Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1896-09-01

The sixth was then forming. ana iacked TWO
companies OF having quota, while the First
had too many. In August, 1891, General
Stuart permitted the Clarke and Rockingham
companies to decide by vote whether TO go to
the Sixth or remain in the First. They elect
cd to go into the Sixth, which was ofIicered by
Colonel Charles W. Field, Lieutenant-Colonol
Julian Harrison, Major j. Gratian CabeIl.
and John Allen adjntant. Shortly afterwards
Colonel Field was made brigadier, andassigned
to the command of an infantry brigade. Major
Thomas Stanhope Flournoy was then mad.
colonel. and, after the Valley campaign
resigned. CabelI f. FlournoY, who had been
made major. became lieutenant colonel, and
John Shack Green major. In 1865 Julian
Harrison was made colonel, but. being badly
wounded the day he took command. at Brandy
Station, never came back again to the regi-
ment.
Cabell E. FIournoy them became colonel.
Green lien utcnant-colonel, and Daniel 7.
Richards major. Alter awhile Green resigned,
Richards became lieutenant colonel, and ID.
A. Grimsley major. Alter Colonel Cabell
Flournoy was killed (two days before second
Cold Rarbor) Richards became colonel,
Grimslcy Iieutenant-colonel, aud ]. A. Throck
AHGsC c4AASSAS HSAN
leading their men to battle when the banner
of the Confederacy was forever furled.
coMPANY's SEVERAL. CAPTAINS.
On the morning of the 21st of July. 81, Cap
tain Hardesty resigned the command of Com
pany d, and Hugh NJ. Nelson was elected
captain, but, not being present, Lieutenant
William Taylor, than whom no braver man
ever lived, led the company through that
terrible day. At the reorganization, in April,
1862, d aniel T. Richards was elected captain,
Joseph Mex. Kennerly first lieutenant, r
Owen Allen second lieutenant, and Cumber-
land-Georgc Shumate third lieutenant. After
Richards's promotion Kennerlcy became cap
tain, and in 1864 Nathaniel Willis was elected
first lieutenant and William Moore second
but they never received their COM
missions. OF all the officers that commanded
Company D, from April, 6l, to April, 65. but
three are living, and Colonel Grimsley is the
only survivor of the commanding officers of
the Sixth Virginia Cavalry Regiment. Our
brigade commanders were Generals James f.
B. Stuart. FitzhuGh Lee, Beverly Ii. Robertson
William E. Jones, Lunsford l.. Lomax. and
William II. Payne. General Stuart WINS after
wards made m ajor-geDeral, commanding all
the cavalry, which he did up to the time of
his DEATH ut Yellow Tavern. May IL, 1864,
when glorious, d;.shing Wade Hampton WIS
made acknowledgement commanding the
Cavalry Corps, Army of Northern Virginia.
These thunderbolts of war having carved
ep;taPhs with cleaning sabres, need no en-
comiums nor recitals of their chivalrous deeds.
High up in the dazzling niche of fame and
glory, they stand as peers of Ney, Murat, and
Henry of Navarro.
FOUGHT IN MANY BATTLES
In all of the following named battles Com
pany d figured conspicuously and left some
of its sons upon nearly every field: Capture of
Brigadier-G General William s. Harney at Har-
per's Ferry in April, 1861; Falling Waters,
Bunker Hill, First Manassas, Second Ma
nassas, Mine Run, Catletts Station, Auburn.
Warrenton Springs. seven days battles around
Richmond, First Cold Harbor, Second Cold
Harbor, Hanover junction, around Mcclellan.
First Brandy Station, Second Brandy, Third
Brandy, Stephensburg, Beverly Ford, Raecoon
Ford, Slaughter Mountain, CulPeper, Trevil-
lian, Weyer's Cave, Port Republic, Cross Keys,
Front Royal, White Post. Winchester, Berry
Vile, Charles Town. HalltoWn. LeetoWD.
Shepherdstown. Williamsport, South Noun
tain. Hanover Gin Pennsylvania), Gettysburg,
Rollsburg, MooreGeld. FairmoDt, Grafton.
Petersburg Gin West Virginia., Wilderness,
Yellow Tavern, Rcam's Station, advance down
the Shenandoah Valley in 1884. Winchester
the seeonI, Cedar Creek, Milford, Luray,
-Newtown, Back Road. New Creek, Lacey
Spring. Beverley Gn West Virginia), Five
Forks, and from Petersburg to Appom attox.
In the march around Mcclellan Com pany ID
went with the First Regiment aud was the
only one from the Sixth Regiment that psrti-
cipated. and that happened by permission Of
General Stuart, with whom it and the Rock
ingham companies were great favorites. In
the battles around Richmond Company d
and the Rockingham compan were the only
two companies from the Sixth that took part.
After General Jackson had whipped Banks,
Frcemont. and Shields in the Valley, he left
to pay his respects to Mcclellan. lie took
with him the Clarke aud Rockingham com
panies, and left the rest of the cavalry in the
Valley. In all but one Of these sixty-oDe
engagements there was hard fighting, result
ing in the killing woundiug or capture OF
some of the company. When General Harney
was captured there was no fighting. The
train was stopped aud surrounded; and
Lieutenant (afterwsrds major) Samuel j. c.
him out, and sent him to Richmond. There
were numerous skirmishes and raids inciden;
to war, of which, for want of space. no men
ton has made. at Gettysburg the Sixth Reg
iment, being on The right of our army, got in
the rear of Meade. and had hard hand-to-
hand fight at a place called Fairfield with the
Sixth United States Regulars. in which the
Regulars were badly whipped and fed inglor'
iously from the field. We thought that VI eadC
was falling back, for everything was in the
greatest eonfu sion, and were grieviousIy sur
prised when we were ordered back ourselves
THE CAVALRY WAS THERE.
Many writers have been trying 70 find out
where the cavalry was at Gettysburg. and II
they had been with this writer, who was try
fling his level best to obIiteratc Meade's army
they would have known NJ least where the
sixth Regiment of Virginia Cavalry was
Thank God 1 have no inclination 70 eritieiss
auy officer. corps. division, brigade, regimeni
or company in the whole service, fo- they de
serve and viii wear crowns Of immorteIis- Ny
object. as stated. has been TO show TO th.
world in a straightforward and truthful man
ner the part performed by the 170 men who
comprised the Clarke Cavalry. Company d
Sixth Regiment. These were all youDg men
the flower of Clarke, who kept themseIve
mounted, clothed, and armed thr oughout tn
war. Fifty-two of them only are left, one o
whom Is 81 years old, and of the remaining
ffty-onc very few have yet reached or passei
60. Every one of these survivors were At diff
1 fererf fines urisnners and nearly every on