Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-01-09
Frank Mills Bravery.

At the request of Hon. T. W. Phillips
Frank W. Mills, late First Sergt Troop
&c" lst New York mounted rifles, is fur
nished with an attested copy from the
war Records at Washington d. @. of Gen
eral order No 42 dated November 20th
1862 reciting acts of heroic bravery on the
part of Frank W. Mills as a soldier and
meritorious conduct. that was Tend m
presence OF his Regiment at Suffolk va.
on 2Oth day of November 1862. This or
der was issued and read in presence OF his
Regiment by Charles Q. Dodge who was
at that date Colonel of the LIST Now York
Mounted Rifles.
One of the circumstances that lead TO
the issuing and reading of the above order
was as folfowe: In the month OF Novem-
beT 1862 while the 1st New York Mount
ed Rifles were at Suffolk Va.
Colonel Dodge was ordered to cross the
Black Water wide stream near Suffolk
Va. In obedience to this order Colonel
Dodge took his Regiment the lst New
York mounted Rifles to the edge of the
Black Water and could there plainly see
the Rebel pickets on the opposite shore.
The Black Water at this poi Mt was about
20 feet deep and Col. Dodge being anxious
to know the strength of the Rebels on the
opposite shore before he would risk taking
asked if there were three men in the
Regiment that would volunteer to cross
the Black Water and learn the strength of
the Rebels on the other shore adding that
he would not order any one to go over.
To this request Sergt. Frank w. Mills was
the first one to step up to his Colonel and
volunteer 20 cross the Black water When
| two others Sergt. Eddy aud Sergt. Gavin
augh also stepped up and volunteered TO
cross the Black w Water with Sergt Frank
". Mills. Col. Dodge gave the instruc-
tions to Sergt. Mills and walked with
them to the Black Waters edge and
| shook the hand of each and said Good
| Bye boys" and they lunged their horses
| in and had not swan very far until the
Rebel Pickets on the opositeishore fired at
| them and kept on freing and they kept
! their horses swimming on and when they
reached the oposite shore in the face OF
! tho rebel pickets who were still firing on
| them rode right out of the water and went
| on to the top of the hill or eminence on
| the other side where they located in the
| valley below some ten Rebel Regiments
/ bestiring themselves to advance when
| they wheeled their horses about in rapid
| under fire of the advance and made for the
| Black W ater. When they reached the edge
| of the Black Water they dismounted tore
down the Rebel Pickets tent and load
| ed tent and the Rebel cooking utensel s
| into a Rebel boat that lay there then took
| the Rebel boat the Rebel tent and the
| Rebel cooking utensels and plunged in
| again and by this time the Rebel advance
| was so near that Col. Dodge had to use
| some howitzers that he had or. the other
side to shell the Rebel advadce back.
All three Sergts of which Frank W. Mills
was one returned unhurt and brought the
Rebel boat the Rebel tent and the Rebel
cooking utensels to the other side where
the Ist N. Y. mounted Rifles lay when
Sergt. Mills reported to Colonel Dodge
that there were some ten regiments OF
Rebels advancing on them, the lst n. Y.
| Mid Rifles fell back safe distance and
was saved by the bravery and heroic CON
duct of Sergt. Frank W. Mills Sergt.
Eddy and. Sergt. Cavinangh. Although
General order No AZ has been on the wal
records ever since Nov. 1867. Mr.. Mills
never got a copy of it until Congressman
Phillips run across it in the War depart
ment few days ago when he requested
that copy be furnished to Mr.. Mills i'm
mediately as Mr.. Mills is one of his con
stituents and in compliance with Mr.
Phillips requestI the Secretary OF wal
directed true copy of the record OF Gen
eral order AZ be furnished to Mr.. Phillips
| which was done and in turn mailed BY
| Mr. Phillips to his constituent Frank w
Mills of Chicora Pa, and on January :
| 1906 rho same reached Mr. Mills