On the 22d it started on Wilson’s daring raid against the South-Side Railroad, and, without rest even to water the horses, marched for twenty-four hours by a circuitous route to Ford’s Station, fourteen miles west of Petersburg. It destroyed the railroad from there westward. At Nottoway Court House a heavy fight occurred while the First Connecticut was tearing up the track towards Danville. An attempt to destroy the great bridge across the Staunton at Roanoke Station by daylight having failed, General Wilson called for Captain Moorehouse and seventy-five men from the First Connecticut to burn it by night.
They responded cheerfully, though knowing that but few probably would return alive. Fortunately, while they were preparing the combustibles, the attempt was thought so desperate that the order was revoked. The retreat across the country to Stony Creek, on the Weldon railroad, now began. The First Connecticut Cavalry distinguished itself in the unsuccessful but hotly-contested attempt to break through the enemy’s lines at this point, and then covered the rear in the perilous withdrawal to Ream’s Station. The enemy were met here on the 29th in heavy force. The command was in the utmost danger.
Captain Whitaker of the First Connecticut Cavalry, on Wilson’s staff, was dispatched to General Meade for succor. With forty men of the Third New York he dashed through the enemy’s lines and reached headquarters with fourteen men and two prisoners. But it was too late. Wilson burnt his ammunition and baggage wagons, left his ambulances, spiked his guns and retreated in hot haste. The enemy pressing in on every side, turned the retreat into a rout.
Color-Sergeant Hawley, First Connecticut, stripped the flag from its staff, stuffed it into his bosom under his shirt, and escaped with a wounded horse and with four bullet-holes through his blouse and one through his cap. The First Connecticut was the first regiment to make a stand against the enemy. It formed line, rallied stragglers, and holding the enemy back covered the retreat of the rest of the division. This desperate rear guard service was continued all night, and, with the fighting of the day before, cost the First Connecticut over three score men. Private Clarke, Co. A, wounded twice and captured was deliberately and repeatedly shot by the rebels while a prisoner, and with seventeen bullet-wounds in his person was left for dead, but after almost incredible hardships, survived.
The command recrossed the Nottoway, and with a detour of 100 miles reached Petersburg July 2d, utterly exhausted. The First Connecticut brought into camp but eighty-five men; the rest came straggling in for days as best they could. The expedition was gone ten days, marched 300 miles, destroyed sixty miles of railroad track with tanks, saw-mills, and depots, fought four battles and many skirmishes, rested at no place over six hours and during the last four days not over four hours, had but little food or forage, and went for whole days and even for forty-eight hours without water under a blazing sun and with but one slight shower, not enough to lay the dust on the way.
It was at the windup of such an expedition as that that the First Connecticut rallied and covered the rear, and was specially thanked by General Wilson for its services. The regiment now had a month in camp and on picket duty in the rear and on the left of our army at Petersburg, and was then ordered with its division to the Shenandoah valley. Colonel Blakeslee rejoined it en route at Washington, where it was remounted and thoroughly refitted, being fully armed with Spencer carbines.
From “Record of Service of Connecticut Men in the War of Rebellion, 1861 to 1865″ published by the Connecticut National Guard in 1889.
