The Battalion were in the following engagements: near Cedar Creek Nov. 12, Roode Hill Nov. 23, Lacy Springs Dec. 12, Waynesboro March 3, Ashland Station March 23, Five Forks Apr. 1, Sweets Ford Apr. 5, Harper's Farm Apr. 6, Appomattox Station Apr. 8, Surrender of Lee, Apr. 9.
Col. M. B. Birdseye, a well known resident of Fayetteville was promoted from Captain of Infantry to Major of Cavalry and was given command of this Battalion and through his influence it was attached to the famous 2d N. Y. Harris Light Cavalry, a regiment equipped and sent to the front early in the war by Hon. Ira Harris, then U. S. Senator from New York state. Major Birdseye was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and afterward brevetted Colonel. He was one of the bravest of the brave officers in these trying days. The 'boys' are proud to be called 'Colonel Birdseye's fighters.'
The regiment formed a part of the 2d Brigade, 3d Division. The brigade was commanded by Gen. E. W. Whittacker now living at Washington, D. C. and the Division by the gallant Geo. A. Custer, well known to every reader of Indian history."
Morris Thompson, son of Pardon Thompson of Manlius, was in Co. G. The following letter was recently sent to me by Morris' great grandson, Chuck Henrikson of Madison, WI. Both of us thought the following 1865 letter would be of interest:
The Second New York Cavalry (Harris Light)
At Appomattox Station and Appomattox Court House
April 8 and 9, 1865
During the winter of 1864-5 the Second New York (Harris' Light)
Cavalry was in winter quarters near Winchester, Va., on the Romney pike.
Alanson M. Randol, Captain First United States Artillery, was colonel of
the regiment, which, with the First Connecticut, Second Ohio, and Third
New Jersey, constituted the first brigade, third division, cavalry corps.
The division was commanded by General George A. Custer; the brigade by
A.C.M. Pennington, Captain Second United States Artillery, Colonel Third
New Jersey Cavalry. On the 27th of February, 1865, the divisions
of Merritt and Custer, with the batteries of Miller (Fourth United States
Artillery) and Woodruff (Second United States Artillery), all under command
of General Sheridan, left their winter quarters in and around Winchester,
and, after a series of splendid victories, and unsurpassed marches and
fortunes, joined the Army of the Potomac in front of Petersburg on the
27th of March. The Second New York Cavalry shared largely in the
glories and miseries of this great and successful raid. At Five forks,
Deep Creek, and Sailor's Creek, it now only maintained its gallant and
meritorious record, but added to its great renown. At the gentle
and joyous passage of arms at Appomattox Station, on the 8th of April,
it reached the climax of its glory, and, by it deeds of daring, touched
the pinnacle of fame. On that day it performed prodigies of valor,
and achieved successes as pregnant with good results as any single action
of the war. By forcing a passage through the rebel lines and heading
off Lee's army, it contributed largely to the result that followed the
next day --- the surrender of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
On the night of the 7th of April we camped on Buffalo River.
Moving at an early hour on the 8th, we crossed the Lynchburg Railroad at
Prospect Station, and headed for Appomattox Station, where it was expected
we would strike, if not intercept, Lee's retreating, disintegrating army.
The trail was fresh and the chase hot. Joy beamed in every eye, for
all felt that the end was drawing near, and we earnestly hoped that ours
might be the glorious opportunity of striking the final blow. About
noon the regiment was detached to capture a force of the enemy said to
be at one of the crossings of the Appomattox. Some few hundreds,
unarmed, half-starved, stragglers, with no fight in them, were found, and
turned over to the Provost Marshall. Resuming its place in the column,
I received orders to report with the regiment to General Custer, who was
at its head. Reporting in compliance with this order, General Custer
informed me that his scouts had reported three large trains of cars at
Appomattox Station, loaded with supplies for the rebel army; that he expected
to have made a junction with Merritt's division near this point; that his
orders were to wait here until Merritt joined him; that he had not heard
from him since morning, and had sent an officer to communicate with him,
but if he did not hear from him in half an hour, he wished me to take my
regiment and capture the trains of cars, and, if possible, reach and hold
the pike to Lynchburg. While talking, the whistle of the locomotive
was distinctly but faintly heard, and the column was at once moved forward,
the Second New York in advance. As we neared the station the whistles
became more and more distinct, and a scout reported the trains rapidly
unloading, and that the advance of the rebel army was passing through Appomattox
Court House. Although Custer's orders were to make a junction with
Merritt before coming in contact with the enemy, here was a chance to strike
a decisive blow, which, if successful, would add to his renown and glory,
and if not, Merritt would soon be up to help him out of the scrape.
Our excitement was intense, but subdued. All saw the vital importance
of heading off the enemy. Another whistle, nearer and clearer, and
another scout decided the question. I was ordered to move rapidly
to Appomattox Station, seize the trains there, and, if possible, get possession
of the Lynchburg pike. General Custer rode up alongside of me and,
laying his hand on my shoulder, said, "Go in, old fellow, don't let anything
stop you; now is the chance for your stars. Whoop 'em up; I'll be
after you." The regiment left the column at a slow trot, which became
faster and faster until we caught sight of the cars, which were preparing
to move away, when, with a cheer, we charged down on the station, capturing
in an instant the three trains of cars, with the force guarding them.
I called for engineers and firemen to take charge of the trains, when at
least a dozen of my men around me offered their services. I chose
the number required, and ordered the trains to be run to the rear, where
I afterwards learned they were claimed as captures by General Ord's corps.
The cars were loaded with commissary stores, a portion of which had been
unloaded, on which the rebel advance were regaling themselves when we pounced
so unexpectedly down on them.
While the regiment was rallying after the charge, the enemy opened
on it a fierce fire from all kinds of guns --- field and siege --- which,
however, did but little damage, as the regiment was screened from the enemy's
sight by a dense woods. I at once sent notification to General Custer
and Colonel Pennington of my success, moved forward --- my advance busily
skirmishing --- and followed with the regiment in line of battle, mounted.
The advance was soon checked by the enemy formed behind hastily constructed
intrenchments in a dense wood of the second growth of pine. Flushed
with success and eager to gain the Lynchburg pike, along which immense
wagon and siege trains were rapidly moving, the regiment was ordered to
charge. Three times did it try to break through the enemy's lines,
but failed. Colonel Pennington arrived
on the field with the rest of the brigade, when, altogether, a rush was
made, but it failed. Then Custer, with the
whole division, tried it, but he, too, failed. Charge and charge
again, was now the order, but it was done in driblets, without organization
and in great disorder. General Custer was here, there, and everywhere,
urging the men forward with cheers and oaths. The great prize was
so nearly in his grasp that it seemed a pity to lose it; but the rebel
infantry held on hard and fast, while his artillery belched out death and
destruction on every side of us. Merritt and night were fast coming
on, so as soon as a force, however small, was organized, it was hurled
forward, only to recoil in confusion and loss. Confident that this
mode of fighting would not bring us success, and fearful lest the enemy
should assume the offensive, which, in our disorganized state, must result
in disaster, I went to General Custer soon after dark, and said to him
that if he would let me get my regiment together, I could break through
the rebel line. He excitedly replied, "Never mind your regiment;
take anything and everything you can find, horse-holders and all, and break
through; we must get hold of the pike tonight." Acting on this order,
a force was soon organized by me, composed chiefly of the Second New York,
but in part of other regiments, undistinguishable in the darkness.
With this I made a charge down a narrow lane, which led to an open field
where the rebel artillery was posted. As the charging column debouched
from the woods, six bright lights suddenly flashed directly before us.
A tornado of canister-shot swept over our heads, and the next instant we
were in the battery. The line was broken, and the enemy routed.
Custer, with the whole division, now pressed through the gap pell-mell,
in hot pursuit, halting for neither prisoners nor guns, until the road
to Lynchburg, crowded with wagons and artillery, was in our possession.
We then turned short to the right and headed for Appomattox Court House;
but just before reaching it we discovered the thousands of campfires of
the rebel army, and the pursuit was checked. The enemy had gone into camp,
in fancied security that his route to Lynchburg was still open before him;
and he little dreamed that our cavalry had planted itself directly across
his path, until some of our men dashed in to Appomattox Court House, where,
unfortunately, Lieutenant Colonel Root, of the Fifteenth New York Cavalry,
was instantly killed by a picket guard. After we had seized the road,
we were joined by other divisions of the cavalry corps, which came to our
assistance, but too late to take part in the fight.
Owing to the night attack, our regiments were so mixed up that it took
hours to reorganize them. When this was effected, we marched near
to the railroad station and bivouacked.
That night was passed in great anxiety. We threw ourselves on
the ground to rest, but not to sleep. We knew that the infantry was
hastening to our assistance, but unless they joined us before sunrise,
our cavalry line would be brushed away, and the rebels would escape after
all our hard work to head them off from Lynchburg. About daybreak
I was aroused by loud hurrahs, and was told that Ord's corps was coming
up rapidly, and forming in rear of our cavalry. Soon after we were
in the saddle and moving towards the Appomattox Court House road, where
their firing was growing lively; but suddenly our direction was changed,
and the whole cavalry corps rode at a gallop to the right of our line,
passing between the position of the rebels and the rapidly forming masses
of our infantry, who greeted us with cheers and shouts of joy as we galloped
along their front. At several places we had to "run the gauntlet"
of fire from the enemy's guns posted around the Court House, but this only
added to the interest of the scene, for we felt it to be the last expiring
effort of the enemy to put on a bold front; we knew we had them this time,
and that at last Lee's proud army of Northern Virginia was at our mercy.
While moving at almost a charging gait we were suddenly brought to a halt
by reports of a surrender. General Sheridan and his staff rode up,
and left in hot haste for the Court House; but just after leaving us, they
were fired into by a party of rebel cavalry, who also opened fire on us,
to which we promptly replied, and soon put them to flight. Our lines
were then formed for a charge on the rebel infantry; but while the bugles
were sounding the charge, an officer with a white flag rode out from the
rebel lines, and we halted. It was fortunate for us that we halted
when we did, for had we charged we would have been swept into eternity,
as directly in our front was a creek, on the other side of which was a
rebel brigade, entrenched, with batteries in position, the guns double-shotted
with canister. To have charged this formidable array, mounted, would
have resulted in almost total annihilation. After we had halted,
we were informed that preliminaries were being arranged for the surrender
of Lee's whole army. At this news, cheer after cheer rent the air
for a few moments, when soon all became as quiet as if nothing unusual
had occurred. I rode forward between the lines with Custer and Pennington,
and met several old friends among the rebels, who came out to see us.
Among them, I remember Lee (Gimlet), of Virginia, and Cowan, of North Carolina.
I saw General Cadmus Wilcox just across the creek, walking to and fro with
his eyes on the ground, just as was his wont when he was an instructor
at West Point. I called to him, but he paid no attention, except
to glance at me in a hostile manner.
While we were thus discussing the probable terms of the surrender,
General Lee, in full uniform, accompanied by one of his staff, and General
Babcock, of General Grant's staff, rode from the Court House towards our
lines. As he passed us, we all raised our caps in salute, which he
gracefully returned.
Later in the day loud and continuous cheering was heard among the rebels,
which was taken up and echoed by our lines until the air was rent with
cheers, when all as suddenly subsided. The surrender was a fixed
fact, and the rebels were overjoyed at the very liberal terms they had
received. Our men, without arms, approached the rebel lines, and
divided their rations with the half-starved foe, and engaged in quiet,
friendly conversation. There was no bluster nor braggadocio, ---
nothing but quiet contentment that the rebellion was crushed, and the war
ended. In fact, many of the rebels seemed as much pleased as we were.
Now and then one would meet a surly, dissatisfied look; but, as a general
thing, we met smiling faces and hands eager and ready to grasp our own,
especially if they contained anything to eat or drink. After the
surrender, I rode over to the Court Housed with Colonel Pennington and
others, and visited the house in which the surrender had taken place, in
search of some memento of the occasion. We found that everything
had been appropriated before our arrival. Mr. Wilmer McLean, in whose
house the surrender took place, informed us that on his farm at Manassas
the first battle of Bull Run was fought. I asked him to write his
name in my diary, for which, much to his surprise, I gave him a dollar.
Others did the same, and I was told that he thus received quite a golden
harvest.
While all of the regiments of the division shared largely in the glories
of these two days, none excelled the Second New York Cavalry in its record
of great and glorious deeds. Well might its officers and men carry
their heads high, and feel elated with pride as they received the congratulations
and commendations showered on them from all sides. They felt they
had done their duty, and given the "tottering giant" a blow that laid him
prostrate at their feet, never, it is to be hoped, to rise again.
Alanson M. Randol
Major First U.S. Artillery
(Late Colonel Second New York Cavalry),
Vol. Brigadier General, U.S. Vols.
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9 December 1998
29 December 1998