee stand 
 
 And smile upon my pain : 
 Thou beckonest with thy mailed hand, 
 
 And I am strong again. 
 
 1 Within my breast there is no light 
 But the cold light of stars ; 
 
 1 give the first watch of the night 
 To the red planet Mars." 
 
MEMOIR OF 
 
 WALTER S. NEWHALL 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HIS BOYHOOD. 
 
 " Iron-jointed, supple-sinewed, 
 They shall dive and they shall run." 
 
 "From their fifth to their twentieth year, they instruct their 
 children in three things only, the art of the bow, horsemanship, 
 and a strict regard to truth." 
 
 WALTER SYMONDS NEWHALL was born in Phila- 
 delphia, October 31st, 1841. He was the third of 
 ten sons, of the good old Mayflower stock, sea- 
 soned in the War of Independence. His parents 
 moved to Germantown, Pennsylvania, when he was 
 only seven years old, and that to him henceforward 
 was home, and the dearest spot on earth. From 
 earliest childhood, he showed most of the peculiar- 
 ities which distinguished him as a man. Warmth 
 of heart, love of fun, scorn of pain, indomitable will, 
 and perfect truthfulness, always characterized him. 
 Pride and temper, too, the "foes within," which 
 he fought so hard in after years, were not slow in 
 
10 W ALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 showing themselves. He was easily led by the 
 silken cord of love, but could not be driven by 
 any means ; he resisted resolutely, and never gave 
 up while he saw a chance of carrying his point ; 
 but strong sense and practical intelligence also 
 early gave him the faculty of perceiving when this 
 was hopeless. He was brought up with a reverence 
 for authority, which he always preserved, notwith- 
 standing his extreme independence and self-re- 
 liance, and which served to make him so good a 
 soldier, able both to command and to obey. He 
 was a manly child from his very cradle, full of 
 spirit and fond of active games, but withal his 
 heart was full of tenderness. He was always un- 
 demonstrative and reserved, shy of speaking his 
 feelings, and even of having them known; but 
 they welled over to his mother and baby-sister, 
 with whom his gentleness and affection were like 
 a woman's, and his strong love for his father, 
 brothers and friends, found expression in other 
 ways than by words. Even as a school-boy he was 
 fond of little children, and took great pains to 
 amuse and interest them, listening to their stories, 
 and telling them stories in return, that left them 
 with eyes and mouth wide open, and their sense of 
 the marvellous greatly heightened; in travelling 
 he would sit beside them in the cars, make their 
 acquaintance, soothe their fears, learn their history, 
 astonish them with some tale of wonder, and part 
 
HIS BOYHOOD. Jl 
 
 from them as if they were old cronies. This is an 
 unusual trait in a bluff boy with his head full of 
 town-ball and cricket. When ten or twelve years 
 of age, he went with his father to see the dramatized 
 version of u Uncle Tom's Cabin;" he was amused 
 and excited at first, but as the interest of the plot 
 increased and the scenes became pathetic and pain- 
 ful, he was affected and distressed; he struggled 
 with it as any boy will, shy and ashamed of his 
 emotion, choking the sighs and gulping down the 
 tears, until at last, unable to contain himself, he 
 exclaimed in a strangled voice, between wrath and 
 grief: " What do they act such things for? They 
 make me sick;" and requested to be taken from 
 the theatre. His father, who saw that he was in 
 a state of great agitation, took him home, and he 
 was quite ill from excitement for a day or two 
 afterwards. 
 
 He was not fond of study, and never particu- 
 larly distinguished himself at school ; but he was 
 the hero of the play-ground. He had a real pas- 
 sion for out-of-door amusements, and excelled in 
 every athletic exercise. He was pre-eminent among 
 his playfellows in all games, whether of speed, 
 strength, or skill ; the heartiness with which he 
 entered into the sport, and which never failed or 
 flagged, made each eager to secure him for his 
 side. Yet this superiority excited no jealousy ; it 
 was felt and owned, and his companions delighted 
 
12 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 in it. One who was his earliest playfellow, as well 
 as the dearest friend of his later years, says : " No 
 boy ever spoke ill of him ; no one ever had any- 
 thing unkind to say." And so it was throughout 
 his life, from the play-ground to the cricket-field, 
 and at last in the camp. An older man, who had 
 seen much of him under the very circumstances 
 to test the presence of such qualities, remarked 
 that Walter's own perfect generosity and magna- 
 nimity seemed to influence all those who came in 
 contact with him ; his success stirred no envy, no 
 ill-nature, no spite ; petty feelings withered away 
 before his noble, genial disposition. He was al- 
 ways popular, and his good nature, high spirits, 
 unselfishness and whole-heartedness, were enough 
 to account for it. Behind all his gayety and 
 frankness there was an impenetrable wall of re- 
 serve. He had faults, but no foibles; and such 
 characters, though they must command the respect, 
 do not usually win the affection and sympathy of 
 ordinary persons. Yet he possessed both in a 
 greater degree than any man or woman we have 
 ever known. There was an undefinable greatness 
 about him, both as boy and man, that made a last- 
 ing impression on all who ever saw him. 
 
 Town life, and even the half rural existence he 
 led at home, were not free enough for his love of 
 nature, and of country sports and out-of-door pur- 
 suits. The greatest enjoyment of his boyhood was 
 
HIS BOYHOOD. 13 
 
 in hi's yearly visits to the wild and beautiful scenery 
 of the Northern States. He passed several sum- 
 mers among the mountains and lakes of Maine, 
 swimming, riding, fishing, shooting, and leading 
 the life of a hunter, wading in the trout-streams, 
 and camping out in the woods. His coming was 
 always hailed with joy by the kind and hospitable 
 friends with whom he made his home there ; his 
 good humor, fun, and high spirits made him the 
 very life of the house, and the keen zest with which 
 he entered into all the pursuits of his hosts de- 
 lighted them, particularly as they had not looked 
 for such healthy tastes and hardy habits in a " city 
 boy." He continued to return to these favorite 
 haunts long after he had left school-days and 
 childhood behind him ; still turning with eagerness 
 from his desk in the counting-room to the beautiful 
 scenery and athletic sports which were a necessity 
 of his nature. 
 
 He was about twelve years old when the boys 
 of his neighborhood began to take up the game of 
 cricket. For some years there had been a club of 
 older men in Philadelphia, who played regularly 
 at Camden, New Jersey ; now a Germantown club 
 was formed, and created a great excitement 
 among the youth. Several of the Newhalls were 
 among the first members, and Walter's singular 
 excellence in all games of strength and skill im- 
 mediately showed itself in this. He threw him- 
 
14 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 self into it with his usual ardor, and his career as 
 a cricketer is a chapter by itself in his short story. 
 The game became quite a feature in Philadelphia 
 life. The interests of that respectable city are 
 neither so various nor so numerous, perhaps, as 
 those of some other towns of the same size ; but 
 it is surprising to see, when an idea penetrates the 
 community, how completely it pervades it. Cricket 
 became the fashion, the great excitement and chief 
 topic of a large class, for six months of the year. 
 Everybody soon belonged to one club or another : 
 the Philadelphia included those between twenty- 
 one and thirty-five years of age, professional men 
 and men of business ; the Germantown Club was 
 composed of a younger set, college lads and school- 
 boys. Shortly afterwards another club was formed, 
 called the Young America, which was made up of 
 all the younger brothers and boys considered too 
 young to belong to the Germantown, mere chil- 
 dren. A number of others, the Olympian, Delphian, 
 &c., sprang up in different directions, and the rage 
 became so universal, that parties of small ragged 
 boys, hardly out of petticoats, were to be seen with 
 sticks for bats, and stones for balls, setting up their 
 wickets on rough lots, covered with ashes and 
 oyster-shells. The young ladies of the society 
 shared in the excitement, and were violent parti- 
 sans of the different clubs and individual players. 
 Whenever a match or even a game was going on, 
 
HIS BOYHOOD. 15 
 
 rows of sympathizing spectators sat on the fences 
 which surrounded the ground, hour after hour, with 
 the sun on their heads, through the long hot day. 
 Of course, where the interest in the game was so 
 general, a fine player became a very conspicuous 
 and important personage, much noticed, much flat- 
 tered, and consequently, sometimes a little spoiled. 
 Walter Newhall distinguished himself immediately, 
 and attracted a great deal of attention by his ex- 
 treme grace and masterly play, which his youth 
 made the more remarkable. As the clubs im- 
 proved, year after year, by constant practice, he 
 kept pace with their progress, always maintaining his 
 pre-eminence, until his long-established local repu- 
 tation spread among those who were interested in 
 the game, throughout the whole country. But the 
 praise and notice which were lavished upon him 
 never affected him in the slightest degree ; he was 
 not in the least personally elated by success, nor 
 mortified by failure ; his only feeling was for the 
 victory or defeat of his side, with which he wholly 
 identified himself. His best moral qualities were 
 displayed on the field, cheerfulness, generosity, 
 endurance, perseverance, and modesty. He never 
 grew weary or lost heart, and was the soul of his 
 party. He was noted for his generosity in sacri- 
 ficing himself, when he could do so without losing 
 sight of the interests of his side, to give another 
 player a chance. When the fate of the game was 
 
16 WALTER S. NEWH ALL. 
 
 doubtful, however, he was always anxious for the 
 best place, having great self-reliance, and full con- 
 sciousness of his own superiority. Yet there was 
 no strutting as cock of the walk ; he took his place 
 in the simple, unassuming manner which belonged 
 to him in all circumstances, a result of mingled 
 pride and modesty. 
 
 The qualities needed for a good cricketer are a 
 quick eye, a cool head, a steady hand, a strong arm, 
 a swift foot, and an active body; good humor, 
 equanimity, perseverance, self-reliance, and disci- 
 pline. The effect of all this upon the physical and 
 moral tone of the young men was very soon appa- 
 rent ; they grew muscular and robust, and their 
 characters gained in manliness. Since the war has 
 called away so many of these young champions, 
 that the pleasant fields and lanes about our homes 
 are deserted and dreary, it has been a subject of 
 curiosity to ascertain whether the cricket-field had 
 furnished its quota, and it may not be uninterest- 
 ing to those in favor of manly sports to know the 
 result. Of the first eleven of the Philadelphia 
 Club but nine were Americans, and seven of these 
 went to the war ; of the first eleven of the German- 
 town Club (those who habitually played against 
 the Philadelphia), eight are or have been in the 
 service ; of the Young Americans (who beat the 
 Gerrnantown boys in the spring of 1859), the 
 whole first eleven have borne arms ; and of those 
 
HIS BOYHOOD. 37 
 
 who played the Family Match, as it was called, the 
 Newhalls and Wisters versus first eleven of the 
 Germantown (a game saved to the "Families," by 
 Walter Newhall's masterly batting), the whole 
 eleven of the winning side, five Newhalls and six 
 Wisters, were in the army at the same time. So 
 many other members of these and all the clubs are 
 or have been in service that there has been almost 
 no playing for the last three years. The breaking 
 out of the war was the breaking up of cricket in 
 Philadelphia. 
 
 Walter Newhall did his work with the same 
 heartiness and thoroughness with which he entered 
 into sport. At sixteen he left school and entered 
 the counting-room. Though his duties there could 
 hardly have been congenial to him, as his enjoy- 
 ment of such a different life afterwards proved, 
 he performed them with great alacrity and ability. 
 He was never afraid of work, and bent his strong 
 will to excel in this as in other things. His ambi- 
 tion seemed to be to show his seniors that when 
 anything was to be done he could be relied upon. 
 His mind had a practical bent, and his judgment 
 and common sense were remarkable, which stood 
 him in good stead in this as well as in every other 
 position. 
 
 After about a twelvemonth at the desk, he took 
 up the study of chemistry, which was more to his 
 taste, and entered the laboratory of Messrs. Booth 
 
18 WALTER, S. NEWH ALL. 
 
 & Garrett, where he remained for two years, until 
 the war broke out. There, as everywhere else, 
 his good humor and high spirits rendered him a 
 favorite with both his instructors and fellow- 
 students. His fun was inexhaustible and irresisti- 
 ble ; he diffused a spirit of life and mirth wherever 
 he went. His fondness for life in the open air and 
 out-of-door amusements was unabated; whenever 
 he could take a holiday or a half-holiday, he rushed 
 back to cricket with more zest than ever. 
 
 The last year of his happy home-life was a bril- 
 liant one in the annals of American cricket. There 
 were a number of great matches played between the 
 best clubs in the country, and with the Canadians, 
 and the famous All England Eleven. Walter never 
 left the Germantown Club, but was chosen by the 
 different committees, to play on almost all these 
 public occasions. As a first-class player, his ave- 
 rage for this, his last season, was larger than that 
 of any cricketer known in the United States. He 
 "went to bat" thirty-two times, and scored five 
 hundred and forty-nine runs, making an average of 
 seventeen in each innings ; he was also distinguished 
 as a "back-stop," a difficult and responsible post, 
 in which, however, his prowess cannot be stated 
 in figures. His highest match score was a hundred 
 and five runs, but he repeatedly made upwards of 
 fifty. He distinguished himself constantly, espe- 
 cially in the matches with the All England Eleven. 
 
HIS BOYHOOD. 19 
 
 At the match played with them at Hoboken, New 
 Jersey, early in October, 1859, he made the second 
 best score on his side. A week or two later, when 
 playing with the same Eleven in Philadelphia, his 
 " fielding" was so fine, that one of the Englishmen 
 being disabled, they applied for Walter to take his 
 place and make up their number. The following 
 June, 1860, he played three matches in the course 
 of one week. On the first, against the St. George's 
 Cricket Club of New York, accounted the best in 
 the country, he made fifty-nine in one game ; one 
 of the finest American scores on record, from fif- 
 teen to twenty being fair average play. On the 
 two following days he made twenty-five against the 
 New York Club, the highest score on his side. He 
 was as fresh and as strong as ever at the end of 
 this tremendous week, and ready for another match, 
 while most of the cricketers were exhausted or 
 really injured by the exertion. A number of base- 
 ball players were present at these matches, and 
 noticing with how much grace and power he threw 
 the ball (the great point in their game), they 
 challenged him to try against their best man. He 
 could hardly decline, and threw the ball over one 
 hundred and thirteen yards, several yards further 
 than the base-ball player. The latter and his 
 friends seeming to think this was a sort of pheno- 
 menon, that could not be repeated, urged another 
 trial. Walter said, in his usual careless manner : 
 
20 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 "Very well, I'm going to dinner; when you've 
 beaten that throw, call me and I'll try again," and 
 walked off. But he was not called. In the course 
 of these matches he also, on two successive days, 
 struck the cricket-ball over the high board fence 
 which bounds the Hoboken ground, a thing which 
 had never been done before, even by the All Eng- 
 land Eleven. On the first occasion it was pro- 
 nounced accidental by the other side, but when he 
 repeated the feat, they had nothing to say. 
 
 There is an annual match between the American 
 and English on the 4th of July, which excites great 
 interest among cricketers ; with whom it is known 
 as the Home International. Walter had played 
 on this match for several years, and in 1860 he 
 made one of the best scores at it, and in the 
 course of the same week two remarkable ones, in 
 matches between Germantown and N"ew York, and 
 Philadelphia versus Newark. About the same time 
 he again played against the St. George with great 
 distinction. Thes,e prolonged exertions, this put- 
 ting forth the utmost strength and speed, day after 
 day, in the hottest weather, never exhausted or 
 over-fatigued him, and early the following month 
 he was in another great match played at New York 
 by the American against the Canadians. He had 
 been unfortunate the previous year in a similar 
 match at Toronto, and now amazed the Canadians 
 by scoring thirty-eight runs, the highest made by 
 
HIS BOYHOOD. 21 
 
 any one on either side. This was one of his greatest 
 days on the cricket-field, and it was one of the last. 
 But when he left the scene of so many youthful 
 triumphs for a far different field, where he was to 
 win fame in' sterner ways, he desired that his bat 
 should be kept until the day when he might go 
 back to it, and to his old life, and hang up forever 
 the sabre, for which he now forsook them. 
 
 Before turning the bright and uneventful page 
 of Walter's boyhood, it is meet and right to speak 
 of certain influences which had their full share in 
 developing his moral nature, and of which his 
 character and conduct bore the unmistakable stamp. 
 The intercourse between his parents and their chil- 
 dren was always remarkably free. None of the 
 sons had any secrets from their father, who in 
 return treated them with the utmost confidence, 
 and an equality, which in no wise hurt his parental 
 authority. He was the companion of his boys, 
 and entered into all their plans and pleasures with 
 an interest hardly second to their own. Truth 
 was the virtue which he inculcated above all others, 
 and it was the strongest feature of Walter's cha- 
 racter. He never told a falsehood in his life, and 
 though he might displease his parents he never 
 deceived them. They felt that they could trust 
 him implicitly, and consequently placed a confidence 
 in him which kept alive the keenest sense of honor 
 and responsibility on his part. He was brought 
 
22 WALTER S. NEWH ALL. 
 
 up with a profound respect for religion, and from 
 an early age went regularly to church and Sunday 
 school. He never spoke of his religious feelings, 
 he never spoke of any of his feelings, and he 
 detested and ridiculed cant, which he was quick to 
 detect in every guise ; but his life proved that the 
 teachings of the church and of his home had sunk 
 deep into his heart. By the universal testimony 
 of those who saw him year after year, at the times 
 when all restraint was thrown off, his companions 
 on the cricket-field, his fellow-students in the labora- 
 tory, and his comrades in camp, no profane or 
 impure word ever fell from his lips, and in the midst 
 of his magnificent manhood, he led a blameless life. 
 If any boy should chance to read this brief re- 
 cord of a boy's life, let him lay this to heart. 
 Walter Newhall was no child of sickly sentimental- 
 ism, or unreal precocious piety, no would-be saint ; 
 he was the merriest and bravest of boys, the fore- 
 most in fun and frolic, the hero of the play-ground, 
 a prince of good-fellows. He could play ten-pins 
 and billiards as well as ball and cricket; he could 
 ride and swim and shoot ; he was the very type of 
 gallant youth, and yet he was reverent, temperate-, 
 chaste as an ideal knight. The crowning grace of 
 his perfect manhood was his Christian purity. 
 
FIRST CALL TO ARMS. 23 
 
 , 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 FIRST CALL TO ARMS. 
 
 "As gentle and as jocund as to jest 
 Go I to fight. Truth hath a quiet breast." 
 
 " Young knights and squires, a lighter train, 
 Practised their chargers on the plain, 
 By aid of hands, of leg, and rein, 
 
 Each warlike feat to show ; 
 To pass, to wheel, the croup to gain, 
 And high curvett, that not in vain 
 The sword-sway might descend amain 
 
 On foeman's casque below." 
 
 THE storm which had been brewing so long burst 
 at last, in April, 1861. The flag was fired upon, 
 Fort Sumter surrendered, and the news rang 
 through the land that the war had begun. For a 
 moment every one held their breath, not knowing 
 what was to follow ; then came the President's pro- 
 clamation, and the whole North rose with a shout. 
 For one day the excitement in Philadelphia was 
 turbulent and dangerous. Thousands of every 
 class assembled, furious at the news of the surren- 
 der, swearing vengeance on the disunionists and 
 disaffected. They marched through the streets, 
 
24 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 their number swelling as they went, and surrounded 
 the houses of those known to sympathize with 
 the South, demanding that the Star-spangled 
 Banner should be displayed from the windows. 
 The leading secessionists fled for their lives, and 
 did not dare to show their faces for some days. 
 No blood was shed, and no outrage was committed 
 beyond knocking down a few persons in the crowd, 
 and demolishing the office of a newspaper called 
 the Palmetto Flag. It was no common mob; 
 crowds of decent and respectable citizens mingled 
 with the rougher throng. It was a popular de- 
 monstration, and no violence was intended or per- 
 petrated, but the people were fearfully excited. A 
 touch would have snapped their restraint, and riot 
 must have followed. The Mayor pacified them by 
 a sensible, moderate speech, and most of them 
 dispersed quietly ; the rest he sent away authori- 
 tatively, having a strong body of police in reserve. 
 The President's Proclamation appeared on the 
 next day and had an excellent effect ; it opened a 
 channel for all this fervor, and infused a life and 
 cheerfulness into everybody that had been long 
 unknown. The Governor of Pennsylvania instantly 
 issued a spirited reply, and there was but one sub- 
 ject of thought and conversation. Business almost 
 stopped. The streets were filled with a crowd of 
 idle, eager, hurrying, lounging, talking, listening 
 people, of every age, sex, and condition, men and 
 
 
FIRST CALL TO ARMS. 25 
 
 women, who had never met before, accosting each 
 other with breathless questions. Every building 
 was hung and draped with the Stars and Stripes, 
 as if for some grand procession, and the long straight 
 perspective of the streets was broken by the waving 
 folds of innumerable flags and banners. The shop 
 windows made a gay show, the wares being grouped 
 together in the national tri-color. Wherever there 
 was a bulletin-board, there was a jam of people 
 trying to read the last telegraphic despatch. The 
 reports were numerous and incredible, and though 
 no one believed, every one was eager to hear them. 
 The only real intelligence was the stirring ac- 
 counts of the simultaneous rising of the people in 
 obedience to the summons of the Government. The 
 regular troops from New England and New York 
 were passing through the city all day and all night. 
 Enlisting and drilling had begun, and every man, 
 young or old, was joining some one of the countless 
 companies. The old established bodies of militia 
 filled up at once, and were in hourly expectation 
 of being ordered off. Farewells were exchanged on 
 every side, and with this leave-taking the agony 
 of the coming years began. 
 
 The President's first call for troops was published 
 on the 15th of April. Walter Newhall was among 
 the first to respond, readily, cheerily, heartily. 
 Single-minded as he was, he saw but one answer to 
 such a summons, and as usual, his answer was in 
 3 
 
26 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 action. Two days afterwards, on the 17th, he 
 wrote to a young friend: "We want to raise a 
 cavalry company of Germantown boys, who won't 
 mind fighting for the Stars and Stripes. Call 
 when you come to town. We'll have a good time, 
 and save the country yet." 
 
 The organization of this company was begun at 
 once. The young men who formed the nucleus 
 were a dozen of about the same age, between 
 nineteen and twenty-five, old schoolfellows and 
 comrades. They had learned the same lessons, 
 played the same games, and roamed through the 
 same woods and fields. Most of the associations of 
 their short lives were the same ; and they struck 
 joyously into this new track, pleased with the idea 
 that they should travel it together. The captaincy 
 was offered to Wm. Rotch Wister of Germantown. 
 He was the senior of his young recruits by about 
 ten years. He had known them from childhood ; he 
 had seen them grow up. They were the companions 
 of his own brothers, one of whom was in the troop. 
 He shared all their earnestness and enthusiasm for 
 the cause in which they were banded, and accepted 
 the position in the same spirit in which it was 
 tendered. In a few days they went into barracks 
 at Chestnut Hill, in the untenanted inn attached to 
 an unused race-course. They began in right sol- 
 dierly fashion, sleeping on "shake-downs" in the 
 bare, empty rooms, washing at the pump, and groom- 
 
FIRST CALL TO ARMS. 27 
 
 ing their own horses. They mounted and equip- 
 ped themselves, and were soon joined by many 
 young men from the neighborhood and from Phila- 
 delphia. The race-course made a capital parade- 
 ground, and they employed a sergeant of the old 
 United States Cavalry (now a captain in the 1st New 
 York Cavalry,) as a drill-master, who trained them 
 thoroughly in the manual and the management of 
 their horses. This apprenticeship proved of the 
 greatest use to the little party, nearly every mem- 
 ber of which has since been in active service in the 
 field, many being to-day cavalry officers of distinc- 
 tion. 
 
 They remained at Chestnut Hill for two months, 
 drilling constantly, and doing all the duties of a 
 private soldier. Those two months will long be 
 remembered by every member of that young band, 
 and by many another who looks back to it as a 
 bright halting-place, across the oceans of blood and 
 tears which separate us from the spring of 1861. 
 Our sorrows had not come upon us then ; at least 
 they had not come home to us. We were hopeful 
 and confident, over-confident. But few saw what 
 was to come, and they were not listened to, or if 
 listened to, laughed at for false prophets and faint 
 hearts. When the whole North seemed to move as 
 one man, when the youngest, and bravest, and 
 wisest, and best, all struck hands and rushed for- 
 ward together, it was a sober and sad judgment 
 
28 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 which could foresee what we had to go through 
 before we reached the end, the end which then 
 looked so near, and has since looked so far. Those 
 who boastfully named ninety days, or six weeks, or 
 a twelvemonth, as the term of the war, only spoke 
 the real feeling of the whole North. There were 
 many who would not couch their belief in such 
 braggart words ; there were few who did not echo 
 them in their hearts. We had yet to learn our 
 lesson. And it was not strange that, all unused 
 as we were to misfortune and reverse, we could 
 not and would not believe that they were in store 
 for us. The first blood had hardly been shed, the 
 first young hero had hardly been snatched away, 
 and the possibility, the reality of such things had 
 not been ground into us. Few could look upon that 
 troop at Chestnut Hill, running, leaping, breaking 
 their horses, every form instinct with vigor, every 
 eye brilliant with health, every step bounding with 
 glad excitement of youth and conscious strength, 
 and understand the meaning of such words as 
 defeat and death. The season, too, drove such 
 thoughts away. The spring was late, and came at 
 last with one burst of warmth and bloom. Such 
 bright days as followed each other, week after 
 week, such luxuriant vegetation, such swarms of 
 insect life, such a profusion of flowers in the fields 
 and gardens, such a harvest of strawberries, had 
 seldom been seen. Everything followed in rapid 
 
FIRSTCALLTOARMS. 29 
 
 succession. The fruit-blossoms had not melted 
 away from the orchards before the roses came, and 
 in the dark pine woods which overhang the Wissa- 
 hickon, the milk-white flowers of the dogwood had 
 not faded before the laurel-blossoms spread like a 
 blush over the gray rocks. The barracks were the 
 constant resort of the whole neighborhood, and the 
 steep sylvan lanes, usually so lonely, which lead 
 from the Wissahickon to Chestnut Hill became 
 travelled and frequented. Lines of carriages, laden 
 like provision trains, were constantly on the way 
 to the relief of the volunteers, carrying hampers 
 packed with reminiscences of pic-nics. Tender 
 mothers, thoughtful sisters, and fair philanthro- 
 pists, brought hams, tongues, a-la-mode beef, meat 
 pies, fruit, cake, and pastry, and drove away, sigh- 
 ing for the poor fellows and the hardships of the 
 soldier's life. Poor fellows, indeed ! They must 
 have laughed since then, over their salt pork and 
 hard crackers, to think of the sympathy and solici- 
 tude with which their larder was supplied during 
 their short military apprenticeship. The afternoon 
 drill was the favorite time, and then, day after day, 
 the stand would be covered with spectators; the 
 seats were crowded with pretty faces under pictur- 
 esque hats, light summer dresses, and gay scarves ; 
 and the young knights below went through their 
 evolutions, duly stimulated by the thought of the 
 bright eyes that watched them. 
 
30 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 The young men were nearly all good horsemen, 
 having been used to the saddle from childhood. 
 Walter Newhall was one of the best riders, and by 
 far the finest swordsman of them all. The same 
 dexterity which had given him such advantage with 
 his cricket-bat, now showed itself in his perfect 
 command of the sabre, and their drill-master said 
 that it would take but little practice to make him 
 the most accomplished swordsman in the army. 
 He was also a capital shot, and soon became re- 
 markably proficient in the manual. His agility 
 and activity were extraordinary. He could run and 
 clear a horizontal bar on a level with his head, 
 without touching it ; and jump over his horse, 
 which was more than sixteen hands high, with 
 perfect ease. His grace was as remarkable as his 
 strength. He was at this time between nineteen 
 and twenty, about six feet tall, straight as an 
 arrow, with falling shoulders, a noble chest, slen- 
 der waist and flanks, and long limbs, on which the 
 muscles started at every motion. His head was 
 small and well set, covered with close curling 
 brown locks. The upper part of his face was very 
 handsome ; the forehead was broad, white, and 
 smooth. The eyes, which were gray, were set 
 deep beneath straight, dark brows, and had always 
 a peculiar steadiness and earnestness of gaze, 
 which at times deepened into formidable stern- 
 ness. The other features were somewhat heavy, but 
 
FIRST CALL TO ARMS. 31 
 
 expressive of great determination, and later they 
 sharpened and became finer in outline. His teeth 
 were fine, and his complexion clear and fresh. 
 There was in his appearance the same sort of 
 classical simplicity which belonged to his charac- 
 ter. His attitudes and postures, as he ran, leaped, 
 wrestled, or curbed his high-spirited, half-broken 
 horse, recalled the famous Quoit-player and Wrest- 
 lers of the Tribune at Florence, or the horsemen in 
 the bassi-reUevi on the Arch of Constantine. Mind 
 and body alike were cast in a heroic mould. 
 
 Beside the drill and exercises there were other 
 tasks to be performed, which were not agreeable 
 even to the most enthusiastic. The guard-mount- 
 ing and police duties are not the pleasantest part 
 of camp life, and were less so than usual at 
 Chestnut Hill, because as the company had not 
 been regularly mustered into the service, no one 
 had actual authority to compel obedience. New- 
 hall went through these duties as thoroughly 
 and cheerfully as his manual, and set an example 
 of willingness to his comrades. He worked inde- , 
 fatigably, determined to master whatever was to 
 be learned there, and to do whatever was to be 
 done. His spirits did not desert him, and his in- 
 difference to discomfort made it seem lighter to 
 the others. He was as popular here as every- 
 where else. 
 
 They remained at Chestnut Hill until the middle 
 
32 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 of June, and went through a course of training, 
 which sent them to the field, better fitted for the 
 exigencies of their position than most of our volun- 
 teers. A cavalry company from Reading, Pennsyl- 
 vania, joined them, while they still had the hope of 
 being accepted by the Government, and another 
 from Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania, chiefly farmers, 
 (men who have done good service in the six months 
 since Gettysburg,) came to cast in their lot with 
 theirs, so that they made a fine body of men, ready 
 to serve their country, and provide themselves 
 with horses and equipments at their own expense. 
 But at that time there was a belief at Washington 
 that cavalry would not be needed, and volunteers 
 were not encouraged to join that arm of the service. 
 After repeated disappointments, it became clear 
 that the Government woiild not accept them as a 
 company, and at the end of two months they dis- 
 banded, and each one began to look out for a 
 position for himself. 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 33 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 
 
 " The rush of squadrons, sweeping 
 Like whirlwinds o'er the plain, 
 The shouting of the slayers, 
 The screeching of the slain." 
 
 " Tis meet that I should tell you now, 
 How fairly armed, and ordered how, 
 The soldiers of the guard.'' 
 
 THIS memorable spring was followed by a summer 
 still more memorable. The Battle of Bull Run 
 w^aked every one to the truth, that a long and 
 bloody struggle was beginning. The effect was 
 instantaneous and tremendous. The enlisting went 
 on faster than it had done since the first call to 
 arms. Such multitudes rushed to the recruiting 
 stations, that the officers sat from morning until 
 evening at their post, and yet were unable to enter 
 the names of all who presented themselves in the 
 course of the day. All the officers who had entered 
 the service were impatient to be in action, and the 
 regiments in process of organization filled up and 
 left for the seat of war at once. 
 
 General Frdmont had just then returned from 
 
34 WALTER S. NKWHALL. 
 
 abroad. Walter Newhall applied to him for any 
 post in which he could make his knowledge of 
 cavalry useful ; but did not meet with much en- 
 couragement at first. He kept himself before the 
 General's notice, however ; and on the morning of 
 July 26th, received a telegram, signed " Asboth," 
 telling him to report at St. Louis as second lieu- 
 tenant of cavalry. Always prompt, he left the 
 same night, and on the 4th of August, wrote from 
 St. Louis as follows : 
 
 " I arrived here this morning. General Fre- 
 mont will be here this afternoon, and I am to call 
 in the morning for instructions." 
 
 " August 5th. I called upon Colonel Asboth 
 this morning, and he has made me a second lieute- 
 nant of the body guard of General Fremont, which 
 is thought to be a first-rate place. We are to take 
 a ride together this afternoon, as he wishes to see 
 how I move." 
 
 " August llth. Am very busy. Left the hotel 
 at 5 o'clock this A. M., and have just returned, 
 9 p. M. To-morrow we have our men mustered 
 into the service. They enlist and get the same pay 
 as regulars." 
 
 " August 17th. Very busy at the barracks, drill- 
 ing men, &c." 
 
 " August 21st. Eighty-nine men arrived from 
 Kentucky to-day, as members of the body guard. 
 Our captain having decided to increase the organi- 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 35 
 
 zation, we are at present recruiting for a third 
 company. We require of the men joining, the 
 very best of recommendation, and have already 
 men from nine States of the Union. The body 
 guard is to act as escort when the body of General 
 Lyon arrives." 
 
 " September 10th. The Western department has 
 seen fit to appoint me a first lieutenant in the body 
 guard, with increased duties. We have been on 
 the road almost all the week, day and night. No 
 time to write." 
 
 " September 13th. Received letters from home 
 yesterday, but didn't have time to read them until 
 this A. M. We were in the saddle from 7 A. M. till 
 9 p. M. without dinner, and the men are taking a 
 rest to-day. I am in command of Company A." 
 
 " September 20th. We take the field on Monday 
 with the Major-General and almost all the troops 
 in and about St. Louis. We shall probably stop 
 at Springfield, unless sooner brought up by the 
 rebels." 
 
 " September 25th. We leave to-morrow for Jef- 
 ferson City. Boat leaves at 12 o'clock. Have been 
 already waiting marching orders for two days." 
 
 His old fun did not die out in the hard and busy 
 life which he had begun. He had a budget of good 
 stories about his sojourn in St. Louis, and as usual 
 several jokes against himself, one of which gave 
 him especial delight, as an instance of his own 
 
36 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 complete discomfiture. He was walking down 
 one of the principal streets, when Mrs. Fremont's 
 carriage passed him and drew up before a shop. 
 He was at some distance from the spot, but he 
 strode on apace. Could he allow the wife of his 
 chief to descend from her chariot unaided, or with 
 only the support of a footman ? Impossible ! His 
 courtesy and chivalry were all aroused; he sprang 
 forward, straightened himself, opened the carriage- 
 door, and with one hand to his cap, held out the 
 other, hastily ungloved, to assist the lady to de- 
 scend; as she stepped out he respectfully raised 
 his eyes, and beheld the sable phiz of Mrs. Fr- 
 mont's black maid, who had been sent out to shop 
 for her mistress. 
 
 On his journey from St. Louis to Jefferson City, 
 his singular power over others was tested in a 
 peculiar way. There was a man with mania apotu 
 on the boat ; he was almost wild, and absolutely 
 unreasonable and unmanageable. Captain Foley 
 and Major Zagonyi tried in vain to quiet him ; his 
 cries and curses disturbed every one on board. 
 At length they called Newhall, to see whether he 
 could do anything with him. The young officer 
 came up, with his brow lowering, and his eyes 
 steady and stern, as they could be when need was, 
 and merely uttered a few words in his usual decided 
 manner. The man cowered instantly. "Lieutenant, 
 you're my master," he replied, with a maudlin at- 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 37 
 
 tempt at conciliation; "I'll make no more noise;" 
 and they had no further trouble with him in that 
 way; but the poor wretch was too far gone in his 
 madness, and jumped overboard before they arrived. 
 
 " Jefferson City, October 4th. We arrived here 
 safely, after a long and tedious trip. Our horses 
 were in pretty good condition, and our three com- 
 panies presented quite an appearance as we passed 
 by the Major-General, who came up in the cars, 
 and arrived here the night before we did. We 
 were scouting yesterday, but met with nothing 
 worthy of note. We leave our camp to-morrow 
 morning ; destination unknown. All the camps 
 were broken up, and our troops moved off this 
 morning." 
 
 " Warsaw, Mo., October 20th. We made a 
 little excursion across the Osage yesterday ; cap- 
 tured one Secessionist, fifteen mules, seven horses, 
 and one hundred bushels of wheat, &c. We don't 
 have to pay much ; we give receipts, to be paid at 
 discretion of the Government. We have not yet 
 met anybody who has seen the rebel army. We 
 are quartered in a Secesh house, and have the 
 photographs of the male members of the family, 
 who are in the rebel army ; they are armed with 
 a rifle, two pistols, two bowie-knives, and one 
 meat-saw, each. Pleasant-looking customers to 
 meet about dusk. We have been here since Thurs- 
 day ; are waiting for the completion of the bridge, 
 
38 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 which is being erected over the river at this point. 
 We leave to-morrow morning for Quincy, about 
 twenty-miles distant, and from thence march 
 against Price, who is dividing his army into three 
 divisions, and breaking for the woods, so we may 
 miss him after all." 
 
 " Left Warsaw on the night of the 22d Octo- 
 ber. Stopped at the Three-mile House over- 
 night. The men quartered in a barn belonging 
 to a farmer. I tried to sleep outside with over- 
 coat and India-rubber blanket; but growing cold 
 towards morning, was obliged to borrow more 
 bedding, and to pull over an extra quantity of 
 straw. Heavy frost during the night. Men had 
 to turn in without supper. Captain Haskell sup- 
 plied us with some hard crackers. The ' lady' 
 won't sell any potatoes, although she has a cellar 
 full, as she says the soldiers have stolen every- 
 thing away from her. Made fifteen miles." 
 
 "23d. Encamped on marshy ground in Benton 
 County. We make short marches until Price's 
 direction is ascertained, when the body guard 
 starts out on its own hook." 
 
 " First camp out of Warsaw. Major White has 
 retaken Lexington with two hundred rebels, libe- 
 rated our prisoners, and sent them to St. Louis, on 
 board three steamers, also captured by him." 
 
 " October 24th. Made fifteen miles, and en- 
 camped fifteen miles from Bolivar. Major Zagonyi 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 39 
 
 has obtained permission to move forward with the 
 body guard, in conjunction with Major White and 
 his Prairie Scouts. Started at 8J- o'clock P. M. ; 
 passed Bolivar about 2 o'clock A.M.; halted at 
 
 's house for two hours ; rested and fed horses 
 
 twenty-five miles from Springfield. At about ten 
 miles from Springfield, at 12 o'clock noon, on 25th, 
 overtook seven scouts, captured six ; the seventh 
 escaped and carried the alarm into the town. I 
 captured one fellow, who was fired at ten times by 
 a sergeant of Company C. Was thrown off while 
 trying to pass a bush. Sergeant Hunter was also 
 thrown, and somewhat hurt by the fall. Prisoner 
 took to the woods, followed by me. No signs of him 
 for half an hour, when suddenly saw something creep- 
 ing in the grass; challenged and retook prisoner 
 before the Major came up. He was very angry 
 because I hadn't shot him ; said he couldn't take 
 charge of prisoners. Told him he could shoot him 
 now if he wanted to. News now came that the 
 town was occupied by two thousand men. Nothing 
 daunted, the Major pushed on, crossing the prairie 
 through corn-fields into Mount Vernon Road, down 
 which we marched at fast trot. We saw some Se- 
 ceshers in advance, and i to the charge' was ordered. 
 They cantered very leisurely, and led us directly 
 into the enemy's camp. Providence, which rules 
 all things, was especially our guide in this instance. 
 Perceiving the enemy in such strong force, as I 
 
40 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 was at the head of the column, leaped in my seat 
 and asked the Major if the charge should be con- 
 tinued. ' Certainly.' Down we went full split, 
 drawing the enemy's fire. The Virginia rail fence 
 saved many a poor fellow. We threw down the 
 fence, forward, and charged. They ran, we fol- 
 lowed, cutting them down like grass. Since the 
 fight, we learn from authentic sources that one 
 hundred and seven were killed, among whom was 
 a colonel. Two lieutenants were taken after the 
 fight while trying to escape. No prisoners taken 
 on the field. The general impression is that the 
 infantry of these parts won't stand the well-directed 
 charge of impetuous cavalry-men. 'Tis poor fun 
 after all. The brush cost us seventeen valuable 
 lives, and about twenty wounded; ten missing, 
 supposed to be prisoners in the hands of the 
 enemy. Some people have been kind enough to 
 compare our charge to the charge of the Light 
 Brigade at Balaklava, the immortal six hundred." 
 
 It is a striking circumstance that the battle of 
 Springfield was fought on the anniversary of that 
 very charge. 
 
 Others describe this fight in more words, and 
 stronger words, than the young lieutenant who had 
 won his spurs and fleshed his sword that day. 
 Major Zagonyi's account is graphic, and we ven- 
 ture to copy parts of it from Mrs. Fremont's " Story 
 of the Guard." 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 41 
 
 " Running down the lane between the cross-fire, 
 the first company (Newhall's) followed close, but 
 the rest stopped for a couple of seconds. I had 
 not wondered if none had come, young soldiers, 
 and such a tremendous fire, bullets coming like 
 
 a rain I expected to find the enemy 
 
 on the other side of Springfield ; but, unexpectedly 
 coming out of the woods to an open place, I was 
 fired on, in front of my command. Halted for a 
 minute; seeing that, or a bold forward march 
 under a cross-fire, or a doubtful retreat with losing 
 most of my men, I took the first, and commanded 
 4 March !' Under a heavy cross-fire (in trot), down 
 the little hill in the lane, two hundred yards, to a 
 creek, where I ordered the fence to be opened ; 
 marched in my command, ordered them to form, 
 and with the war-cry of ' Fremont and the Union,' 
 we made the attack. The first company (New- 
 hall's,) forty-seven strong, against five or six 
 hundred infantry, and the rest against the ca- 
 valry, was made so successfully, that, in three 
 minutes, the cavalry run in every direction, the 
 infantry retreated in the thick wood, and their 
 cavalry in every direction." 
 
 Newhall's first thought was always of home and 
 the fond hearts that were so full of anxiety for his 
 well-being, and on the very battle-field, in all the 
 heat of the recent encounter, he scratched off the fol- 
 lowing letter in pencil, and despatched it at once. 
 4 
 
42 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 " Twenty-five miles east of Springfield, Mo., 
 October 27th. We met the enemy, about 2000 
 strong, and thoroughly routed him ; loss not known : 
 ours is six killed, fifteen wounded. Although we 
 retired after the fight, the place remained in charge 
 of the wounded and their attendants. We march 
 again to-night for Springfield. Our men are very 
 much used up, having been in the saddle thirty-six 
 hours, fought a grand battle, and marched eighty 
 miles. My horse was shot twice by rifle-balls, and 
 one load of buckshot, but he carried me through 
 the whole affair splendidly. The General is here, 
 and seems to be proud of us. We were about one 
 hundred and sixty strong. We passed down a lane 
 exposed to a cross-fire, before making our charge, 
 which killed two and wounded one or two. Com- 
 pany A charged the infantry, with a loss of four 
 men, and five or six horses. Please send me a 
 good sabre ; mine bent in thrusting, and the edge 
 turned against the bones. Had my pistol knocked 
 out of my hand, and what is supposed to be a bullet, 
 doubled up my scabbard. Will write more fully 
 soon. Charley Treichel passed through without 
 a scratch, and behaved admirably. I went in with 
 forty-nine men, and came out with twenty-six. The 
 excitement about equalled that experienced after 
 making 'a six over the fence.' 
 
 "Springfield, Mo., October 29. Hope your 
 anxiety about me will be relieved when you have 
 
TIIE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 43 
 
 the accounts of our successful attack upon the re- 
 bels, and ray coming out of the battle in safety. 
 While charging at the head of the column down 
 the lane, a runaway horse ran against me, and 
 sent me heels over head, horse and all, among the 
 stones and dirt. At this time we were exposed to 
 a most dreadful fire, and you will imagine that 
 under the circumstances it didn't take me long to 
 regain my former position in the saddle. During 
 the engagement a ball passed through the breast of 
 my coat, entering opposite the right shoulder, and 
 coming out under the chin, making a hole through 
 the vest. You would say this was a narrow escape, 
 as you have not seen the mark of a ball along Major 
 Zagonyi's neck. In fact not a dozen of our men 
 escaped without some sign of bullets or sabres. 
 The body guard has won a name that will not be 
 forgotten even in history. The fact of one hundred 
 and sixty men attacking and defeating at least two 
 thousand is unparalleled, and I would not part with 
 my share of the glory for all the world. 
 
 " My company charged the infantry, and Major 
 Zagonyi led Companies B and C against the caval- 
 ry. We separated after the charge, and did not 
 meet again until near the town, both having accom- 
 plished the objects in view. After dispersing the 
 infantry in all directions, we crossed the road and 
 charged into a camp of cavalry, where were about 
 four hundred infantry, also with success, but with 
 
44 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 the loss of three very good men and several horses. 
 The wounded, prisoners, and city, remained in 
 charge of eighteen men, until we returned on Sun- 
 day morning with reinforcements. At 'one time I 
 thought we should have to surrender, as we were 
 completely surrounded ; but we charged, yelling 
 like wild cats and Indians mixed, and drove the 
 whole party like a flock of sheep. The rebel pri- 
 soners say, they thought Fremont's whole army 
 was upon them. Some of them believe it yet." 
 
 The newspapers of course were full of flaming 
 descriptions of the engagement, and Newhall re- 
 ceived his full share of praise ; but there was one 
 short paragraph in a Western paper which pleased 
 him most of all the tributes paid to his courage on 
 the occasion, and which deserves to be perpetuated 
 as a proof of the estimation in which he was held 
 by his own men. 
 
 " HONOR TO WHOM HONOR is DUE. The First 
 Lieutenant of Company A, Fremont's Body Guard, 
 Walter Newhall, from Philadelphia, has excelled 
 himself in the fight at Springfield. Honor to 
 him, who has always stood on the side of his 
 comrades, not only with the sword, but as a friend 
 and adviser of his men, who are all his warmest 
 supporters. 
 
 " In the name of Company A, Fremont's Body 
 Guard." 
 
 Another touching proof of the regard which his 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 45 
 
 company had for him, came, long afterwards, through 
 a Philadelphia lady, who went to St. Louis to nurse 
 in the hospitals there. In one of the wards she 
 found a soldier of the body guard, recovering from 
 a fever, a very intelligent, well-informed, manly 
 person, in whose mind solemn thoughts had been 
 awakened by the recent dangers through which he 
 had passed at the battle of Springfield. In the 
 course of conversation the lady mentioned Lieute- 
 nant Newhall, and the man's whole countenance 
 lighted up on finding that she knew his officer : 
 " He is the finest man in the regiment !" he ex- 
 claimed, u arid the most popular. He knows how to 
 deal with men ; he is always kindly, always treats 
 them as if they were men, and not machines. I 
 have heard one-half the men say, they would rather 
 serve under Newhall than any man in the service." 
 He went on to speak of his many virtues, espe- 
 cially his patience and forbearance with the trou- 
 blesome fellows in the company, adding, " He is a 
 true Christian. I have seen him sorely tried, and 
 I never heard him swear." 
 
 The troops now encamped on the prairie near 
 Springfield, and the few days which followed this 
 splendid charge were devoted to paying the last 
 honors to those who had fallen. A body of Dela- 
 ware Indians with their chief, Fall-leaf, here joined 
 the force. Their knowledge of the country and 
 their training as hunters made them invaluable as 
 
46 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 scouts, and they had the utmost devotion for Gene- 
 ral Fremont. Many of them on meeting him threw 
 off the proverbial Indian undemonstrativeness, and 
 embraced him with every profession of attachment. 
 They went into camp close to his quarters, and held 
 themselves on the alert. One night some of the 
 Eastern troops, who had never seen a red man be- 
 fore, tried to induce them to perform a native dance. 
 They were not very ready to exhibit themselves, 
 but the argument of whisky prevailed. They built 
 a huge fire on the prairie, and began to dance 
 round it with shouts and cries, gradually working 
 themselves into a state of wild excitement. The 
 whisky flowed freely and crept into their veins, 
 setting their blood on fire ; they danced and whoop- 
 ed and lashed themselves into a frenzy, with frantic 
 howls and yells, leaping and stamping like mad- 
 men, while the crowd of soldiers looked on with 
 pale faces at the savage show. 
 
 Meanwhile the whole Western army was moving 
 towards Springfield, and an engagement with the 
 enemy seemed imminent. But daily rumors and 
 reports from Washington were filling all the offi- 
 cers with uneasiness, and suddenly, while the East- 
 ern newspapers were still full of the spirited fight 
 at Springfield, news came from the West that Gene- 
 ral Frdmont had been superseded, and his brave 
 body guard mustered out of the service. Newhall's 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 47 
 
 account of this is simple and straightforward ; he 
 mentions the fact and makes no comment. 
 
 " November 5th. General Fremont removed! 
 With downcast looks and gloomy feelings we com- 
 menced our homeward march, but our spirits were 
 gradually raised by the cheerful music and smiling 
 countenances of the loyalists." 
 
 " St. Louis, November 8th. We arrived here to- 
 night with the General. All well. The people turned 
 out by thousands, and welcomed us in a torch-light 
 procession. Cheer after cheer was given for the 
 'General,' the 'Body Guard,' ' MajorZagonyi,' &c." 
 
 Mrs. Fremont's account of this reception is most 
 striking, and we again take the liberty of borrow- 
 ing from her book, " The Story of the Guard." 
 
 " Patient crowds had kept their watch through 
 the long day, and by night it was a sea of heads 
 in all the open space, around our house. The 
 door-posts were garlanded, and the very steps 
 covered with flowers, touching and graceful offer- 
 ings from the Germans.' China-asters, and dahlias, 
 with late roses and regular bosquets of geraniums, 
 beautified the entrance and perfumed the air ; and 
 when the General did make his way at last through 
 the magnificent assemblage, it was to be met by 
 the wives and children of the German officers he 
 had left at Springfield. Unknown to me, they had 
 come to speak their hearts to him, but they had 
 more tears than words. Touched to the heart 
 
48 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 already, the General was not prepared for the 
 arrival of citizens American as well as German 
 who came to thank him for past services, and ask 
 to stand by him in the hour of disgrace. Mean- 
 time the unceasing cheers and shouts of the vast 
 crowd without sounded like the tide after a high 
 wind. I could not stand it. I went far up to the 
 top of the house, and, in the cold night air, tried 
 to still the contending emotions, when I saw a 
 sight that added to the throbbing of my heart. 
 Far down the wide avenue the serried crowd was 
 parting, its dark, restless masses glowing in the 
 lurid, wavering torchlight, looking literally like 
 waves ; and, passing through them, came horse- 
 men, stamped with the splendid signet of battle, 
 their wounded horses and bullet-torn uniforms, 
 bringing cries of love and thanks from those for 
 whom they had been battling. When they halted 
 before the door, and the sudden ring and flash of 
 their drawn sabres added new beauty to the 
 picture, I think only the heart of a Haman could 
 have failed to respond to the truth and beauty of 
 
 the whole scene Before getting the 
 
 General's request for a flag for them, I had already 
 had one made, and they came in the morning to 
 receive it. By day their war-worn appearance 
 was still more touching. As I looked, how I wish- 
 ed ' that I might utter the thoughts that arose in 
 me/ but I could only ask Major Zagonyi to say 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOUEI. 49 
 
 for me how I felt the honor they had brought on 
 our name, and that they would find I did not for- 
 get them." 
 
 A few days afterwards, the body guard were 
 again drawn up in front of General Fremont's 
 quarters, and as usual a crowd had collected about 
 them. Newhall was standing at the head of his 
 company, when an old man, whom he thought he 
 recognized as the father of one of his men, stopped 
 before him and called out, " Three cheers for 
 Walter Newhall !" Walter's modesty was, as we 
 have said, one of his strongest characteristics, but 
 he was usually calm and self-possessed. This un- 
 expected tribute, however, came upon him so sud- 
 denly that he was lost in confusion, and as the 
 hearty cheers rang through the air he could not 
 raise his eyes from the ground, which, as he after- 
 wards said, he was silently invoking to open and 
 swallow him. He had a horror of noise and 
 notoriety, and on learning that his letter from the 
 battle-field had found its way into the newspapers, 
 he wrote home remonstrating with his family for 
 allowing it to be published, and entreating that 
 nothing of the sort might ever occur again. 
 
 When the orders relieving General Fremont 
 were received, Major Zagonyi, with his impulsive 
 temper and his enthusiastic admiration for his 
 chief, had but one idea, that the officers of the 
 body guard should resign, as a tribute of respect. 
 
50 WALTER S. NEWH ALL. 
 
 Most of them caught his spirit, and wrote their 
 resignations. When he mentioned the subject to 
 Newhall, the young man replied firmly, "K"o, I 
 took up arms in the service of my country, and I 
 will not lay them down for any personal feeling. 
 The war is not ended, and I must seek employment 
 elsewhere." His friend and true brother in arms, 
 Charles Treichel, (another of the Chestnut Hill 
 company,) gave the same answer, and the Major 
 carried their replies and the resignation of the rest 
 to the General. The latter had known nothing of 
 their intention, and would not hear of it for an 
 instant. " Lieutenants Newhall and Treichel are 
 perfectly right," he said. " Throw those resigna- 
 tions in the fire." 
 
 After all their hard work and brave deeds, this 
 noble body of men were mustered out of the 
 service, "for words spoken at Springfield," as if 
 they had brought disgrace upon it. The first 
 officer sent to disband them was General Sweeney, 
 a one-armed veteran of the Mexican war. On see- 
 ing them parade in their tattered uniforms, he was 
 so much moved that he dashed the tears from his 
 eye with his empty sleeve, and said, " he would be 
 d d if he mustered such troops out of the ser- 
 vice." General Sturgis, to whom the ungrateful 
 task was next assigned, saw them drawn up for 
 inspection, and was equally struck with their gal- 
 lant appearance. He said that if the Government 
 
THE CAMPAIGN IN MISSOURI. 51 
 
 wanted to lose such troops, it must send some one 
 else to muster them out. But the fiat had gone 
 forth and must be obeyed. It is worthy of note 
 that not a twelvemonth later, when the General 
 by whose order this was done, in the hour of his 
 greatest need, on the night before the battle of 
 Malvern Hill, called for volunteers for service of 
 extreme peril, the two who were found to help him 
 in his straits were officers of this very guard. 
 
 Newhall, of course, thought the fate of the body 
 guard very hard, but only said again they had 
 done their best, and that he would not part with 
 his share of the glory, for the world. He was then 
 commissioned as captain of a new cavalry regi- 
 ment to be raised in the West ; but seeing no 
 prospect of success in recruiting, and chafing under 
 the delay of forming a new regiment, he soon took 
 leave of the brave comrades with whom he had 
 made this short and brilliant campaign, and re- 
 turned to his home. He at once applied himself 
 to obtaining a position in the Army of the Potomac, 
 in w r hich he finally succeeded, early in January, 
 1862. He then received a commission as first 
 lieutenant in the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry. 
 
52 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE PENINSULA. 
 
 " Out 'twixt the battery-smokes there flew 
 
 A rider, bound on bound 
 Full galloping, nor bridle drew 
 Until he reached the mound." 
 
 "When lost was the eighth battle, 
 Nor heart nor hope had they." 
 
 " WASHINGTON, January 13th, 1862. This is 
 a first-class regiment, under command of Colonel 
 Averell, an able and energetic commander, and I 
 would rather take a first lieutenancy under him, 
 than a captaincy under a man whom the Govern- 
 ment would not trust in any important duty. I 
 hope you will not consider it any disgrace to take 
 a step backwards, under the circumstances, as it 
 would, I am sure, be more gratifying to be promo- 
 ted to fill a vacancy, than be forced into position." 
 
 That first winter was very trying in every way 
 to the troops about Washington. There was all 
 the hardship of military life without any of its ex- 
 citement. The roads were at best mere bogs and 
 often dangerous quagmires, and drilling was nearly 
 impossible, especially for cavalry. There was the 
 miserable monotony of the camp, with its disa- 
 
THE PENINSULA. 53 
 
 greeable duties, unenlivened by that which makes 
 it tolerable during a campaign, the state of the 
 roads depriving the officers even of the pleasure of 
 riding ; and as a relief from this there was Wash- 
 ington close at hand, with all the temptations of 
 mixed but very amusing society, and dissipation of 
 every sort. It was but a step from the muddy, 
 dreary encampment, where men grew tired of 
 seeing the same faces, to the hotel parlors, warm 
 and bright, crowded with gay, idle people, seeking 
 diversion, the women dazzled and delighted by the 
 uniforms, and some of them never content unless 
 surrounded by a full staff of officers. Of course the 
 young men found this drawing-room duty pleasanter 
 than picket, and after they had been fluttered to 
 the top of their bent for a whole evening, the way 
 out of the hotel led them through the bar-room, 
 and thence it was not far to worse resorts. Many 
 resisted bravely and made use of their inaction to 
 familiarize themselves with the detail of the drill 
 and manual, and to study tactics. It is almost 
 needless to say that Newhall was one of this class. 
 His camp was on the further side of the Potomac, 
 nearly three miles from the Chain Bridge, where he 
 had not even the chance of seeing his elder brother, 
 (another member of the Chestnut Hill company,) 
 who was encamped with his regiment, the Sixth 
 Pennsylvania Cavalry, otherwise known as the 
 Lancers, on Meridian Hill, two miles from Wash- 
 
54 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 ington, in an opposite direction. He stuck to his 
 camp, and did much to keep up the tone of his mess 
 by his own devotion to duty, and everlasting fun. 
 " To be jolly under creditable circumstances," 
 seemed to be his motto, and he managed to send 
 home frequent letters, full of laughable descriptions 
 of camp-life and illustrated with spirited carica- 
 tures ; for he had a clever pencil as well as a keen 
 eye for the ridiculous. 
 
 And so the weary months wore on, until the 
 night of the 9th of March, when the order to 
 advance was given. All through the dark hours 
 between midnight and dawn, the city was alive with 
 mounted orderlies, dashing about at full speed, 
 carriages. driving rapidly to and from the houses of 
 the different generals, officers rushing wildly in 
 every direction, some to their camps to hasten the 
 preparations, others home to take leave of their 
 families, many of whom were passing the winter in 
 Washington. From early dawn the sound of bugle- 
 calls, the continuous tread of men, the tramp and 
 splash of horses, the rumble of wheels, were heard 
 incessantly passing along the streets, and all day 
 long an endless procession of artillery, cavalry, 
 infantry, ambulances, and white-covered baggage- 
 wagons, each with its six mules, were passing 
 through the city from every quarter, and converg- 
 ing towards the Long Bridge. A general move- 
 ment and agitation pervaded the place. On the 
 
THE PENINSULA. 55 
 
 sidewalks were groups of ladies, whose pale faces 
 quivered with excitement, watching the regiments 
 go by ; not one but had a father, brother, husband, 
 or lover in them, and many friends. The orderlies 
 were still galloping furiously up and down, and 
 there were a number of men in uniform about 
 General McClellan's headquarters. A crowd gradu- 
 ally gathered there to see the General and his bril- 
 liant staff ride off. But after some hours it became 
 known that he had ridden quietly away from his 
 own house, with a couple of orderlies, and was 
 already on the further side of the Potomac. To- 
 wards evening, the commotion subsided. A few 
 companies of infantry were still marching towards 
 Georgetown, but the cannon and horsemen had 
 disappeared, the people had gone back to their 
 houses, and the camps, which had been whitening 
 the hills about Washington all winter, had vanished 
 like snow. Colonel Averell's regiment, the Third 
 Pennsylvania Cavalry, had been in the very ad- 
 vance. Newhall writes: 
 
 " Camp Marcy, March 10th, 3 A. M. We com- 
 mence a grand advance this morning. The whole 
 army moves forward. The Third Pennsylvania 
 Cavalry has the post of honor. We scouted yester- 
 day in the neighborhood of Fairfax Court-house, 
 without seeing any Secesh. The impression is that 
 the enemy have fallen back. After an hour's sleep 
 I was called to the Colonel's tent, and told to be 
 
56 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 ready for a forward move by 3 o'clock A. M. 
 Of course we were all on hand, and my company 
 being of the first squadron, we furnished the ad- 
 vance guard. Arrived first at Fairfax, then at 
 Centreville, at which latter place, although to all 
 appearance strongly fortified and occupied by 
 troops, my first sergeant and two privates were all 
 over the fortifications and the town before the rest 
 of the army came up. They had logs in the port- 
 holes and sticks stuck into the ground, which at 
 a distance, assisted by our imaginations, looked 
 like guns and men. At Centreville our men fell 
 asleep, and when we started for Manassas in the 
 afternoon, were a little behindhand, and were 
 obliged to get in the rear of the leading squadron, 
 so that we were the second company into Man- 
 assas Junction ; but my second lieutenant and my- 
 self thought we would like to have something to 
 talk about, so we went ahead, and were among the 
 first to enter the famous place. It was quite dark, 
 however, and we couldn't see much, and fortunately 
 it was obscure enough to prevent the Colonel from 
 seeing us. I passed a very comfortable night in a 
 Secesh tent. We don't feel quite so stupid as one 
 does after a hearty meal at Willard's. We break- 
 fasted this morning on pork and crackers, and for 
 a change will dine on same, if it holds out. We 
 are having first-rate times, and everybody says, 
 1 Secesh is played out.' ' 
 
THE PENINSULA. 57 
 
 " Fairfax, March 12th. We returned from Cen- 
 treville this morning. Don't think we shall return 
 to Manassas, as there's nobody there. Our com- 
 pany furnished the advance guard, capturing five 
 Secesh, three wagons marked C. S. A., and eight 
 horses." 
 
 " Camp Marcy, March 15th. We returned to 
 our old camp last night. We marched so slow and 
 halted so often, one of our prisoners said we must 
 be a part of the standing army. Some man very 
 kindly gave me four crackers. If I find out who he is 
 
 1 will certainly recommend him for promotion, for 
 he saved me from starving. We are under march- 
 ing orders, probably for Alexandria, to embark for 
 the South." 
 
 " March 22d. Marched to Alexandria." 
 
 " March 30th. Embarked on the 24th for Fort- 
 ress Monroe. Landed at Hampton." 
 
 " April 6th. In front of Yorktown. We reach- 
 ed our present position this morning. Immediately 
 the artillery opened on the enemy's fortifications, 
 and we have been surrounded by a line of fire all 
 day. 
 
 " The hard fighting is being done on our left. At 
 
 2 o'clock the enemy charged on one of our bat- 
 teries, but couldn't stand the impetuous counter by 
 the 62d Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Black. 
 It's no use ; they may as well fall back at once. 
 This army can't be beaten. We are gradually 
 
 5 
 
58 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 drawing the line around them, and if they are not 
 off soon, it will be too late. Nobody hurt in our 
 regiment, though shells have been bursting about 
 us all day. Our horses stand fire first-rate." 
 
 " April 10th. We moved back half a mile last 
 night, to get out of reach of shells, &c. No gene- 
 ral engagement since Saturday. Hope it will 
 commence soon, or we shall have a very bad case of 
 evacuation after all. It has been raining for four 
 days. Horses suffering for forage/' 
 
 "April 13th. We still keep our distance, though 
 it's all right. Lowe's balloon playfully ran off with 
 
 General two days since. He cried lustily 
 
 for help, as he passed our camp at the rate of six 
 miles an hour. He fortunately came down in a 
 Federal camp, badly scared, and a little lame." 
 
 " April 20th. We still keep up our masterly in- 
 activity, drilling twice a day in a broiling sun, and 
 those nearest the enemy dodging the shells." 
 
 " April 22d. I placed our pickets yesterday with- 
 in three hundred yards of the enemy's works, but 
 owing to rain and fog I couldn't see much." 
 
 "April 26th. Still before Yorktown. Colonel 
 Averell has promised me that I shall act as aid to 
 General Porter when the bombardment begins." 
 
 "May 4th. The rebels 'last ditch' isn't at 
 Yorktown. They evacuated last night. We are 
 ordered to be ready to march at a moment's notice. 
 Colonel Averell is in good spirits, as his regiment 
 
THE PENINSULA. 59 
 
 has the cavalry advance. I have been out of sorts 
 for a few days, our Doctor trying to make a sick 
 man of me. But it's no go. I moved on with the 
 regiment, much to the Doctor's disappointment, for 
 he expected to have me for a fever patient, and 
 insisted I was very light-headed. All went on 
 smoothly after leaving Yorktown until the McClel- 
 lan Dragoons got into a snarl with some of Stuart's 
 Cavalry, with good intent enough, hut rather in- 
 different success. Our squadron was ordered by 
 Colonel Averell to dismount to fight. A battery 
 of artillery was ordered to the front ; a few shots 
 sent the rebel cavalry flying. As we came out of 
 the woods the rebels were trying to form in the 
 open space, but the guns were brought up, and we 
 soon had Stuart's men running like mad. I 
 was on duty until 12 o'clock that night ; a pretty 
 good day's work for a sick man." 
 
 "May 6th. Up and in motion at five the next 
 morning, marching with the advance artillery and 
 infantry. Presently the artillery is ordered to the 
 front, and we commence the famous battle of Wil- 
 liamsburg. It soon became hot work for the artil- 
 lery, and the infantry were ordered up at double- 
 quick. The rebels are too many for us. The 
 firing is constant all day. We almost give way, 
 when Kearney's brigade comes howling up the 
 road, and the day is ours, after the hardest kind of 
 fighting." 
 
60 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 His own regiment was not actively engaged, and 
 his Colonel allowed him to act as aid to General 
 Heintzelman. 
 
 " I found the General in the midst of the fight, 
 keeping up the spirits of the men. His Adjutant- 
 General was everywhere at once, doing the same 
 thing. His aids were all away on various urgent 
 duties. My arrival was looked upon as quite an 
 event. I was immediately despatched to General 
 
 , on the extreme left, with orders for him to 
 
 attack at once with all his force. You may imagine 
 how I put things through on such an occasion. I 
 cut through hospitals and woods, and yet it seemed 
 as if I never would get there. I most certainly 
 thought the attack should be made right off, and I 
 acted accordingly. At last I found the General 
 sitting on his horse half asleep. I repeated Gene- 
 ral Heintzelman's orders. ' Will you be good 
 enough to ride a short distance with me,' he said, 
 and then tried to explain to me that the brigade 
 had just reported to him, that the men and roads 
 were new to him, &c., which only disgusted me. 
 I repeated to him General Heintzelman's positive 
 orders, told him a prompt execution of them would 
 certainly turn this flank, and added, i These men are 
 American soldiers, and will go wherever they are 
 properly led. I will report to (jeneral Heintzel- 
 man that you are moving rapidly,' and I left him. 
 Would you believe he never made an attack ! and 
 
THE PENINSULA. 61 
 
 if Kearney hadn't come up just as he did, we 
 should have lost the fight. As it was, we occupied 
 the field. At night, I was left in charge of a road 
 in the neighborhood, and could hear the groans of 
 the wounded. Of course, I passed a sleepless night, 
 in a pouring rain. In the morning early, we were 
 relieved, and heard the good news that the rebels 
 had left. We started on after our regiment with- 
 out breakfast, caught up at the rebel works, and 
 proceeded immediately to Williamsburg, where I 
 was made officer of the guard, and not relieved 
 until 6 P. M., when I got something to eat, took 
 to sleep most vigorously, and woke up this morning 
 as bright and fresh as a lark. All these little de- 
 mands on my strength seem to benefit me, as I 
 never felt better in my life." 
 
 " May 12th. The army is moving along slowly. 
 The advance is within sixteen miles of Richmond." 
 
 " May 17th. We shall not move for a few days. 
 Roads in a fearful condition." 
 
 "Baltimore Stores, May 22d. Our advance is 
 within six miles of Richmond. We were scouting 
 a day or two ago ; one of our orderlies missed us, 
 and mistaking the road, got within sight of Rich- 
 mond. He wasn't long in making a straight line 
 back." 
 
 " Near New Bridge, May 26th. Colonel Averell 
 keeps his regiment at work. Two of our squad- 
 rons left camp this morning at 6 o'clock, arrived 
 
62 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 at the outposts about 9, advanced up the Nine- 
 mile Road, drove in the enemy's pickets, killing 
 one. The rebels were in full force. They paraded 
 about five hundred infantry, two squadrons of 
 cavalry, and a section of artillery, with which they 
 opened on us at about a thousand yards. While 
 they were getting the guns into position we took a 
 sketch of the surrounding country, saw a part of 
 Richmond, and having posted our pickets advanta- 
 geously, withdrew at the critical moment. They 
 threw ten shells right into us, doing no harm. They 
 are very innocent little things, as far as I know. 
 At the moment, an order came up from General 
 McClellan, not to provoke a general engagement. 
 Three regiments of infantry came up to hold the 
 ground we had gained. I had the honor of being 
 in command of the advance guard, and it was one 
 of my men who despatched the rebel. Our special 
 correspondent will no doubt make a great thing of 
 it, as I saw him collecting items from some of the 
 command." 
 
 " May 30th. Three or four squadrons just going 
 on a scout." 
 
 " Camp near New Bridge, June 1st. Very heavy 
 fighting on our left flank yesterday." (Fair Oaks.) 
 " Report gives us a decided advantage. At the 
 opening of the action our forces were driven back 
 two miles, but being reinforced, the boys did their 
 work handsomely, and now occupy the battle-field. 
 
THE PENINSULA. 63 
 
 The fight recommenced at 7 o'clock this A. M., and as 
 we are within earshot of the rattle of the musketry, 
 it is very exciting. No artillery has been used this 
 morning. Colonel Averell says that General Mc- 
 Clellan thinks if the battle had commenced two 
 hours earlier yesterday, we should have marched 
 into Richmond to-day, without opposition. 9 A. M. 
 Heavy firing on our left still continues. We all 
 wonder why they don't trot out the artillery." 
 
 " Savage's Station, June. General McCall's 
 Reserves came up to-day, but knowing ones say, 
 ' No fighting for two weeks, unless pushed by the 
 rebels.' ' 
 
 "June 6th. No firing on either side to-day." 
 
 " Camp Forage Station, June 9th. We have 
 all sorts of rumors about the evacuation of Rich- 
 mond, &c. General McClellan is now fighting for 
 the hill which overlooks Richmond. If he can 
 once get a footing, the business will be soon settled. 
 Any quantity of siege guns have already gone up 
 the road." 
 
 "Savage's Station, June 19th. We have just 
 returned to camp, after a four days' scout in Dixie 
 proper. We left here on Monday morning, at 5 
 A. M., and arrived at Whitehouse about 2 p. M. 
 Encamped to feed horses, &c. We crossed the 
 river at dark, and stood to horse for three hours 
 on the other side. Resumed the march at 5 o'clock 
 next morning. About fifteen miles out, the ad- 
 
64 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 vance guard chased and caught a rank Secesh. 
 We confiscated his mare, and sent him to the rear, 
 a prisoner. Our advance charged into the small 
 town of Aylett's, on the Matapony, capturing about 
 a dozen prisoners, burned the bridge and a schooner 
 or two, seized a couple of wagons on the road to Rich- 
 mond, and returned without meeting the expected 
 rebels. Same night we encamped opposite White- 
 house, having marched about fifty miles since sun- 
 rise. We recrossed the river yesterday morning, 
 remained all day at Whitehouse, resting the ani- 
 mals, and returned this morning to camp, all well. 
 Lieutenant Rogers, of our regiment, had his horse 
 shot on picket, on Tuesday. Three balls hit the 
 horse, killing him instantly." 
 
 "June 22d. Yesterday, our company scouted 
 the roads leading to Richmond, and met the rebels 
 everywhere. We didn't push the fighting, but 
 tried to draw them out by rushing towards their 
 position, and then retreating, apparently in great 
 confusion; but we failed to excite their tempers." 
 
 In reading this narrative, taken from Newhall's 
 letters and note-book, written on the spot, it is 
 curious to observe how much in the dark the in- 
 ferior officers are, regarding not only projected 
 movements, but those which are actually being 
 executed. Here we can see how the army was not 
 aware of the object of its own manoeuvres, and that 
 one portion had no idea what other portions were 
 
THE PENINSULA. 65 
 
 about, who were hotly engaged at the very moment,. 
 It must be a strange sensation, for men not brought 
 up in the army, to hold themselves in readiness 
 from one hour to the next, not knowing whether 
 they are to march or not, nor whither they are 
 going when actually on the march, though it may 
 be a question of life and death to each one. With 
 regular soldiers, of course this is mere habit ; with 
 volunteers like ours, men not accustomed to be 
 under authority, and to follow blindly and mecha- 
 nically, but used to think and act for themselves, 
 and know the reason for every step they take, such 
 obedience is deliberate volition, and the discipline 
 of our troops is surely a great proof of their man- 
 liness. 
 
 " Savage's Station, Camp Lincoln, June 25th. 
 We have heard firing in front this morning ; 
 but as the enemy can't get this way, and we're 
 not ready to go that way, I don't believe it will 
 amount to much. Lieutenant Rogers, just arrived 
 from the advance, reports heavy firing, and the 
 probability of a big row. At any rate, we don't 
 come into the engagement, there being no place for 
 cavalry evolutions." 
 
 " June 27th. Took the following order to Gene- 
 ral Woodbury, to hasten building the bridge across 
 White Oak Swamp : 
 
bb WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 . " < HEADQUARTERS, 8 P.M., June 27th, 1862. 
 
 " ' To GENERAL HEINTZELMAN : 
 
 " ' The General commanding directs you to send 
 an officer at once to White Oak Swamp, with in- 
 structions to say to General Woodbury, who was 
 sent there this afternoon, that the General orders 
 the bridges he is to construct across the swamp to 
 be pushed to-night with all possible rapidity. Let 
 the officer you send bring back General Woodbury's 
 reply. No time is to be lost. 
 
 "'S. WILLIAMS, A. A. G.' " 
 
 Newhall had the bump of locality, as the phre- 
 nologists call it, remarkably developed. In riding 
 over a country, he seized its prominent features as 
 if by intuition ; he comprehended the " lay of the 
 land," and never lost his bearings. He could not 
 only find his way back over a road which he had 
 once travelled, but he could find his way back by 
 half a dozen roads to the point from which he had 
 started. He was a natural topographer, and in 
 the course of his scout and picket duty gained a 
 knowledge of the. situation of every hill and stream, 
 the extent of the woods, the depth of the waters, 
 and the direction of all the roads within the field 
 of operations. This faculty, or rather instinct, 
 was well known to his superior officers, and stood 
 him in good stead constantly on the Peninsula, 
 especially during the terrible week which was be- 
 
THE PENINSULA. 67 
 
 ginning. On carrying the above order to General 
 Woodbury, the latter began to give directions for 
 sounding the swamp, in order to sink the piles. 
 Time pressed ; the enemy was advancing, the danger 
 was imminent ; every moment was precious. New- 
 hall interposed, and gave the depth at various 
 distances, which he knew from occasionally cross- 
 ing it. He was so positive and minute in his 
 details on these points that the General ordered 
 the work to proceed without further inquiry. 
 Newhall arrived at General Woodbury 's at 10 
 o'clock P.M. The bridge was finished at sunrise. 
 Then followed the seven days' fight, through which 
 we need not follow our army in its disastrous re- 
 treat, until, broken, shattered, but undaunted, they 
 found themselves once more in safety on the banks 
 of the James River, presenting an impregnable 
 front to the enemy. Newhall writes from Har- 
 rison's Landing, July 3d : 
 
 " We arrived here last night, all right, having 
 acted through the day as rear-guard of the army. 
 For the last five days we have lived on excitement 
 
 and a few crackers At 2 A. M. on 
 
 Saturday the army was in motion, and the wagons 
 had mostly crossed by afternoon. Our regiment 
 crossed at daylight. At about 11 A. M. I was sent 
 to General Heintzelman to pilot him across the 
 swamp, which was done about dark 
 
68 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 The enemy effected a crossing at Woodbury's 
 bridge early on Sunday morning, and a strong 
 force came down Charles City Road, and a general 
 engagement throughout the day was the conse- 
 quence. Our regiment was ordered to General 
 Fitz-John Porter, and we were obliged to pass 
 along the Newmarket Road under a strong fire 
 of artillery, which was mostly too high to do us 
 any hurt. At 7 o'clock, a regiment of rebel 
 cavalry came charging down Newmarket Road 
 after our pickets, but a section of artillery opened 
 on them, throwing them into the greatest confu- 
 sion, during which two of our companies dashed 
 at them splendidly, killing and wounding several, 
 and taking about sixty prisoners, with a loss of 
 only one killed and two wounded. When we ar- 
 rived on James River (Fitz-John Porter's left), the 
 rebels had just commenced an attack on the Gene- 
 ral, who replied handsomely, silencing their bat- 
 teries in less than two hours. In the meantime, 
 our regiment was supporting batteries, driving up 
 stragglers, and keeping the roads open." 
 
 Newhall was constantly engaged during the 
 whole week. On this night, the eve of the battle 
 of Malvern Hill, he performed an act of signal 
 daring, which well deserves to be recorded. Frank- 
 lin and Heintzelman were left at different points 
 to protect the retreat, and by evening, when the 
 rest of the army had reached the James River, 
 
THE PENINSULA. 69 
 
 nothing had been heard from them. General Mc- 
 Clellan asked for volunteers to carry despatches to 
 the missing Generals, as the service was one of 
 extreme danger, the communication probably being 
 cut off. Colonel Averell said he knew two officers 
 in his regiment who would undertake it, and the 
 mission was eagerly accepted by Lieutenants New- 
 hall and Treichel. Newhall was to report to Gene- 
 ral Franklin, and at once took the road to the White 
 Oak Swamp bridge, attended by two orderlies. It 
 is impossible for one who has not been in the field 
 to fancy the danger and difficulty of the enterprise. 
 The fatigue of the previous week had been exces- 
 sive ; he had travelled the road but once, fighting and 
 falling back with the rest of the forces, which must 
 have left him little leisure to note the landmarks ; 
 and, moreover, the aspect of things had entirely 
 changed within a few hours. It was after nightfall, 
 the road was blocked with troops, artillery, and 
 wagons ; the nearer camp-fires blinded the messen- 
 ger with their glare, the distant ones flickered like 
 ignesfatui, bewildering him by their number. When 
 beyond our lines, the chances of meeting the enemy 
 in force were a thousand to one, and those of fall- 
 ing in with scouts, or pickets, or detached parties, 
 still greater. On reaching the bridge ,at White 
 Oak Swamp he found that General Franklin was 
 already on the retreat up the Nine-mile Road, tow- 
 ards the James River, leaving every thing that could 
 
70 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 not be carried away, in flames. Newhall galloped 
 on, leaving the blaze of the burning stores behind, 
 through the darkness beyond. He overtook the 
 General about six miles from the bridge, delivered 
 his message, received the reply, and immediately 
 turned his horse's head, to go back by the way by 
 which he had come. General Franklin assured him 
 it would be impossible to return, that the road was 
 already in possession of the enemy ; but he resolved 
 to attempt it, and struck across the country. He 
 was stopped by a swamp, and knowing that no time 
 was to be lost;, he boldly made for the road again, 
 and pressed on at full speed through the increas- 
 ing darkness, losing one of his orderlies altogether, 
 and almost leaving the other behind. He recrossed 
 the bridge in safety, but immediately afterwards 
 rode into an encampment, which he could not re- 
 member having seen when he passed three hours 
 before. He reined in his horse, and asked one of 
 the soldiers what his regiment was. The man re- 
 plied, "We are Mississippi troops," in a suspicious 
 tone, and at the same moment another thrust a 
 flaming torch almost into Newhall's face to see 
 "who was riding about at that time of night." 
 But he managed to push by without raising any 
 alarm, till stopped by a third, who challenged him 
 as he passed. With perfect coolness, he assumed 
 an authoritative tone, and asked if the other was 
 
THE PENINSULA. 71 
 
 a Mississippian. "Yes," was the reply. "Then 
 hold your position," said Newhall, and galloped on. 
 For nearly a mile his road lay through the camps 
 and hospitals of the enemy, and some new obstacle 
 arose and the risk increased every instant. At 
 last he was suddenly brought to a halt by a sentry, 
 who put a pistol to his head and ordered him to 
 dismount, and not speak above a whisper. New- 
 hall at once complied, endeavoring to pass himself 
 off for a Mississippian, at which, to his extreme 
 mystification, the soldier observed, " That's a good 
 joke!" but in another moment he discovered that 
 his captor was one of our own pickets. The man 
 would not believe it, struck a light, and detained 
 him for half an hour, but at last reluctantly let him 
 go, half- minded to shoot him, out of disappointment. 
 Newhall hurried on, and finally reached headquar- 
 ters. He found General McClellan on horseback, 
 anxiously awaiting his return. He delivered Gene- 
 ral Franklin's report, which was the first news that 
 had been received from him, and was warmly thank- 
 ed by McClellan, who assured him that his service 
 would not be forgotten. But it was of the greatest 
 importance that a second message should reach 
 General Franklin, and General McClellan asked if 
 he would attempt it again. Newhall replied that 
 Franklin had said it would be impossible even to 
 return the first time, but that he was willing to 
 try. He got a fresh horse, and set off a second 
 
72 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 time, alone: "As everybody said I'd be taken, 
 and I thought that one was enough for that pur- 
 pose. It was 3 o'clock A. M. when I got fairly 
 on the road again, and having almost seven miles 
 to go before reaching the fork at the bridge, I made 
 the horse put out his best foot first, and arrived in 
 the neighborhood just before daybreak. I rode 
 slowly for a short distance before reaching the 
 turning-point, to give the beast a few miles of fresh 
 wind and legs, in case I had to run the firing. I 
 gave him the spur in time to get up a pretty fair 
 'home stretch' just as we were passing the most 
 dubious place. My horse caved in just after getting 
 me out of harm's way, and I dismounted to rest us 
 both. I had been here about five minutes, when 
 the enemy commenced shelling the woods in front 
 of the bridge, and finding the coast clear, came 
 thundering over the bridge and up the hill with a 
 cheer. I didn't stop to ask any questions, and 
 followed the General, who arrived at General Mc- 
 Clellan's headquarters just as I caught him." 
 
 General Franklin, acting on the first order, had 
 anticipated the second. After all the fatigue, 
 anxiety, want of food and loss of sleep, of the pre- 
 ceding week, NewhaH's head had been cool and 
 clear enough for such exciting work, and he had 
 ridden sixty-four miles, between dusk and dawn in 
 the short summer's night, beset with perils -of every 
 sort. He made light of this feat, as of everything 
 
THE PENINSULA. 73 
 
 he did ; but it was remembered long afterwards, by 
 those who had no personal interest in him, as one 
 of the most gallant exploits of the campaign. 
 
 " Colonel Averell was to-day promoted to a Briga- 
 dier General, and has charge of all the cavalry of 
 the Army of the Po.tomac." 
 
 " July 5th. Something is on foot, and we expect 
 to be off in a day or two, just resting our horses 
 now." 
 
 " July 9th. The enemy have withdrawn their 
 pickets from the neighborhood of Charles City 
 Road. I have been engaged for three days in 
 making a grand map of the surrounding country, 
 position of the gunboats, &c., to be forwarded to 
 General McClellan." 
 
 " July 13th. Have been out all day making maps 
 of the country, and am hard at work making them 
 4 look pretty.' ' 
 
 " July 16th. No news whatever in the military 
 line. I see by the paper that some one at Fortress 
 Monroe has been making a fool of himself, writing 
 about my adventure in communicating with General 
 Franklin." 
 
 Here his hatred of notoriety came out again. 
 But he was not destined to hear the last of this 
 adventure. A few days later he received a letter 
 from a gentleman at the North, requesting a cir- 
 cumstantial account of his carrying the message to 
 General Franklin, to be inserted in a work entitled, 
 6 
 
74 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 'The Heroic Men and Actions of the War,' and 
 begging for any incidents of the battle of Malvern 
 Hill, and personal descriptions of the Generals, 
 which he could give. Newhall's sense of the ludi- 
 crous was roused by the idea of figuring among the 
 heroic men of the war. and he wrote a long narra- 
 tive, in the true Munchausen vein, interspersed with 
 caricatures of the different Generals. On second 
 thought, however, he did not send it, but replied 
 civilly, though briefly, that he had only done his 
 duty, and did not consider his service of sufficient 
 importance or interest to the public to merit a place 
 in the proposed work. 
 
 He passed the rest of that sad summer on the 
 James River, constantly engaged in making maps 
 of the adjacent country, for the use of the command- 
 ing General. He had never studied topography, 
 but his talent for drawing, combined with his power 
 of comprehending the exact position of every stream 
 and hill in a tract of country, made his maps of 
 great value. He wrote many bright letters home ; 
 for, amid all his occupations and distractions, he 
 never for a moment forgot those whose anxious 
 thoughts were following him from afar, with the 
 love and solicitude that cannot be written or told. 
 He was not fond of writing, but in the midst of the 
 most trying campaigns, in the heat of summer and 
 cold of winter, at any hour of the busy day or weary 
 
THE PENINSULA. 75 
 
 night, lie would snatch a moment to send a few 
 words of comfort, or some rapid sketch, to his 
 parents and brothers. 
 
 On the 24th July, he writes : " General Averell 
 wants to get up a cricket club in the regiments, but 
 I will have nothing to do with it, as I am sure there 
 will be a ' catch' in it, somewhere. It's very agreea- 
 ble, for instance, to have a quiet little game, but not 
 so amusing to play all day and then stand guard 
 all night, or to get a good crack on the leg on one 
 day, and to go on a forty-mile scout the next. 
 Cricket and chemistry may work together very well, 
 but what soldier ever, i stopped a ball' satisfac- 
 torily?" 
 
 About the middle of August the army moved. 
 General Averell's command was with General Fitz 
 John Porter's division, and consequently not in the 
 next battles, but was again acting as rear -guard, and 
 constantly doing picket duty while in camp at Wil- 
 liamsburg. The insidious poison of the climate had 
 slowly crept into Newhall's veins, during these long, 
 hot months of hard work. He had fought through 
 one fever, in the beginning of the campaign, and 
 was now struggling with another. On the 29th of 
 August, he says: " I have been under the weather 
 lately, but owing to a great scarcity of medicine, 
 I am rapidly recovering. Shall be here some time, 
 and when shipped, land at Alexandria. Our squa- 
 dron returned last night, after two days' picket 
 
76 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 duty. Probably there isn't a rebel soldier within 
 ten miles." 
 
 Two days after this cheery letter, came a tele- 
 gram from Fortress Monroe, saying that he was to 
 leave for home the next day, and begging his father 
 to meet him in Baltimore. There was not a word 
 about being ill, but his friends felt misgivings. 
 His father was on the wharf when the Bay Line 
 steamer came in, and found him on board, too weak 
 to leave his berth. He put him into good hands in 
 Baltimore, and went to Washington by the next 
 train, to get a sick-leave. Fortunately there was 
 no delay, and he returned to Baltimore the same 
 afternoon, with the leave, and the news of his son's 
 promotion to a captaincy. 
 
 Newhallwas so ill and feeble, that no one thought 
 he would be fit for service that winter, but a month 
 at home restored his strength wonderfully. Early 
 in October, hearing the report that he was to be 
 put upon recruiting duty in Philadelphia, he in- 
 sisted upon returning to camp. A younger brother, 
 the next in age to himself, went with him, having 
 obtained a lieutenancy in the same regiment. 
 
THE FIRST WINTEK IN THE FIELD. 77 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 THE FIRST WINTER IN THE FIELD. 
 
 " The sharpened ear, the piercing eye, 
 The quick resolve in danger nigh ; 
 The speed, that in the flight or chase 
 Outstripped the Carib's rapid race ; 
 The steady brain, the sinewy limb, 
 To leap, to climb, to dive, to swim ; 
 The iron frame, inured to bear 
 Each dire inclemency of air, 
 Nor less, confirmed to undergo 
 Fatigue's faint chill and famine's throe. 
 These arts he proved, his land to save, 
 In peril oft, by land or wave." 
 
 THE autumn of 1862 was one of constant alarm 
 for Pennsylvania. September had seen the tide of 
 war surge up to our borders, to be met and turned 
 at Antietam, and roll back again on Maryland and 
 Virginia. Early in October, Stuart spread con- 
 sternation among the southern counties. At first, 
 the whole Confederate army was supposed to be 
 again advancing, but it turned out to be only a 
 raid, though a very brilliant and successful one. 
 The bold rider and his merry men swept through 
 the rich valleys and quiet towns, taking what they 
 liked, paying, when they chose, in Confederate 
 
78 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 money a quaint conceit ! behaved very well for 
 moss-troopers, and cantered round our whole army 
 and home again ; leaving the fat farmers grumbling 
 over their empty barns, and shutting their stable 
 doors after the steeds were stolen. 
 
 Newhall joined his regiment at Hagerstown, 
 Maryland, on October 3d, immediately took com- 
 mand of his company, and started with the rest in 
 pursuit of Stuart. 
 
 " McConnellsburg, October 13th. We arrived 
 here this morning, via Hancock and Harronsville, 
 our object being to cut the rebels off at this point. 
 Of course they took another road, and having es- 
 caped the other cavalry sent out after them, have 
 recrossed the Potomac." 
 
 " Camp at Indian Springs, October 24th. We 
 left camp on the 18th, and marched to Clear 
 Springs on the same evening ; next day our squa- 
 dron moved across the canal and river at Cherry 
 Run Station, (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,) and 
 having examined the neighborhood of Hedgesville, 
 marched to Hancock, on the Virginia side. After 
 a rest of two days, we were ordered to this place, 
 to picket the roads in the vicinity and to guard the 
 fords. We learn from the Union people of Virgi- 
 nia, that Jackson has gone to Bunker Hill, and 
 that the coming fight will take place in that neigh- 
 borhood. The rebels have about three thousand 
 men at Hedgesville, mostly infantry ; and if Jack- 
 
THE FIRST WINTER IN THE FIELD. 79 
 
 son only knew how afraid our officers are of him, we 
 should be following up another raid about once a 
 week. What a fortunate thing that he's so modest ! ' ' 
 
 " October 26th. We are all well, wishing most 
 heartily to be relieved, and return to camp." 
 
 " St. James's College, Md., October 28th. Back 
 in camp again. People say, the army is crossing 
 the Potomac, and we are on an hour's notice to 
 march." 
 
 " Camp at Berlin, October 31st. "We marched 
 here this morning from Pleasant Valley, where 
 we passed last night. Twenty-one to-day ! Much 
 spree on hard crackers and coffee." 
 
 " Camp near Amissville, Va., November 9th. We 
 have been very hard at work since leaving camp at 
 St. James's College. We have been driving Hamp- 
 ton and Stuart from all their chosen positions in the 
 Gaps. Some splendid charging has been made by 
 the 5th Regulars and 8th New York Cavalry. No- 
 body hurt in our regiment. Harry" (his youngest 
 brother) "is made of the proper material for soldier- 
 ing, and a person not acquainted with the facts 
 might suppose he had been at it all his life. Gene- 
 ral Averell has gone to Warrenton sick, leaving 
 us under General Pleasanton." 
 
 "Waterloo, November 13th. We marched here 
 from Amissville yesterday ; find no forage, and so 
 we probably leave to-day. All well, and, having 
 tents, are very comfortable." 
 
80 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 "Warrenton, November 14th. We marched 
 here from Waterloo this morning, and being in a 
 first-rate fence-rail country, we manage to keep the 
 weather out. Colonel Mclntosh takes charge of 
 our regiment to-day. He is a fine man and a good 
 officer ; we have no fears of being badly off under 
 his command." 
 
 Newhall writes as cheerfully as ever, and makes 
 light of the cold and hardships. Perhaps in the 
 camp, men had work enough to keep their spirits 
 up ; but in the cities, this was a weary time. Du- 
 ring the later autumn there had been no event of 
 importance or interest, except General McClellan's 
 being relieved of the command of the Army of the 
 Potomac. There was very severe weather, and a 
 heavy snow-storm late in November. The troops 
 were all on the march, with no shelter, and the way 
 blocked up before them by the drifts. It all soon 
 disappeared, however. The month that followed 
 was singularly mild and lovely, and depression 
 gradually gave way to expectation, as the season 
 advanced, and everybody knew that General Burn- 
 side would not go into winter quarters without a 
 battle. 
 
 " Headquarters Picket, November 23d. I have 
 been from camp four days, guarding the fords that 
 cross Aquia Creek, about four miles from its mouth. 
 The creek cannot be forded, and there being no 
 boats in the neighborhood, I merely have to watch 
 
THE FIRST WINTER IN THE FIELD. 81 
 
 the river and creek, and see that they do not leave 
 their beds some fine morning." 
 
 " Camp near Belle Plains, November 26th. We 
 are well located on Potomac Creek and the Rich- 
 mond and Fredericksburg Railroad, about nine 
 miles from Aquia Creek. All well. Tents and 
 stores in good order." 
 
 "December 4th. Picketing. Some of our regi- 
 ment have been caught lately. Harry has gone 
 out for three days, to try his hand at it." 
 
 " December 6th. Please send me fifty pairs 
 of gloves, good quality, strong and warm, for a 
 Christmas present for Company A. Army inactive. 
 I have been promoted to the command of a squa- 
 dron, and complimented by the Colonel for the 
 way in which it is handled, and am quite proud 
 of it." 
 
 "December 7th. I relieve Harry on picket 
 to-morrow." 
 
 "December 12th. In the field. We left camp 
 yesterday at an early hour, and reached the battle- 
 field at noon, but didn't participate. Storming 
 not yet resumed." 
 
 " December 14th, 8 A. M. Harry was sent to 
 Hartwood Church on picket yesterday. The artil- 
 lery has just opened the ball for to-day's work. 
 Nothing gained yesterday. Franklin reported 
 doing well, and driving the rebels by degrees." 
 
 This was the first battle of Fredericksburg, a 
 
82 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 name as fatal to us as Bull Run. Newhall's regiment 
 was not 'engaged, did not cross the Rappahannock, 
 indeed, and returned to their camp at Belle Plains 
 on the 16th of December. A few days afterwards 
 he writes : 
 
 " We returned to camp yesterday morning, hav- 
 ing passed one day and two nights in the woods, in 
 search of our friends of the other persuasion, whom 
 we heard were in the neighborhood of Kelly's Ford. 
 Harry got a bad tumble, while charging the rebel 
 pickets down a hill, but is all right now." 
 
 The excitement of scout and picket duty, and the 
 various facilities for violent death which their life 
 afforded, did not seem sufficient for these young 
 bloods. The officers of the 3d and 6th Pennsylva- 
 nia Cavalry, which were encamped a few miles 
 apart, agreed to ride a steeple-chase in the holi- 
 days. Newhall, as usual, the hero of the occasion, 
 gives the following description of it. 
 
 SPORT IN CAMP. 
 
 "December 26th. Fred," (his elder brother,) 
 
 " T , M , D , and E.," (officers of the 
 
 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry), " came over, and we 
 lunched at 1 o'clock, by way of fortifying ourselves. 
 We were busy enough in the forenoon, putting up 
 hurdles and digging ditches, but we didn't feel 
 tired when Officers' Call sounded for the officers to 
 
THE FIRST WINTER IN THE FIELD. 83 
 
 assemble and the track to be cleared. About forty- 
 had promised to run, but the timid ones, (all who 
 had any sense, you will say,) began to fall out, and 
 
 at the word, 'go,' only eight got away, Me , 
 
 M , B , D , W , T , Fred, and 
 
 myself." 
 
 The course was three-quarters of a mile round, 
 and the inside of the track marked by a series of 
 guidons. There were four obstacles to be cleared 
 in the race, viz. : first, a row of four bales of hay, 
 with a bar above them, the interval being filled up 
 with brush, &c., the whole being four feet and a 
 half high ; secondly, a ditch, five feet wide, with a 
 bank three and a half feet high on the farther side, 
 topped by a horizontal pole ; thirdly, four bales of 
 hay, arranged as the first, but making a leap of five 
 feet ; the last was a pile of brush, six feet across, 
 and from four to five feet in height. 
 
 " We started in good style, B , Me , 
 
 M , and W , slightly in advance. At No. 1, 
 
 Me 's horse jumped too soon, struck the hurdle, 
 
 and away they went, heels over head, Me con- 
 siderably bruised. T 's horse refused, and bolt- 
 ed for the camp of the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry. 
 Fred was obliged to haul to one side, to prevent strik- 
 ing Me , and he lost quite a lot of ground by 
 
 it. W now made the running, followed closely 
 
 by M , B , and D . B 's horse re- 
 fused at the second leap, causing some little delay 
 
84 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 to D , who was right after him. As we neared 
 
 the third, and by far the stiffest jump, W 
 
 opened the gap between himself and M , who 
 
 was next, and cleared it beautifully. D fol- 
 lowed M , and my horse took it at a flying leap, 
 
 which must have measured twenty-one feet. Fred 
 now closed up and passed me at No. 4, going like 
 
 the wind. W gradually gained, up to the third 
 
 guidon, and was twenty yards ahead of M , 
 
 who was next. All this time my horse was hard 
 held, but as we neared the third guidon, I gave the 
 
 powerful fellow his head, and swept past D , 
 
 M , and then Fred, in less time than it takes 
 
 to tell it. I was fast gaining on W , when he 
 
 skipped one of the guidons, giving himself about a 
 hundred yards. As we swung around the fourth 
 guidon, my horse rushed for the Massachusetts 
 camp, and I worried him considerably in regaining 
 the track. In getting back, I was obliged to take 
 two ditches, which he didn't mind in the least. 
 W 's horse was now failing, and my black keep- 
 ing his original pace, soon brought us near enough 
 to each other to make it exceedingly doubtful who 
 would win. You can scarcely imagine the excite- 
 ment as we came up the home stretch, my horse 
 
 gaining at every stride. W passed the score 
 
 about two lengths ahead, but handsomely admitted 
 that he had not kept the track, and I was declared 
 the winner. Fred was second, M third, D 
 
THE FIRST WINTER IN THE FIELD. 85 
 
 nowhere. Me goes home this morning badly 
 
 hurt." 
 
 " December 29th. We leave camp to-morrow 
 morning, to be gone four days on a scout or picket 
 duty." 
 
 " January 2d, 1863. We have just halted in the 
 woods for the night, and the General has sent for 
 some forage and ' McClellan pies,' preparatory to 
 going somewhere ; and goodness knows, we hope to 
 do something to bring cavalry out of the sort of 
 disgrace into which it has fallen, owing more to 
 somebody in Washington pretending to tell us at 
 what corner of the street we shall find the enemy, 
 than to inactivity on our part. The fact is, we are 
 worked to death and nobody knows it, because 
 they never let us do anything for which cavalry 
 was intended by the author of this branch of the 
 service. The c Happy New Year' found us on picket 
 on the New Ball's Road, after having charged 
 through Warrenton in good style. Four or five 
 hurt." 
 
 This is his only mention of the charge through 
 Warrenton, a spirited, though bloodless affair. A 
 band of picked men, to the number of a thousand, 
 had been detailed to make a raid through the 
 neighborhood of Richmond. It was commanded 
 by General Averell, and Newhall was one of the 
 captains. A couple of days after leaving camp 
 they reached Warrenton, where they saw a body of 
 
86 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 Confederates, drawn up in the main street of the 
 town. Stuart was known to be close at hand, and 
 our troops supposing that they were at last to test 
 whether they or these bold rebels were the better 
 men, immediately formed and charged, Newhall 
 being one of the foremost of the column. The 
 enemy immediately broke and scattered, and our 
 soldiers dashed on at full speed up the long street, 
 expecting at every instant to encounter a stronger 
 force. But there were no more Southerners to be 
 seen, and the cavalry rode back again, to report 
 that the coast was clear. Stuart had been there 
 with his whole command, and had withdrawn not 
 two hours before. The party whom our men saw 
 was only the rear-guard. The charge was none the 
 less gallant because their opponents turned out to 
 be "nine men in buckram," as at the onset they 
 fancied nothing less than Stuart's entire force 
 awaiting them. This was the whole fruit of their 
 expedition, as at that very juncture they were re- 
 called by an order from Washington, and forced to 
 return to camp, chafing under the restraint and dis- 
 appointment. 
 
 " January 3d. Not off yet, you see. We hear 
 somebody is preparing a campaign for us. Splen- 
 did, isn't it?" 
 
 " January 7th. Harry is now acting on General 
 Averell's staff. I left him in command at Hart- 
 wood Church. I have just come into camp, to ex- 
 
THE FIRST WINTER IN THE FIELD. 87 
 
 amine muster-rolls and accounts. The General is 
 here, awaiting orders. We are having splendid 
 weather, very warm and clear for the season. The 
 army is under twelve hours' notice ; what that means 
 nobody knows except, perhaps, the rebels. Win- 
 ter quarters is the talk, but our Western armies 
 don't appear to take part in the conversation." 
 
 " January 18th. We haven't moved yet, owing to 
 the fine state of the weather and roads." 
 
 " January 22d. In camp, andnearly drowned out. 
 The army moved toward Hartwood Church day 
 before yesterday, but is kept on this side the river 
 by the mud and rain. Harry has gone with a 
 hundred and fifty men of our regiment, carrying 
 ' McClellan pies' and other eatables, to Hooker's 
 men, as the wagons can't get along at all." 
 
 " January 26th. Cavalry leaves this morning." 
 
 "January 30th. No it didn't." 
 
 " February 2d. Leaving camp for a turn of picket 
 duty." 
 
 " February 7th. Returned to camp. Our bri- 
 gade destroyed the railroad bridge over the Rappa- 
 hannock, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, 
 three days ago ; a splendid affair, the rebels very 
 mad about it ; five of our men wounded. I was 
 on picket, and didn't participate." 
 
 "February 20th. Picket for three days." 
 
 "February 27th. Have just returned from the 
 
88 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 river. Have been in the saddle since 4 A. M., and 
 it is now 10 J P. M." 
 
 u March 7th. Harry and I have just come off 
 duty from the neighborhood of Hartwood Church. 
 Our boys had a smart skirmish there the other day, 
 and we went out to see what the matter was. On 
 receipt of the news at camp, we were ordered after 
 the rebels, followed them up to Kelly's Ford, 
 where they crossed, and we came back to camp. 
 On the 4th, I went off again on picket. While 
 there I received a flag of truce from General Lee. 
 The captain of his staff was a fine fellow, and we 
 passed a pleasant evening in awaiting General 
 Hooker's reply. He showed me a letter from his 
 wife, who held her baby's hand to write a post- 
 script." 
 
 " March llth. From the preparations at head- 
 quarters, it is evident that a move of the cavalry 
 is in contemplation." 
 
 " March 13th. Colonel Mclntosh has made Har- 
 ry adjutant of our regiment. I have been detach- 
 ed for special duty, the nature of which I know 
 nothing about as yet." 
 
 This record of Newhall's first winter in active 
 service shows how constantly part of our cavalry 
 was employed and exposed, although fighting no 
 battles and gaining no fame. They did hard work 
 and good service, and the officers were sometimes 
 captured, and the men shot, while on scouts and 
 
THE RAIDS. 89 
 
 picket, or in the frequent skirmishes. But the 
 winter was now over, and in spite of the wet 
 spring, and roads like morasses, a general move- 
 ment was on foot. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE RAIDS. 
 
 " Boot, saddle, to horse and away!" 
 
 " St. George ! a stirring life they lead, 
 That have such neighbors near." 
 
 MARCH was cold, windy, and wet, and after the 
 mild winter, " the spring came slowly up this way." 
 There had been nothing more serious than skir- 
 mishes along the lines of the Army of the Potomac 
 for some months ; in one of these, however, some 
 Confederate officers had fallen, and General Fitz- 
 Hugh Lee sent for their bodies under a flag of truce. 
 A story went the rounds of the newspapers, that 
 the Southern officers who brought the flag, in re- 
 turning, left a letter with the pickets from Lee to 
 Averell, who had been his classmate at West Point, 
 containing a friendly challenge, to come over the 
 river and ride a race with him. Whether this be 
 true or not, General Averell and his brigade made 
 a sudden raid in the direction of Culpeper, crossed 
 7 
 
90 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 the Rappahannock at Kelly's Ford, in the face of 
 the enemy's fire, had a hard fight for several hours 
 with the rebels under Generals Stuart and Fitz-Hugh 
 Lee, beat, drove, and scattered them thoroughly, 
 and returned to the northern bank of the river, 
 triumphant. This was the first real cavalry fight 
 of the war, and our complete success was a great 
 satisfaction to all, and a great surprise to many. 
 Ever since the beginning of the war, the superiority 
 of the Southern horse had been arrogantly claimed 
 by themselves, and unwillingly admitted by some of 
 us, ours never being allowed a fair chance of distinc- 
 tion. There had been little use for them among 
 the woods and swamps of the Peninsula, and yet 
 they had done themselves credit at Hanover Court- 
 house, (not to go back to Springfield,) while the 
 destruction of the Oglethorpe Light Horse proved 
 at least, that the " chivalry" were not invulnerable. 
 However, their reputation was maintained by their 
 own boasts, another proof of a truth which has 
 been enunciated in many forms, that any fiction 
 can command credence for a time, if asserted often 
 and stoutly enough. Now, at last, the two met in 
 fair field, and the false halo which had surrounded 
 the names of Fitz-Hugh Lee and Stuart, vanished 
 at once and forever. The Southerners had for 
 some time given up their once favorite taunt of 
 Northern cowardice, or it would have been thrown 
 in their teeth again that day by the dash of the 
 
THE RAIDS. 91 
 
 whole brigade, and countless acts of individual 
 daring. Many men who were wounded continued 
 in the fight until it was over. A Major of the First 
 Rhode Island Cavalry was struck in the neck by 
 a ball at the outset, but stanched the wound with 
 his handkerchief, and remained at the head of his 
 command until the end. 
 
 The news of this engagement took the North 
 probably as much by surprise as it did the South. 
 The first intimation that many had of the fight, 
 were telegrams announcing the wounds, death, 
 capture or safety of a son or brother. It was thus 
 that the tidings came to Newhall's family : " Charley 
 Treichel slightly wounded; Harry and I, all right." 
 The next day the newspapers were full of the action, 
 and Newhall was particularly mentioned among 
 those who had distinguished themselves. A letter 
 soon came from him, giving a full account of the 
 battle. 
 
 "Potomac Run, March 18th. I reported for 
 special duty as directed, and was ordered to take 
 fifty picked men, and proceed to the house of Mr. 
 
 , ten miles beyond our pickets, understood 
 
 to be a rendezvous for spies, bushwhackers, &c., 
 and be there at 10 p. M. on Sunday. The night 
 was fearfully dark, but I arrived at the house 
 at 9J p. M., and surrounded it ; the family had 
 gone to bed ; found no suspicious parties, and re- 
 
92 WALTER S. NEWH ALL. 
 
 turned to camp safely at 4 A. M. on Monday. At 
 8 o'clock we started on our little raid. Our passage 
 at the ford was disputed. There were several men 
 killed and one wounded, while forcing it. Major 
 Chamberlain, chief of General Averell's staff, was 
 shot twice in the face before a crossing was effected, 
 when he sent back word to General Averell that 
 he had carried out his instructions to the very let- 
 ter. He was picked up more dead than alive, and 
 carried to camp. His wounds are very bad, but he 
 still lives. The crossing was admirably managed. 
 We didn't become generally engaged until the whole 
 force was on the other side of the river. We were 
 massed just above the ford, when the skirmishers 
 commenced popping away at the advancing enemy. 
 We were rapidly deployed into line, and the whole 
 force ordered to advance, which we did in fine 
 style. About midway in. a narrow strip of woods, 
 the rebels became belligerent and drove in our 
 skirmishers rapidly on the reserves, following up 
 with a charge. The guns were unlimbered in 
 an instant, and the first volley changed the aspect 
 of affairs, and gave us a chance to push beyond the 
 woods, where we formed in column of echelon, ready 
 for the charge. The ground was everything that 
 could be wished. On the other side of a wide plain 
 the rebels were drawn up. The artillery opened 
 upon them, when a large body advanced at a sharp 
 
THERAIDS. 93 
 
 trot, evidently about to charge the guns. The move- 
 ment was anticipated, and the First Rhode Island, 
 and Fourth Pennsylvania, were ordered against 
 them. It was a magnificent spectacle. So it struck 
 the rebels, who halted a moment to look, before the 
 shock should mix things. To their minds the lessen- 
 ing distance didn't appear to suggest any change 
 for the better, so they unanimously adopted the 
 wise but ignominious resolution to clear out ! This 
 party was headed by the immortal Stuart and 
 Fitz-Hugh Lee ; but in spite of this, away they 
 went, closely followed, for almost half a mile, by 
 the men under Colonel Duffie, a portion of whose 
 command pierced the rebel line, but being unsup- 
 ported, the brave fellows were lost. The Secesh 
 tried twice more in this neighborhood, but with 
 worse success than at first, becoming more easily 
 and worse demoralized each time. Again their whole 
 line was ordered forward, and again they tried for 
 the guns, but we had it all our own way with them. 
 At last they charged down in three columns. We 
 held our carbine-fire till we could almost see the 
 whites of their eyes, and away they went and we 
 after them. This rout was well covered by their 
 artillery, however, which now opened upon us vi- 
 gorously. My squadron, which became the head 
 of the column, marching across their fire, seemed 
 suddenly to become an object of great ill feeling : 
 scarcely a man but had dirt thrown over him. Some 
 
94 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 were wonderfully fortunate in their escape. Several 
 horses were shot, but not a man hurt. About this 
 time Major White's horse was killed, also Charley 
 Treichel's. Charley had his leg a little in the way, 
 but very fortunately escaped with only a flesh 
 wound. Our ammunition being nearly spent, we 
 recrossed the river and passed the night at Mor- 
 risville. We lost six officers killed and wounded, 
 and twenty-three men ; thirty more were captured. 
 Rebel loss still greater. Harry acted as adjutant 
 of our regiment during the engagement, which 
 lasted from sunrise till about dark, and though I 
 say it, &c., Harry did his whole duty handsomely. 
 We are both well and in good spirits, and more 
 than ever sure that in a fair field the rebel cavalry 
 can't stand ours." 
 
 At the same time General Averell wrote to a 
 friend in Philadelphia : " The old Third Pennsyl- 
 vania behaved like the best of regulars, and your 
 boys," (Treichel and the Newhalls,) "distinguished 
 themselves. I thought they would get hurt several 
 times, but am thankful they escaped with a few 
 bruises." 
 
 A day or two afterwards Newhall came home, 
 with his friend Captain Treichel, but returned to 
 camp at the end df a week, to work off his riotous 
 living, as he said. On his arrival, he writes, 
 
 " Colonel came down to Washington in the 
 
 cars with me, and I was surprised to hear him 
 
THE RAIDS. 95 
 
 ppeak so highly of our little affair over the river. He 
 said : ' If the object of the reconnoissance was 
 merely to prove the superiority of our officers and 
 men, it was eminently successful, and he was glad 
 that everybody saw it in the light of a splendid 
 cavalry fight, resulting so entirely in our favor.' 
 As nearly as I can remember, these are his exact 
 words. An anticipated attack on our pickets, to- 
 day, did not take place. We were all saddled up 
 when I arrived, and as I came up the hill, the 
 satisfaction of Being just in time was very great." 
 
 " April 6th. The grand review came off to-day. 
 Everybody and everybody's staff participated." 
 
 " April llth. We recovered from a slight attack 
 of picket duty yesterday. We move again day after 
 to-morrow, at 5J A. M." 
 
 " Bealeton, Orange and Alexandria Railroad, 
 April 18th. We withdrew from the banks of the 
 river this morning to the music of the enemy's 
 guns, if you can call it so. 
 
 ' Music, says Halleck, is everywhere ; 
 
 Harmony guides the whole creation ; 
 But when a bullet sings in the air, 
 So close to your head that it touches your hair, 
 To enjoy it requires a taste quite rare, 
 With a certain amount of cultivation.' 
 
 
 And what is true of a bullet is equally so with 
 shell or solid shot, perhaps a little more so. The 
 old story, however, holds good: 'Nobody hurt.' 
 
96 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 The rain has at least postponed the crossing of the 
 river, but if we ever get hold of Stuart, Treason 
 on horseback will be severely dealt with. The in- 
 closed offer from General Rosecrans's Acting Adju- 
 tant-General is very flattering, but I cannot accept 
 it. The Third Pennsylvania is good enough. The 
 4 opportunities for distinction' will have to be turned 
 over to some one more ambitious." 
 
 This offer was a majority in a Western cavalry 
 regiment, but his esprit de corps made him prefer 
 to wait for promotion in his own. 
 
 " Fred may have written to you what I have been 
 about lately, and what was expected of me. If so, 
 you have the secret satisfaction of knowing that I 
 was very highly complimented by General Averell, 
 and you will be good enough to keep the matter 
 
 among yourselves, that the feelings of the th 
 
 may not be hurt, or their reputation injured. Please 
 be very careful on this point." 
 
 The cavalry was now in constant motion, as 
 General Stoneman was watching his opportunity 
 to cross the river, which, in common with all the 
 streams in this part of the country, was prodi- 
 giously swollen by the spring rains. Several at- 
 tempts were made, but the time had not yet come. 
 Newhall was actiag on General AverelFs staff, and 
 was chosen to lead a dismounted party across the 
 Rappahannock, at Beverly Ford, to carry the 
 enemy's rifle-pits upon the opposite side. He 
 
THERAIDS. 97 
 
 looked forward to this with great enthusiasm, and 
 having carefully studied the position, made all his 
 plans for the attack ; but the scheme was abandoned, 
 and the river crossed at another point. Shortly 
 
 afterwards he was put in command of the th, 
 
 a new regiment, whose colonel was thought not 
 quite equal to such an occasion yet. Newhall led 
 them all through the brisk work that followed, and 
 the example of such daring and discipline as his, 
 must have had a lasting effect on raw troops. One 
 night they had bivouacked in an open space on the 
 bank of a small stream, an officer having been sent 
 to picket the opposite side, where there were heavy 
 woods. The pickets were not properly posted, and 
 in the middle of the night a party of the enemy's 
 infantry fired upon our men from across the stream. 
 
 It was a complete surprise, and the th, wearied 
 
 out with a succession of forced marches, and startled 
 from their sleep to find themselves under fire, were 
 seized with a panic. The terrified horses broke 
 loose and galloped madly to and fro, the saddles 
 and arms were lost, and the whole regiment was in 
 the direst confusion, the men running from the 
 bullets, which were rained upon them by the invisi- 
 ble enemy. The Third Pennsylvania, however, on 
 the first alarm, seized their carbines, and rallied 
 round their officers, and in a short time were at 
 the water's edge returning the fire. Newhall had 
 started up at the first volley, and seeing the men 
 
98 WALTER S. NEWH ALL. 
 
 of his command flying, posted himself directly in 
 their path, shouting, " Take your arms and follow 
 the Third !" and felling every man that attempted to 
 pass. The others, suddenly brought to a stand, 
 seeing this threatening figure in their way, and 
 their comrades on the ground at his feet, rallied 
 for a moment, and hearing the simple order, " Fol- 
 low the Third !" again shouted in a commanding and 
 cheerful voice, began to pluck up their spirits, fell 
 into order, followed the Third to the bank, and aided 
 them in driving the rebels away. A number of the 
 latter were killed, while, strangely enough, not one 
 of ours was fatally hurt. This is the circumstance 
 to which Newhall refers in the preceding letter. 
 He mentions none of these particulars, but they 
 became known some time afterwards through Ge- 
 neral Averell, who was on the spot, and told the 
 story in Washington, as an illustration of his young 
 aid's coolness, and " two o'clock in the morning 
 courage." 
 
 All this time, General Stoneman's raid, the most 
 successful and brilliant that has been made on 
 either side, was in full progress. Buford, Ave- 
 rell, Gregg, and Kilpatrick, w r ere streaming like 
 meteors across the enemy's country, in various 
 directions, destroying bridges and railroads, burn- 
 ing the Confederate commissary stores, capturing 
 the Richmond Home-guard, (including the mayor 
 and corporation,) who had innocently come out to 
 
THERAIDS. 99 
 
 see if anything was the matter, and entirely cut- 
 ting off all communication between General Lee's 
 army and his base. Meanwhile Fredericksburg 
 was stormed for the second time, and taken. But 
 alas ! in that very hour our army was beaten and 
 driven back across the river, shot and slain by 
 thousands in their retreat, while the news echoed 
 like a wail through the country, and every city of 
 the North was like Toledo after the battle of Xeres, 
 or Edinburgh after Flodden. There was little 
 time for writing during these breathless days, but 
 Newhall managed to send a couple of notes home 
 while on the raid. In one of these he says, " We 
 tried to burn the bridge near Rapid Ann Station, on 
 the Alexandria and Orange Railroad. The rebels 
 were kind enough to do it for us, after fighting all 
 day. To horse !" 
 
 The cavalry returned to their old quarters, to 
 learn the disaster of Chancellorville, and the loss 
 of Fredericksburg. The whole object of the raid 
 had been to secure the fruits of victory, and this 
 defeat made it all sheer waste of time and vital 
 force. Newhall utters no complaint, makes no 
 moan over the total failure of their best endeavor. 
 There is not a single comment in one of his letters 
 on the calamity, although those who knew him 
 know what his emotions must have been, and those 
 who have read his story thus far, may guess. But 
 he never wrote or spoke of his sentiments and feel- 
 
100 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 ings. The entire absence of allusion to himself in 
 the whole course of his correspondence, is a re- 
 markable illustration of his extreme reticence. 
 
 " Camp near Potomac Creek, May 7th. Here 
 we are, back in our old camping ground, all well. 
 Arrived last night. We have good news this after- 
 noon. General Stoneman has cut the railroad and 
 telegraph communication between Richmond and 
 the rebels, and the army is ordered to be ready to 
 move at a moment's notice." 
 
 " May 9th. Fred has arrived at headquarters 
 with despatches from General Stoneman." 
 
 " May 14th. We all feel blue about Stoneman's 
 treatment and Averell being relieved, but hope it 
 will turn out right in the end." 
 
 " May 22d. We had a little cricket in camp yes- 
 terday. Of course. I worked too hard, and am sick 
 after it, but will be well to-morrow, and take it 
 more soberly next time." 
 
 " May 24th. We change camp to Warrenton, to- 
 morrow. Not another raid." 
 
 " Camp Reserve Picket, near Hartwood Church, 
 May 28th. Our being here is the result of unsuc- 
 cessful strategy on the part of . We marched 
 
 to Bealeton, reported to General Gregg, and were 
 on the march back before daylight the next morn- 
 ing." 
 
 General Averell was relieved, and shortly after- 
 wards sent to Western Virginia, to take charge of 
 
THE RAIDS. 101 
 
 a brigade of cavalry and a large force of infantry 
 and artillery. On taking leave of his old command, 
 he wrote the following letter to an influential 
 friend : 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR : In the Third Pennsylvania Ca- 
 valry, which was recently in my command, there are 
 several meritorious young officers, who from their 
 superior qualifications and experience deserve pro- 
 motion. Among the most prominent, for whom 1 
 have the honor to request your favorable considera- 
 tion and influence, is Captain W. S. ]N~ewhall, who, 
 from his high character, bearing, and eminent 
 ability, his energy, gallantry, and excellent judg- 
 ment, has won the respect, esteem, and confidence 
 of all about him, superiors and subordinates. In 
 my opinion, he is well fitted to command a regiment 
 of cavalry, whether old or new ; and I ask, that if 
 you should have an opportunity to do so, you will 
 recommend him for the appointment of colonel. 
 
 " I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient 
 servant, 
 
 " W. W. AVERELL, 
 
 "B. G. Vols." 
 
 Colonel J. B. Mclntosh succeeded to the com- 
 mand of the brigade, and shortly afterwards he 
 also wrote to recommend Newhall for a colonelcy, 
 speaking in equally high terms of his character 
 and qualifications. 
 
102 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 HOME INVADED. 
 
 " Up and rouse ye ! time is fleeting, 
 
 And we yet have much to do. 
 Up and haste ye through the city, 
 
 Stir the burghers stout and true ; 
 Gather all our scattered people, 
 
 Fling the banner out once more." 
 
 " And there was mounting in hot haste ; the steed. 
 
 The mustering squadron, and the clattering car, 
 Went pouring forward with impetuous speed, 
 
 And swiftly forming in the ranks of war ; 
 And the deep thunder, peal on peal, afar 
 
 And near, the beat of the alarming drum, 
 Roused up the soldier ere the morning star ; 
 
 While thronged the citizens, with terror dumb, 
 
 Or whispering with white lips, ' The foe, they come, 
 they come !' " 
 
 '' Rebellion in this land shall lose his sway, 
 Meeting the check of such another day." 
 
 THE second battle of Fredericksburg threw a 
 heavy gloom over the public mind ; even the most 
 sanguine rallied slowly from such a shock. With 
 June, the alarms of the autumn began to revive. 
 The Southern army was in constant motion, and 
 actions of more or less importance were taking 
 place daily. There were some sharp fights, like 
 Beverly Ford, Brandy Station, Aldie, and Upper- 
 
HOME INVADED. 103 
 
 ville ; but none of these were general engagements, 
 and a general movement was evidently on foot. 
 Many thought that Washington was threatened, 
 others that the attempt on Baltimore was to be 
 renewed, while not a few had their fears for our 
 cwn borders. The cavalry lived in the saddle that 
 month, and all the fighting was done by them. 
 
 " Camp near Licking Creek, June 5th. The rebel 
 cavalry crossed the river yesterday, at or near 
 Sulphur Springs, driving the First Massachusetts to 
 the neighborhood of our camp. Of course we passed 
 the next night in search of the enemy. Returned 
 to camp yesterday morning shortly after daylight, 
 having seen nothing. To-day we are under march- 
 ing orders for to-morrow morning." 
 
 " June 7th. We returned to camp last night at 
 one o'clock, after a raid to Jefferson, Amissville, 
 &c., crossing Hedgman and Hazel Rivers. The 
 rebels were employed elsewhere, so we didn't have 
 a general engagement ; but my squadron was de- 
 tached to cover the right flank of the column, and 
 in the neighborhood of Waterloo, we managed to 
 scare up a scouting party of about thirty men. We 
 lost one horse killed, and captured one man, horse, 
 &c. Nobody hurt." 
 
 " June 12th. This is the first opportunity for 
 writing since we recrossed the Rappahannock, since 
 the fight. (Beverly Ford.) We have been picket- 
 ing the river near Sulphur Springs. Returned to 
 
104 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 camp yesterday afternoon. Fred must give you 
 an account of the grand cavalry battle, as his 
 position for actual observation was the best ; we of 
 the left wing know little of the general engage- 
 ment. After crossing at Kelly's Ford, we took 
 the Stevensburg Road, and met the enemy advanc- 
 ing, about a mile from the river. We skirmished for 
 an hour before we got fairly to work. 
 
 " The fight opened by the rebels, who charged the 
 First Massachusetts Cavalry down a hollow road. 
 They came to the conclusion that they ' had the 
 wrong chicken by the tail feathers,' and very short- 
 ly changed base, with a loss of twenty-five killed 
 and wounded, and a loss of sixty-four prisoners. 
 The attempt to cut the line was twice made with- 
 out success. We drove them about two miles and 
 a half, and had just put our guns in position and 
 opened on the enemy, when we were ordered to fall 
 back to the support of General Gregg, who was 
 being badly beaten. We came up just in time to 
 save the Third Division, pushed through the rebel 
 right, and joined the Regulars, &c., at Beverly 
 Ford, just as our cavalry was recrossing the river. 
 Our division passed along the line to Rappahannock 
 Station, the rebels following very slowly. We lost 
 only about twenty-five killed and wounded, and no 
 missing except the reporter ; captured over sixty 
 prisoners, saved Gregg, and are not so much as 
 mentioned in the papers, because our correspondent 
 
HOME INVADED. 105 
 
 undertook to get to the rear during an important 
 movement, an account of which he ' was anxious to 
 furnish by the day's mail.' The Third supported the 
 battery, and brought up the rear when retiring." 
 
 Of course, it was known by telegraph that there 
 was hot work again on the Rappahannock, and all 
 who had friends in the cavalry were in a fever of 
 anxiety, while the Associated Press was vainly 
 asking, " Ubi est ille reporter T* In a day or two 
 more there were full accounts, and private letters 
 came, with words of cheer for some and words of 
 doom for others, but the good news for all, that the 
 enemy was worsted, and our men had done bravely 
 and well. 
 
 Meanwhile, the enemy's main body was advanc- 
 ing steadily, and terror was spreading through the 
 Cumberland Valley. Day by day the rumor and 
 the dismay increased ; reports of every sort were 
 rife, the most inconsistent and the most incredible. 
 The morning's story would be that the enemy had 
 crossed the border, by afternoon he had taken 
 Chambersburg, by night he was in sight of Harris- 
 burg, moving with a speed that outstripped that 
 of rumor itself. The next morning would reas- 
 sure the community that he was still in Maryland. 
 The trouble was to know where the rebels really 
 were, and in what force, no such difficult thing, one 
 would imagine, when it was a question of the where- 
 abouts of an army of one hundred thousand men, 
 
106 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 not eighty miles from our State capital, but never- 
 theless seemingly impossible. But the alarm swelled 
 like the voice of the waves at flood-tide ; each day 
 it rose and fell, but each day the sound was louder 
 and the dying echoes were less distant. Some be- 
 lieved that this was only another raid, to reap the 
 harvests from the rich valleys and uplands of Penn- 
 sylvania, others already saw Lee and his army in 
 possession of Philadelphia. But every twenty-four 
 hours added numbers to the ranks of the timid, and 
 strength to the souls of the brave. By midsum- 
 mer the consternation was general, and the convic- 
 tion that Lee was threatening Philadelphia was 
 gaining converts. The effect was very different 
 from that of any former panic ; indeed, there was 
 no panic. The banks sent their specie to New 
 York, a few people buried their plate, a few others 
 fled across the Delaware. But the only class with 
 whom the terror was universal, were the poor ne- 
 groes, not the contrabands alone, but the free 
 blacks, born and brought up on Northern soil, who, 
 on a sudden, saw slavery yawning to devour them. 
 A large portion of the community never believed 
 that Lee would venture so far into a hostile coun- 
 try ; the majority cheerfully prepared to meet him. 
 There were those, too, who were sunk in disap- 
 pointment and despondency, looking beyond the 
 mere momentary danger to the eternal fact, that, 
 after the millions of money and hosts of men which 
 
HOME INVADED. 107 
 
 Pennsylvania had given to carry on the war, the 
 flood of rebellion was for the third time threatening 
 to overwhelm her peaceful fields, while there hardly 
 remained young men in her towns to fight for the 
 women and children. For the third time the bells 
 clanged from morn till night, to call the people to 
 arms ; for the third time the militia companies, 
 which now only included those whom paramount 
 duty had kept at home, went forth to face the foe ; 
 for the third time the recruiting sergeant's drum 
 was heard along the streets, from daybreak till 
 midnight, while old men and boys, veterans of the 
 war of 1812 and college lads in their second term, 
 fell into the ranks as he passed. There was none 
 of the rush and enthusiasm in enlisting of the 
 early days, after Fort Sumter and Bull Run, but 
 things were done in Philadelphia such as had not 
 been seen since earlier days yet, the days of '76. 
 Two hundred of the clergy went in a body, and 
 offered themselves to the mayor, to work in the 
 trenches and fortifications. An eminent Presbyte- 
 rian divine, no longer young, marched through the 
 streets with a drummer beside him, until he had 
 collected a hundred recruits. New York and New 
 Jersey regiments, some of whom had but just come 
 home, after two years' service, to be paid off and 
 return to their families, hastened to the rescue, 
 with a noble generosity and forgetfulness of State 
 feeling, which will be ever gratefully remembered 
 
108 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 by those whom they came to help. At Harrisburg, 
 which was in the utmost danger, there was confu- 
 sion worse confounded ; the troops arriving hourly, 
 the inhabitants of the neighboring villages and 
 the denizens of the scattered farm-houses crowd- 
 ing in by hundreds, until there was neither food 
 nor shelter to be had ; the frightened townsfolk of 
 Columbia burning their beloved bridge over the 
 Susquehanna ; while State and Federal authorities 
 were at odds about the terms on which the volun- 
 teers were to be accepted. In the midst of all this 
 came the news that the General in command of the 
 Army of the Potomac had resigned ! Who could 
 hope that he who snatched the reins from the hand 
 of the falling charioteer could guide the car into 
 the track again, and bring it victorious to the 
 goal? It was said, indeed, that the whole army 
 was pressing forward by forced marches, but the 
 enemy was at our very doors, and we watched in 
 awful suspense to see if help would come in time, 
 or the ranks of our militia, with all who were too 
 old, too young, or too feeble to go to the war, would 
 meet the shock of Lee's grim soldiery, and be 
 shivered to atoms. 
 
 Newhall at this time was Acting Assistant Ad- 
 jutant-General of the First Brigade, Second Di- 
 vision. 
 
 " Camp near Aldie, June 26th. We see by the 
 papers that Germantown is ' reassuring the army' 
 
HOME INVADED. 109 
 
 again ; that's right. We have had hard work and 
 sleepless nights lately enough to need recruiting. 
 For two weeks I have been quite under the weather, 
 but my constitution has pulled me through. The 
 cavalry begins to hold up its head a little, and the 
 infantry men who witnessed the late skirmishes, 
 treat us with as much respect as they have at com- 
 mand for anybody. We see by the papers that 
 the First City Troop have been taking some priso- 
 ners without loss ; if Gilbert," (his eldest brother,) 
 "had a hand in it, please send us his account of 
 the affair." 
 
 " Ridgeville, Maryland, June 29th. We crossed 
 the Potomac three days ago ; since then have been 
 marching night and day, Stuart flying about in all 
 directions. You had better write to the City Troop 
 boys to sleep with one eye open." 
 
 This was the last news, until word came that 
 General Meade had engaged the Southern army, 
 and Newhall's parents knew that he and his two 
 brothers were fighting for life and death at Gettys- 
 burg, while three others who had gone out with 
 the militia were in hourly peril of annihilation. 
 The tremendous battle raged for three long sum- 
 mer days, days that seemed as if they would never 
 end, while the sun blazed down from a cloudless 
 sky upon the bloody earth. With the third night 
 came the news of victory, a glorious victory, and 
 the morrow, which was the Fourth, was celebrated 
 
110 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 as a high and solemn festival, long to be remem- 
 bered by the whole nation. But one twelve-month 
 before, we had kept that day in dust and ashes, 
 awful tidings coming in hourly from the broken 
 army in the Peninsula ; but one day before it had 
 seemed that all the misery and despair of the pre- 
 vious year would be light to the destruction that 
 was coming swiftly upon us. And now the whole 
 land was lifting its voice to sing, " Thy right hand, 
 Lord, is become glorious in power ! Thy right 
 hand, Lord, hath dashed to pieces the enemy." 
 
 The undertone of lamentation which must for- 
 ever mingle with such rejoicings was lost in the 
 universal paean of that day, but the light of many a 
 heart had been quenched forever, and even where 
 the angel of death had forborne to strike home, he 
 had left ghastly reminders of his presence and 
 power. While Newhall's parents were still un- 
 certain what had been the fate of their six sons, 
 the following telegram was received : " Baltimore, 
 July 6th. Am slightly wounded. Leave at 10 
 o'clock for home. W. S. N." And a few hours 
 later Walter arrived, severely wounded, and weak 
 from the loss of blood. 
 
 On the first day of the battle he had not joined 
 in the fight. On the second he had been actively 
 engaged in Supporting batteries. On the third he 
 was employed in the various duties of a staff 
 officer, when a heavy body of cavalry made a 
 
HOME INVADED. Ill 
 
 violent attack on General Gregg's position on the 
 right wing, endeavoring to turn that flank, with 
 the hope of creating confusion in our rear, and of 
 damaging our trains and communications. It was 
 vital to repel this onset, and our troops made a 
 stubborn resistance. But the enemy advanced 
 rapidly, and some important guns were in mo- 
 mentary danger of being taken. Newhall was 
 sent to order a portion of the Third Pennsylvania 
 Cavalry to their support. On reaching his regi- 
 ment he found that so many men had been forced 
 to fight on foot and in the woods, that but three 
 officers and sixteen men, a fragment of his friend 
 Captain Treichel's squadron, were mounted, and 
 ready to move on the instant. Not a second was 
 to be lost. He briefly explained his orders to this 
 small party, and hurried them on to the attack. 
 Being on the staff, it was no part of his duty to do 
 more than deliver the order, but to do less than 
 share the danger was not in his nature. They 
 were hidden from sight in a little valley, whence 
 they gradually rose to the top of a hill, not fifty 
 yards from which a regiment of the enemy was in 
 full career against a portion of our line, just then 
 in confusion. The little band instantly charged 
 this vastly superior force, breaking through the 
 flank, and creating a diversion just at the decisive 
 moment. Out of what had been^ disorder, a steady 
 line of our men now advanced, and the golden op- 
 
112 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 portunity of the rebels was lost. Only a score of 
 the Third had ridden down upon the enemy, and 
 but six of these noble few escaped unhurt. New- 
 hall had made straight for the battle-flag, and rais- 
 ing his sabre charged like a thunderbolt upon the 
 color-bearer, but the latter suddenly lowered the 
 spear-head of the banner, and struck his antagonist 
 full on the chin with terrible force, shattering his 
 jaw, tearing his cheek to pieces, and knocking him 
 senseless from his horse. When he recovered his 
 consciousness, he found himself lying between the 
 two lines, a shell occasionally bursting near him. 
 His wound was bleeding profusely, his arms were 
 gone, and he had been evidently left for dead. He 
 found, however, that he had strength enough to 
 walk, and hastened towards our lines. Coming in 
 at a point where there was some slight confusion 
 under a very hot fire, he rallied the men, who were 
 becoming unsteady, and then made the best of his 
 way to the rear to find a surgeon. There he was 
 joined by his friend Charles Treichel, who, since 
 they had ridden into the fray together, in the 
 morning, with all the fire of their first charge at 
 Springfield, had lost a horse, had his arm shatter- 
 ed by a ball, been taken prisoner, and made his 
 escape. Late in the day Newhall's brothers found 
 them both lying in a little farm-house, among their 
 companions in the charge. Walter was exceed- 
 ingly lame and bruised, in consequence of the fall 
 
HOME INVADED. 113 
 
 from his horse, and his wound was so stiff and 
 swollen that he had the greatest difficulty in articu- 
 lating, but he was in high spirits over the victory. 
 In a day or two he was well enough to be moved, 
 and was sent home. 
 
 His strength soon began to return, and his 
 wound slowly healed. He had a happy summer 
 among the favorite haunts of his childhood and 
 youth, in the midst of his family and the old 
 friends who thronged about him, showering kind- 
 ness and attention upon him in every form. ~No one 
 who saw him then can ever forget him, with his 
 athletic form, his pale, indomitable face and its 
 ennobling scar, his earnest eyes, his grace, his 
 modesty, and his singular reserve, which gave a 
 peculiar interest to one so young and so gallant. 
 He was as full of spirits as ever at home, but he 
 had an inveterate dislike to meeting strangers, and 
 though courteous, he was always extremely silent 
 with them. Those two months of uninterrupted 
 contentment and companionship, were a blessed 
 boon, and will remain forever a precious memory 
 to those who were ere long to lose him. By the 
 end of August he had not entirely recovered his 
 strength, and was ordered to the sea-shore for a 
 few days. He left home most unwillingly, but 
 came back perfectly restored, and immediately 
 declared his intention of returning to the army. 
 His leave had not yet expired, and he was en- 
 
114 WALTER S.NEWHALL. 
 
 treated to stay at least a week longer, but one day 
 was all that his affection would concede to his 
 sense of duty. He felt that he was needed at 
 camp, and he bade a last farewell to those dear 
 ones, who, though they knew it not, were to see 
 his face no more. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE GUERRILLAS. 
 
 " Oh ! bravely came we off, 
 When, with a volley of our needless shot, 
 After such bloody wit, we bid good-night." 
 
 "A territory, 
 
 Wherein were bandit earls and caitiff knights, 
 Assassins, and all flyers from the hand 
 Of justice, and whateA^er loathes a law." 
 
 THE excessive and unbroken heat of the summer 
 gave way, at last, to the freshness of the fall. 
 There was an unusually cool September, bright and 
 dry, and the two following months were perfectly 
 beautiful. The clear, temperate weather was 
 turned to account by the army, and fierce battles 
 were fought through the golden autumn days, in 
 which our troops were uniformly successful. No- 
 vember brought good news from the West, where 
 our forces had gloriously retrieved the first failure 
 at Chattanooga, and Thanksgiving- day was kept as 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 115 
 
 the Fourth of July had been. About the same 
 time, Jefferson Davis ordered a day of general 
 humiliation and prayer, to be held throughout the 
 rebel states. Disunion comes before us in no 
 sadder form than this. How short a time ago our 
 people offered up their prayers as one, and the 
 whole land fasted or gave thanks together, through 
 all its length and breadth; now, when one-half is 
 shouting a Te Deum, the other answers with a De 
 Profundis ! 
 
 Newhall was still acting as Assistant Adjutant- 
 General, which gave him many new duties, but he 
 found or made time for frequent letters to his 
 family. 
 
 " September 10th. Arrived at Headquarters, 
 Cavalry Corps, half an hour ago. Find Fred first- 
 rate ; shall remain with him to-night, and go up to 
 our headquarters in the morning. Had about as 
 much trouble in getting back to the army as most 
 people have in getting away from it. We are 
 posted about two miles from Warrenton, on the 
 railroad." 
 
 " September llth. Have been eating and sleep- 
 ing ever since I got back to duty, and am sleepy 
 now, very. Shouldn't wonder if I remained in 
 this torpid condition for some time." 
 
 "September 12th. Returned last night from a 
 raid to Middleburgh. It was reported that Mr. 
 Moseby was in that neighborhood, but we had no 
 
116 WALTER S. NEWIIALL. 
 
 luck. I came to the conclusion that hunting guer- 
 rillas with four regiments of cavalry and four pieces 
 of artillery, was very much like shooting mosqui- 
 toes with a rifle, very mashing to the little bird 
 if you hit him. We break up camp this after- 
 noon." 
 
 " Slaughter Mountain, September 15th. After 
 leaving our camp near Warrenton, we crossed the 
 Rappahannock near Sulphur Springs, and en- 
 camped just outside Colonel Gregg's Brigade. At 
 four o'clock A. M. on the 13th, we took the road 
 and forded the Hazel River, the Second Brigade in 
 front. As we approached Culpeper, the enemy 
 disputed the ground a little. Hearing Buford on 
 our left, however, they didn't allow themselves to 
 remain very long in any one place. As we ad- 
 vanced in three columns, the rebels were a little 
 mixed, which General Kilpatrick took advantage of, 
 and ordered up the Michigan Brigade (Ouster's) 
 to charge ; they captured about one hundred priso- 
 ners and three guns. At Culpeper our columns 
 joined. We halted for half an hour, but debouch- 
 ing at the other side of the town, we commenced 
 working our several ways towards the Rapid Ann 
 River, one division towards Rapid Ann Station, Bu- 
 ford on our left, towards Raccoon Ford, and Kil- 
 patrick still further down the river. Our brigade 
 now took the advance, and it wasn't long before 
 we went from skirmishing to battery firing, and 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 117 
 
 then to break-neck charging and regular bull-dog 
 fighting. The brigade worked to a charm, and our 
 battery of four light twelve-pounders did splendid 
 execution. Our first position was a little rough ; 
 nine horses were wounded, and two drivers killed, 
 belonging to one piece, while it was taking position. 
 Just at this moment the First Pennsylvania was 
 reported in want of ammunition, which, as they 
 were skirmishing, was rather bad, but the guns 
 opened with grape and cannister, and the Sixth 
 Ohio on the right of the road, the First Massachu- 
 setts and Third Pennsylvania on the left, and two 
 squadrons of the First Rhode Island in the road, 
 charged and carried the enemy's position with 
 small loss. This was a magnificent sight, and the 
 General could not help saying 'Beautifully done.' 
 We pushed them within a mile of Cedar Mountain, 
 where we encamped for the night. All yesterday 
 we were feeling their position over the Rapid Ann 
 River. This is a second Fredericksburg, only that 
 a much stronger natural defence is found here, in 
 the crescent shape of the hills overlooking the 
 fords. To-day we hold our line in front of the 
 ford. Skirmishing all day, no serious attacks made 
 by either party. To-night, heavier firing ; our 
 loss probably not more than seventy, including one 
 officer wounded. Weather good to-day. Am very 
 well, as was Fred the day before yesterday." 
 This was the battle of Culpeper Court-house. 
 
118 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 I 
 
 " September 16th. Evening. All well. Firing 
 much easier to-day. Enemy don't want to cross 
 our way, it seems. Still think this route imprac- 
 ticable, in spite of General 's fuss with i Fight- 
 ing Joe Hooker' about it." 
 
 "Near Culpeper, September 20th. The night 
 before last, I met Fred, and as it was the first 
 time since we parted at Warrenton, of course we 
 enjoyed ourselves. He would have stopped with 
 me all night ; but as I am living on charity, Fitz 
 Lee having captured my blankets, I couldn't very 
 well accommodate him. It was just as well, how- 
 ever, for the bedding was very wet, and we took 
 steam dry-rubs instead of sleep that night. We 
 had passed the night before in pure, unadulterated 
 misery, on account of the rain, which fell in tor- 
 rents. We posted ourselves, in stooping positions, 
 in the middle of a little fly, and took turns in 
 holding on to the poles, to keep the thing from 
 blowing away. Imagine what a plight ! If you 
 throw a bed-quilt over a clothes-line, and peg the 
 ends down about seven or eight feet apart, you will 
 have a pretty good representation of a fly. Now, 
 then, if you can remember the worst rain-storm 
 you ever saw in your section of the country, and 
 add to it the streams from half a dozen steam fire- 
 engines (I'll throw in our fountain and a shower- 
 bath), pelting their mist horizontally along in 
 three directions, converging on the spot occupied 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 119 
 
 by your fly, you will have a very fair idea of what 
 the Virginians call a rain. There's your tent, and 
 there's your storm, and where' s your man to get 
 wet ? Don't all speak at once ! 
 
 " It's not that I'm after complainin'. This sort 
 of thing don't last forever, and when once out of it 
 we feel jolly. Love to all." 
 
 " September 21st. Would you like to know what 
 we think of ourselves ? The following tells the 
 whole story. 
 
 'HEADQUARTERS, FIRST BRIGADE, 
 
 SECOND DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS, 
 September 20th, 1863. 
 
 " General Order No. 14. 
 
 " Officers and soldiers of the First Brigade : The 
 commanding officer of this brigade takes the first 
 opportunity which has presented since your glori- 
 ous advance from Culpeper, to express to you his 
 unqualified admiration of your conduct in the en- 
 gagement near Culpeper, and of your subsequent 
 conduct near the Rapid Ann Station. It is some 
 satisfaction for you to know that on Sunday, the 
 13th inst., you fought the severest fight that the 
 corps was engaged in that day, and it is his great- 
 est pride and pleasure to bear witness to your great 
 gallantry on the occasion. Under the most galling 
 fire you advanced impetuously on the enemy's line, 
 and in one half hour's time, you occupied their 
 chosen position. No troops could have done bet- 
 
120 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 ter. There are no exceptions, for all acted as 
 veteran soldiers of the First Brigade. You did 
 nobly. Your conduct on that day has proved to 
 the enemy your superiority, and entitles you to the 
 best wishes and gratitude of your country. You 
 have won an enviable reputation. 
 " By command. 
 
 " Colonel J. B. MC!NTOSH. 
 " WALTER S. NEWHALL, 
 
 " Captain and A. A. A. G." 
 
 " Catlett's Station, September 25th. Very busy 
 guarding the railroad." 
 
 " Hartwood Church, October 5th. Here we are 
 back again, among these ' mean, tobacco-leaf, lying 
 critters ;' ugly women, and pale-faced men, with 
 long uncombed hair, slouch hats, bushy whiskers, 
 and eyes of a lynx. Virginia gentlefolk ! We 
 arrived here yesterday noon, and immediately sent 
 five of our six regiments on picket along the Rap- 
 pahannock River. The cattle didn't come up to 
 time, and a detachment was sent in search of them. 
 This party met a sutler's wagon about five miles 
 out, guarded by three civilians and two Jerseymen. 
 Returning shortly afterwards discovered the wagon 
 stuck in the mud, nobody near it, and most of the 
 goods confiscated. Being Massachusetts men, they 
 immediately suspected that it wasn't all right, and 
 drawing their breath, revolvers, sabres, carbines, 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 121 
 
 and reins, they contemplated the destruction of a 
 Jerseyman, and above all, a 'soldier's friend,' 
 with tears in their eyes, and mixed potations of 
 ' fighting whisky,' and ' brandy for medicinal pur- 
 poses,' in their stomachs. As soon as these sympa- 
 thizing fellows realized the enormity of the enemy's 
 wickedness, they put spurs into their horses, and 
 riding over every obstacle, arrived safely in camp 
 with the story of this disaster, all begging to 
 be sent back with the party that was to recover 
 what the guerrillas hadn't had time to streak with. 
 Early this morning a detachment of the First Mas- 
 sachusetts and the Provost Guard, was despatched 
 to recover the lost goods, and if possible, to catch 
 some of the pillagers. They returned about 11 
 o'clock, with their arms full of smoked beef, canned 
 fruits, tobacco, cigars, and gingerbread, and two 
 prisoners in tow, sweet-looking chaps. They had 
 been caught napping after their jollification, and 
 were fourteen times more innocent than the babe 
 unborn. They actually grew angry because we 
 hinted that they didn't look it. On being ques- 
 tioned, one fellow ' didn't mind statin' as far as he 
 knowed, beyond that he couldn't say, for fear 
 of implicatin' somebody that was as innocent as 
 himself:' 
 
 " ' I was passin' Joel Spencer's house on this 
 side, wasn't it, Joel?' Certainly it was.' 'I 
 believe I said the other side, I believed it was.' 
 9 
 
122 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 (This looked badly for him, but he soon took a 
 steady gait, and went straight through, until his 
 tears broke him up.) 4 1 saw one of your gentle- 
 men in the road, who told me a sutler's wagon had 
 broken down in the road, and been abandoned, that 
 I'd better help myself, you know, before it fell into 
 worse hands. There was my family, gentlemen, 
 wife and six children, almost starved, on the one 
 hand, and there, abandoned and stuck in the mud 
 close by, and contents a rottin', was a sutler's 
 wagon on the other. Self-preservation has its dic- 
 tates, gentlemen, under some circumstances, and 
 I'm not ashamed to say, that that wagon being 
 broke down and gone away from, and my family 
 not havin' tasted anything but corn-bread for three 
 weeks, (and sparse at that,) I'm not ashamed to 
 say, I helped myself; not that I wish to keep you 
 all from havin' what I took, but merely for the 
 sake of keepin' my family up ; (that's what 1 said, 
 ain't it, Joel ?) and the way those things happened 
 to be locked up was this : I said to my wife, " Wife, 
 you'd better stow away them sweets, for fear the 
 children might get sick ;" remarkin' at the same 
 time, that we were in no condition to pay the 
 doctor's bill. Now, gentlemen, I reckon that that 
 upset was a providential thing. I hope you won't 
 think hard of a man for providin' for the family 
 that God gave him.' Convulsive sobs, and a pro- 
 fusion of tears, which, however, were checked when 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 123 
 
 the other chap (who, according to his friend, was 
 more fool than knave,) opened his mouth with a 
 perfectly contradictory story." 
 
 The guerrillas had grown to be more than a nui- 
 sance, they had become a scourge. Men must 
 be debased, indeed, before they can carry on war- 
 fare in so dishonorable and dastardly a mode. The 
 spy is held in such ill-repute that a gentleman will 
 hardly take the post. He does not wear the uni- 
 form, and if captured, dies a felon's death. Yet 
 the discredit of such service does not weigh for an 
 instant against the ignominy of the guerrilla's. 
 Acknowledging no law, civil or military, admitting 
 no claim of society or humanity, recognized by no 
 party, protected by no flag, attacking and killing 
 unarmed men, adding the shame of theft to the sin 
 of murder, he is a disgrace to the cause he espouses. 
 Eastern Virginia is infested with these wretches. 
 They shield themselves behind the sham of a quiet, 
 humble life, frequently feigning ill-health, and 
 sympathy with the North, assembling in bands to 
 make their cowardly assaults by night, on solitary 
 sentinels, and parties too small for resistance, leav- 
 ing no live man to tell tales, and dispersing to their 
 miserable abodes, and pretence of inoffensive, loyal 
 characters. There is a long list of brave victims 
 unavenged, to which new names are constantly 
 being added, while these despicable assassins con- 
 tinue to ply their trade with impunity. Newhall's 
 
124 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 elder brother, Captain in the Sixth Pennsylvania 
 Cavalry, wrote from his camp at Hartwood Church, 
 during the autumn of '63, " I haven't seen Walter 
 since we came across the Rappahannock, and would 
 call on him, but to go in safety from here to his 
 headquarters requires a retinue of more men than 
 I care to employ on such a long ride, not on official 
 business. The guerrillas between here and there 
 rule the roast with everything much less than pla- 
 toons. The phlegmatic Army of the Potomac isn't 
 going to bother its head about a few guerrillas, so 
 they are allowed to pursue their pleasing devices. 
 As an army, we regard guerrillas as the ox did the 
 fly on his horn. We say, ' Stay if you wish ; it don't 
 inconvenience us.' If they burn a bridge, we re- 
 build it. If they kill an officer, we say it was a 
 beastly mean trick. If they capture a sutlers' 
 train, we ask, * How are you, sutlers ?' and are rather 
 glad of it ; and if we catch them, we hear the inno- 
 cent stories of their honest lives, and the Provost- 
 Marshal-General gives them a pass to go where 
 they please." 
 
 Walter himself writes of them : 
 
 " October 8th. We are in the vilest neighborhood 
 imaginable, full of guerrillas, whom we try in vain 
 to catch. My notion of them is founded on these 
 facts : nobody ever saw one ; they leave no tracks, 
 and they come down upon you when you least ex- 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 125 
 
 pect them. Why shouldn't there be flying infantry 
 as well as flying artillery ? Answer me that." 
 
 During^ the next ten days he was constantly in 
 action, and had no time to write. He took part in 
 the severe fight of his division at Sulphur Springs, 
 on the l*2th of October, and in the battle of Bristoe 
 Station, on the 14th, as well as in several skirmishes 
 while his brigade was assisting to guard the wagon 
 trains during the march to Centreville. 
 
 "Near Fairfax Station, October 17th. We are 
 busily engaged in picketing along Bull Run." 
 
 " October 23d. The rebels haven't all crossed 
 the river yet. Yesterday Colonel Gregg had a 
 brush with them near Bealeton. Second Pennsyl- 
 vania Cavalry did well. We stood by and ' reas- 
 sured' the Second Brigade, but didn't participate 
 personally. Haven't had writing opportunities 
 since the movement from the Rapid Ann. We've 
 been constantly on the move, from Morrisville 
 and Hartwood Church on October llth ; Sulphur 
 Springs and Fayetteville on the 12th ; Auburn on 
 the 13th ; Bristoe Station and Brentsville on the 
 14th ; Wolf Run Shoals on the 15th ; Fairfax 
 Court-house on the 16th and 17th ; Bull Run on 
 the 18th and 19th ; Fairfax Station on the 20th ; 
 Centreville and Gainesville on the 21st ; Warren- 
 ton on the 22d, and are now encamped on the old 
 ground." 
 
 " Sulphur Springs, October 31st. My birthday. 
 
126 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 Twenty-two. How old I'm growing ! I shall soon 
 be a confirmed member of the bachelor corps. 
 We are encamped in a splendid grove, which the 
 proprietor says was handed down to him from his 
 great-great-grandfather, and he therefore begs us 
 not to cut any of the trees for firewood. Colonel 
 Taylor reminds him that he, the proprietor, is one 
 of a set of rascals who are endeavoring to destroy 
 a government that has been handed down to us in 
 the same manner, and begged that he would not 
 think it any disrespect to his ancestor, if we declined 
 freezing to death just now. The Colonel was a 
 little rough, but he is so full of patriotism he could 
 not help it." 
 
 " November 1st. We may move in a day or two. 
 I shouldn't much wonder if we attempted the 
 turning of the enemy's left, forcing him across 
 the Rappahannock at the lower fords, with one 
 corps occupying the line of the Rapid Ann, 
 crossing the Rappahannock at United States' 
 Ford above and joining our forces, meet the re- 
 bels on the Chancellorville ground. This is my 
 first attempt at strategy, but I make bold to say, 
 that if the main points of my plan are carried 
 out, we could find a way to Richmond, which won't 
 be of nature's providing. We of the Army of 
 the Potomac are somewhat in the same fix as the 
 small boy, who was required to shoot a torn-tit and 
 a squirrel with one load of No. 1 shot, thus : small 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 127 
 
 boy and No. 1 shot, Army of Potomac ; torn-tit, 
 Washington; squirrel, Richmond, do you see?" 
 
 " Bealeton Station, November 8th. We moved 
 down here yesterday,. and are now guarding wagon 
 trains. Yesterday the Sixth Corps took thirteen 
 hundred prisoners and a battery of artillery. Ge- 
 neral French at Kelly's Ford caught about five 
 hundred more. Everything quiet this morning." 
 
 "November llth. Picketing the neighborhood 
 of Warreriton. No news." 
 
 " November 19th. I have just finished reading 
 in Blackwood's Magazine an account of what an 
 4 English officer' has the unblushing impudence to 
 call the Battle of Gettysburg. Ten pages are de- 
 voted to a very interesting ride on a sore-backed 
 horse, four to the battle, and eight to the difficulty 
 of passing into the Yankee lines even with Ge- 
 neral Lee's pass. Why didn't the fellow get into a 
 good position during Longstreet's movement ? then 
 he could have told us something we didn't know. 
 No news. I hear of moving, but not officially." 
 
 " November 22d. I can't pass Sunday quietly 
 in camp without writing home. I have only to say 
 that I'm alarmingly healthy. If necessary, in cor- 
 recting the report of Moseby's capture, to use my 
 name, you are authorized to do so." 
 
 " Morrisville, November 24th, 10 p. M. We are 
 on the move again, bound ' for Richmond and a 
 market,' of course." 
 
128 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 " Plank-road to Orange Court-house, November 
 27th. All well. Fighting pretty heavy ; also our 
 loss. All our friends safe." 
 
 This was the battle known as Mine Run or the 
 Wilderness, the latter being the expressive name 
 given by the inhabitants to the spot where it was 
 fought, being part of the same tract in which our 
 army had been so cruelly cut to pieces six months 
 before, at Chancellorville. On this occasion, only 
 the cavalry and one corps of infantry were engaged, 
 and that with entire success, although unfortunately 
 great loss of life and no results, owing to the fail- 
 re of the general movement, of which this was 
 part. 
 
 "Near Stevensburg, December 5th. Here we 
 are, resting after our little trip over the Rapid Ann. 
 We cover a picket front of only fifteen miles, which 
 is mere sport, good practice for cavalry. Sup- 
 pose I tell you what Colonel Taylor says of the 
 doings of his brigade among ' Mr. Lee's folks,' and 
 as he is a straightforward man and a pious, you 
 can rely on the truth of his statement. Here it is. 
 4 My brigade, proceeding from Whitehall, on the 
 27th of November, struck the Orange and Fred- 
 ericksburg Plank-road near Parker's store, at 8J 
 A. M., and marched in front of the Fifth Corps 
 d'armee towards Orange Court-house. At 11 
 o'clock my advance drove in the enemy's pickets 
 and first line of skirmishers near Mount Hope 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 129 
 
 Church ; here the enemy's line was strengthened, 
 and it became necessary to dismount three of my 
 squadrons, in order to dislodge him from the thicket 
 of pine-trees and the railroad, where he was strongly 
 posted. This duty was well done by two squa- 
 drons of the Third Pennsylvania Cavalry, and one 
 of the First Massachusetts Cavalry. During the 
 clearing of this woody country, the enemy used 
 grape and cannister without effect. A section of 
 Martin's Sixth New Jersey Battery opened on the 
 enemy's guns, and the squadrons already men- 
 tioned having been reinforced, drove the enemy 
 from his cover, charged across the open space 
 beyond, and occupied the edge of the opposite wood, 
 putting to flight several squadrons of rebel cavalry. 
 The enemy now advanced his infantry, and in ten 
 minutes my line was heavily pressed, with the ex- 
 ception of the supporting regiment (the Sixth Ohio), 
 and a few minor supports. The ground being im- 
 practicable for cavalry, I threw my entire com- 
 mand dismounted against the enemy, repelled his 
 charge, took his position, and captured thirty-four 
 infantrymen, including a captain, with their arms, 
 &c., besides killing and wounding a large number. 
 During this time the enemy opened with artillery 
 from three positions, keeping Martin's Battery 
 actively engaged. For about an hour the enemy 
 was steadily driven back, the two lines being within 
 twenty paces of each other. The officers and men 
 
130 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 of my command behaved with extreme gallantry. 
 The surgeons of the brigade were untiring in their 
 exertions to alleviate the sufferings of the wounded. 
 My line was engaged until 4J p. M., when, my am- 
 munition giving out, I was relieved by the Fifth 
 Corps." 
 
 " The squadrons," already mentioned, were 
 Charley Treichel's and Captain Walsh's of the gal- 
 lant Third, and Captain Crowninshield's of the 
 First Massachusetts Cavalry. 
 
 ISTewhall himself commanded Captain Treichel's 
 squadron in this battle ; but he never spoke of it, 
 nor was it known until after his death, when Cap- 
 tain Treichel (who had been fighting with one arm 
 ever since Gettysburg) came home, to pay the last 
 sad tribute of respect to the inseparable friend and 
 companion of his whole military career, and find- 
 ing how the story stood, set it right. 
 
 " As usual, I had prime luck. Every acknow- 
 ledgment is due to Providence, I know; but I can't 
 help paying my noble steed, 4 Tim Whiffler,' a pass- 
 ing compliment, for the style in which he brought 
 me from behind the rebel lines, where I had been 
 idiotic enough to get, during one of their attempts 
 to yell our men out of countenance. We are 
 ordered to Brandy Station, in the morning." 
 
 "Brandy Station, December 7th. I had forgot- 
 ten that you would feel interested for Lieutenant 
 Longfellow, of the First Massachusetts Cavalry. 
 
THE GUERRILLAS. 131 
 
 He has gone to Washington, on his way home, 
 seriously, but not dangerously, wounded. Colonel 
 Taylor and I were just beside him when he was 
 shot, during a fierce attack by our friends the 
 rebs ; but as he walked off by himself without a 
 whimper, we concluded he would soon be all right 
 again." 
 
 " December 10th. The infantry hereabouts are 
 building log-huts, indicative of a change of camp, 
 although at first sight it does not appear so. We, 
 poor cavalrymen, have to carry everything on our 
 horses, now that our mules have been turned in." 
 
 " Warrenton, December 13th. We marched from 
 Bealeton Station yesterday, and appear to have 
 settled down at last for winter quarters, much to 
 the delight of citizens hereabouts, who look for- 
 ward to innumerable and jolly raids by their favor- 
 ite cut-throat, Mr. Moseby. Even now, from the 
 tops of the neighboring mountains, his hungry 
 followers are looking down upon our weak points. 
 How many fruitless mud-raids we shall make after 
 them this winter, time even will have difficulty in 
 telling. I know the programme by heart : ' Suc- 
 cessful attack on wagon-trains ; Moseby off with his 
 plunder. Nobody hurt.' That's how it will be. 
 Three or four weeks ago, I joined a regiment in a 
 ' hounding' expedition after a party of these guerril- 
 las, who, having captured part of a wagon-train, 
 were making their way to the deserted wilds of 
 
132 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 Thoroughfare Gap and Salem. We struck the 
 trail at three in the afternoon of a very rainy day, 
 and galloped in pursuit until 8J p. M., when we 
 discovered that the trail divided into about twenty 
 minor paths, leading up hills, down ravines, back 
 through dark pine woods, and everywhere. How- 
 ever, we surrounded a house in the immediate 
 neighborhood of our discomfiture, and, on looking 
 in, our delighted eyes feasted on the forms of five 
 or six of Moseby's beauties, who were enriching 
 as many young ladies with all sorts of sutler's 
 trinkets, from golden hat-cords down to cakes and 
 candy, with perfect disregard of expense. It was 
 delightful ; only I was afraid we shouldn't get 
 anything if we didn't shoot first, and ascertain the 
 facts of the case afterwards. The Colonel couldn't 
 think of such a thing ; so a party was sent round 
 to the front door to knock! Before the echoes of 
 their thumping had died away, every light in the 
 house was extinguished, even the fires, all the doors 
 and windows were simultaneously slammed and re- 
 slammed, five women screamed at the top of their 
 lofty lungs, two dinner-bells were violently rung 
 from garret windows, several pistol-shots were fired 
 into us, and the majority of the rascals got off. 
 In a moment all was quiet enough, and on forcing 
 the doors we found the young ladies panting with 
 excitement, but highly delighted with the escape 
 of those 'dear men.' We caught two in an old 
 
THE END. 133 
 
 clothes-basket, 'where there wasn't anything but 
 Ma's wash.' We picked up a very suspicious-look- 
 ing hat, with a long black feather in it. Don't 
 tell anybody that Mr. Moseby had just left that 
 hat to be called for when wanted; and don't be- 
 lieve that I am at all disheartened. I can't help 
 feeling that the result was what might have been 
 expected." 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THEE ND. 
 
 " With trembling fingers did we weave 
 
 The holly round the Christmas hearth ; 
 As rainy clouds possessed the earth, 
 And sadly fell our Christmas eve." 
 
 " Brief, brave, and glorious was his young career. 
 
 # * * * * 
 
 For he was Freedom's champion, one of those, 
 The few in number, who had ne'er o'erstept 
 The charter to chastise, which she bestows 
 
 On such as wield her weapons ; he had kept 
 The whiteness of his soul, and thus men o'er him wept." 
 
 CHRISTMAS was drawing near ; the army was 
 inactive ; and many of the officers were applying 
 for leave of absence to spend the holy-tide with 
 their families. Both the Newhalls had the hope 
 of going home, where all the sons were to meet 
 once more for the first time in vears. On the 
 
134 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 evening before leaving, Walter made up his com- 
 pany accounts, choosing, with characteristic fide- 
 lity, to put everything in order, in anticipation of 
 even so short an absence. The next morning, 
 the 18th of December, he left his camp, to pass 
 the night at headquarters with his brother, and 
 start for home the next morning. He was in the 
 highest spirits as he bade his companions good-bye 
 and rode off, followed by an orderly. Before 
 reaching the Rappahannock, he was obliged to 
 cross a small stream, one of those little runs which 
 intersect that country in every direction, and such 
 as he had forded and swum a hundred times. It 
 had usually very little depth or width; but recent 
 heavy rains had swollen it considerably, and con- 
 verted the bottom into a morass. He plunged in ; 
 but about midway his horse became mired, and 
 began to struggle. Walter instantly perceived 
 the danger, and waved to his orderly not to follow. 
 He then quietly attempted to quit his saddle to 
 swim to shore ; but as he was in the act, his fright- 
 ened horse reared and fell over upon him. There 
 was one moment, one supreme moment, before he 
 disappeared ; and he called to his orderly, in a 
 calm, clear voice, " Go for my brother !" and sank. 
 His body was recovered in half an hour ; but it was 
 only his body. His unfortunate brother, who was 
 looking for him to talk over their plans for the 
 holidays, took his corpse home to their parents. 
 
THE END. 135 
 
 Over their grief drop the veil. The news of his 
 death fell upon the whole community as a sore 
 calamity, and the Christmas of every household in 
 the country-side was darkened. The letters which 
 poured in from every direction, not to his family 
 alone, but to all his friends, proved how widely he 
 was known and valued, and how deeply all who had 
 ever seen him felt what his loss must be to those 
 among whom he had lived. The expressions of 
 private sympathy, in such an hour, must needs be 
 genuine and heartfelt. Wherever a father and 
 mother are mourning over their son, there is the 
 same sorrow that has always been since the first 
 parents mourned over the first dead child. But 
 the tributes of regard and respect to the memory 
 of the dead, as well as to the grief of the living, were 
 such as no ordinary man could have called forth. 
 The lamentations of his early playfellows, of those 
 who had seen him grow up, of his brother officers, 
 were only natural; but the distress of numbers 
 who had seldom met him, or had only heard him 
 spoken of, and the profound regret of his superior 
 officers, were the best and highest proofs of his 
 worth. There is a letter, one of very many, which 
 is not out of place here, since it casts a light back 
 upon his character, being written to a friend of the 
 family by one who did not know them, by one 
 who, though he sees many men, and saw Newhall 
 but seldom, was struck by him as a man apart. 
 
136 WALTER S. NEW HALL. 
 
 ) 
 
 "WASHINGTON, D. C., 
 
 December 19th, 1863. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR : It was with great regret that I 
 heard of the death of Captain W. S. JSTewhall, of 
 our cavalry. I recollect him well during the night 
 march from White Oak Swamp to James River. 
 He brought to General Franklin a message, and 
 returned with one to General McClellan. It was 
 considered a hazardous mission, and I recollect the 
 hairbreadth escapes he made from capture on that 
 occasion. Since that time I have but rarely seen 
 him, but I shall never forget his appearance, his 
 calm, resolute face, on that eventful night. In 
 losing him, the service has lost a valuable officer 
 and a brave soldier. 
 
 " I am, very truly, 
 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " WIN. S. HANCOCK, 
 
 "Major General, Volunteers." 
 
 All the superior officers of his division bore testi- 
 mony to his high military merit, in letters too full 
 of private feeling for his recent loss, to meet any 
 eyes but those to whom they were addressed. But 
 two months afterwards General Averell, his former 
 Colonel, wrote of him in terms of praise, which 
 from a man of his character and position, is the 
 fullest endorsement of all that has been claimed 
 for Newhall in this sketch. 
 
THE END. 137 
 
 " MARTINSBURG, VA., 
 
 February 21st, 1864. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR : I desire to lighten, 
 
 if possible, the burden of your great grief, by telling 
 you that the loss of your noble son is not only felt 
 heavily by me, his first Colonel, but by all his 
 comrades in arms. While the service has lost one 
 of its most promising officers, you have thrown into 
 the yawning chasm of Secession, a priceless jewel. 
 
 "I pray that you may have the consolation of 
 believing that the hideous gulf has been narrowed 
 by the sacrifice. 
 
 " While we grope our way toward the solution of 
 the greatest problem ever presented to humanity, 
 these dreadful afflictions render our cause more 
 sacred, and our purposes more steadfast. 
 
 " It will be long ere the cavalry of the Army of 
 the Potomac forget WALTER NEWHALL. His cha- 
 racter was a model for all who had the pleasure of 
 knowing him. It is difficult for me to say wherein 
 he lacked of being perfect. He was without fear, 
 and certainly without reproach. Dignified with- 
 out affectation, reticent, but not taciturn, his 
 graceful but impressive manners charmed all who 
 ever saw him smile. In the execution of orders 
 he never hesitated, and he possessed that rare 
 quality in an officer, the power of inspiring his 
 men with perfect confidence. 
 
 " His purity and his principles had a living force, 
 10 
 
138 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 which made itself felt throughout his command. 
 It is yet felt, and he still lives, not only with his 
 comrades, but with 
 
 i 'Your friend and servant, 
 
 " WM. W. AVERELL, 
 
 "B. G." 
 
 The grief in his regiment was only second to 
 that in his home. Each man mourned for him as 
 for a brother. The following order, issued by com- 
 mand of the Colonel commanding, is only the ex- 
 pression of the sorrow felt by all. 
 
 " HEADQUARTERS, FIRST BRIGADE, 
 
 SECOND DIVISION, CAVALRY CORPS, 
 January 8th, 1864. 
 
 " Special Order, No. 54. 
 
 " Officers and soldiers of the First Brigade : It 
 is the painful duty of the Colonel commanding, on 
 returning to the command, to announce to you the 
 sudden and unexpected death of Captain Walter 
 S. Newhall, Acting Assistant Adjutant-General of 
 this Brigade, which, through the All-wise Disposer 
 of events, occurred December 18th, 1863. 
 
 " In the death of this officer, our country, the 
 service, parents, and friends, have sustained an 
 irreparable loss, in one possessing a modest and 
 unassuming nature, and principles the perfect soul 
 of honor ; combining the qualities of the thorough, 
 efficient officer, the brave and gallant soldier, the 
 
THE END. 139 
 
 finished and courteous gentleman, and the exem- 
 plary Christian. 
 
 " The Colonel commanding, impelled by a com- 
 mon sorrow, a grief, personal to all who knew his 
 worth, unites with you in the deep sorrow you feel 
 in the loss of your comrade, and cannot resist on 
 this occasion to bear testimony of his high appre- 
 ciation of the many virtues which he possessed ; of 
 his fearless courage, his ready and willing disposi- 
 tion, courting labor, and never shrinking from its 
 most trying hardships, but by example and ability 
 inspiring those with whom he came in contact. 
 
 "And while all acknowledge the just and guiding 
 Hand of our destiny, we mourn the blasted pro- 
 mises of his brilliant career. 
 
 " By command of Colonel J. P. Taylor. 
 
 "J. H. BEALE, 
 
 " Captain and A. A. A. G." 
 
 Walter S. JSTewhall was buried at Laurel Hill 
 Cemetery, near Philadelphia, on the 22d of De- 
 cember. The escort and usual military honors 
 were declined by his family, but his bier was borne 
 by his Colonel and five brother officers, four of 
 whom were old playmates and companions in his 
 first essay at arms, at Chestnut Hill. A crowd 
 of men of all ages and callings, clergymen, sol- 
 diers, men of business, and men of pleasure, fol- 
 lowed him to the grave, and all in tears. The 
 
140 WALTER S. NEWHALL. 
 
 regular assistants at that melancholy place, said 
 that they had never witnessed such grief in all 
 their sad experience. His coffin was filled and 
 covered with flowers as if he had been a child, and 
 no child was ever laid to rest whose life had been 
 purer than his. 
 
 His character showed all the gifts of a noble 
 nature, and all the graces of a Christian life. What 
 need is there to dwell upon his virtues ? His 
 story tells them, and they will live in the hearts 
 of all who knew him, until they, like him, shall have 
 put on immortality. 
 
 6813' 
 
THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ 
 
 This book is due on the last DATE stamped below. 
 To renew by phone, call 429-2756 
 
 OCT21'85 
 
 OCT 81985RC'0 
 
 DEC 2 '85 
 
 NOV 2 5 1985 REC'D 
 
 Series 3726 
 
'3 2106 00060 7983