The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-01-04
Keenan's Charger

morable battle of Chanel orsville, be-
tween the Federal army under General
Hooker, and the Confederate forces
under General Lee, it was believed
had ended advantsgeously to the Union
cause. The rebels we're, in fact, in des-
perate straits, but the genius and dar
ing of Stonewsll Jackson, taking ad.
vantage of the deficient general ship of
the Union commander, on the second
day of the battle turned impending
disaster into one of the most brilliant of
the Confederate victories. During
the early morning and the day of
May 2, Jackson, shieldt by the forests
of the region, made detour of fifteen
miles with his corps and at night fell
like thunderbolt upon the unsuspect-
ing and unprotected rear of the Union
army. What followed, and how the
army of Hooker was saved from ami
hilation or capture, is told in the fol.
lowing extract from Bates History of
Pennsylvania Volunteers, concerning
the Eight Pennsylvania Cavalry, and
the heroic charge of Major keenan,,
then commanding that regiment.
AT three O'Clock on the morning of
May /, 1868, the Eight Pennsylvania
cavalry moved out on the Chan celors'
vile road, and at the crossing of the
United States ford road the advance
guard, under Lieutenant Carpenter,
captured rebel picket party consisting
of twenty-three men and three commits
stoned officers. Upon the arrival of
the regiment near Charlottesville,
McCallum's squadron became heavily
engaged, and Wickersham's squadron
was sent to his assistance, and finally
the entire regiment was brought into
action. The enemy was driven back
on the river road to the woods beyond
Chancel orsville. Captain Wickersham
was left upon the picket line, the rest
of the regiment retiring behind the in
fantry. Ear,y on the morning of May
| /, Wickersham was attacked, but gal
lantly held his ground until joined by
the main body. The enemy was kept
in check, and prevented from advanc-
ing beyond the woods which he occu-
pied, though making repeated attempts
to do so. This was the first fighting on
the Charlottesville field. The regi-
ment suffered heavily in killed, wound
ed, and horses. AT ten A. M. General
Sykes, with his infantry division of re.
|
once heavily engaged. The Eighth
WAS Withdrawn, and was posted in
front of General Hooker's headquarters
at the ChanC ellor house, where it re-
NAMED during the night. On the
morning of the second it rejoined the
brigade, and with the Seventeenth
Pennsylvania cavalry was formed in
an open field in the rear of General
Sickle's line of battle. Near the end of
the afternoon of May 2, the incident
known in history and story as "Keen-
ans Charge" occurred.
"As / was going back at trot,"
says General Pleasanton, "an aide-de-
camp came up to me and said, General,
the eleventh corps is falling back very
rapidly, and some cavalry is necessary
to stop it, l understood pretty we'll
what that meant. had only two regi-
ments of cavalry with me; eighth and
Seventeenth Pennsylvania, one of
them (Slxth New YorR) having been
retained by General Sickles at the front
with fugitives, caissons, ambulances,
guns and everything. l saw the move.
ment was critical, and called to Major
keenan, of the Eighth Pennsylvania,
and gave him his orders. l said to
him, Major, you must charge in these
woods with your regiment, and hold
the rebels until can get some of my
guns into position Said l, You must
| do it at all COST / mentioned the Ma
jor because l knew his character 80
we'll; that he was the man for the occa-
sion. He replied to me with smile on
his face, though it was almost certain
death, General, l will do it, He
started in with his whole regiment, and
made one OF the most gallant charges
in the war. He was killed at the head
of his regiment, but he alarmed the
rebels so much that l gained about ten
minutes on the enemy. Major Keenan,
had only from four TO five hundred
men,"
The enemy which this single regi-
ment was sent to check was the front
of Stonewall Jackson's army, which
had Just fallen upon and routed the
Eleventh corps, and was rushing on in
a resistless torrent to new conquests.
1t was one of those critical moments,
which is the turning point in the for
tunes of an army Should Jackson
gain the commanding position on this
open ground just before him, and now
almost within his grasp, he would sever
the Union army and hold it at his mer.
cy. But If he could be kept in check
for q few minutes, until Pleasanton
could bring his artillery into position,
this commanding ground could be hel l.
A fearful sacrifice must be made. II
fell to the Eighth Pennsylvania caval-
ry to make it. Like the man who is
willing to part with limb for the
preservation of his life, Pleasanton,
knowing the critical posture of affairs
promptly gave the order for the regi'
ment to advance. AS promptly il
obeyed; and taking narrow wood road
with room for only two horsemen to
ride abreast, Huey and Keenan, leading
it dashed forward and was soon in the
very midst of the rebel hordes, theil