Engagement at Slatersville- 1862

 The selection below is from the book, From Yorktown to Santiago with the Sixth U. S. Cavalry, by William Harding Carter, published in 1900. The 6th US Cavalry was one of those rarities in the Civil War, a professional regular army regiment. The story picks up during the Peninsula Campaign of 1862 right after the Battle of Williamsburg.

On May 7th the regiment left Williamsburg in pursuit of the enemy, and after a march of about five miles , overtook the rear guard, with which the carbine squadron, composed of B and H companies, became engaged. After a brief but lively skirmish the enemy withdrew. Nine men were wounded in this affair and were left to be cared for in houses in the vicinity. 

The pursuit was continued and on the 9th the advance reached Slatersville about 3 p.m. reported to the regimental commander that a detachment of about twenty Confederate cavalrymen were near by, and he sent a part of Captain Lowell's¹ squadron, consisting of fifty-five men, and Captain Sanders'² company of thirty-two men, to make a detour of the town and cut them off. Soon after the column started a vedette was discovered in the edge of the woods on the right of the village. He signaled to the company of cavalry to which he belonged and it wheeled about. Captain Lowell, who was in advance, immediately took up the gallop, and on reaching the opening he led his squadron to the charge in person. The enemy retreated before the advancing troopers in the direction of some buildings, from which a heavy fire was poured into Captain Lowell's men as soon as the enemy had uncovered them.

At this moment, and before Captain Sanders' company had completely emerged from the wood, a squadron of Confederate cavalry, heretofore concealed , suddenly approached on the left. Captain Sanders' company was immediately diverted from the road through a gap in the fence, and boldly charged down upon the squadron, which greatly exceeded in strength his own force. The sudden attack by Captain Sanders threw the advancing squadron into confusion and caused it to retreat. At this juncture some consternation was produced by the appearance of still another squadron of the enemy advancing rapidly. Captain Sanders showed his signal ability as a cavalryman by rallying his small company, which he had well in hand, wheeling about, charging the Confederate squadron which had last come upon the field, throwing it into confusion and compelling a retreat. 

It was apparent that the the small force was greatly outnumbered and the recall was sounded. Captain Sanders quickly rallied his men and withdrew. Captain Lowell, in the meantime, had pursued through the town beyond the sound of recall, but by prompt action he managed to withdraw before the enemy had recovered sufficiently to recognize the smallness of the force opposed to them. Lieutenants Hutchins³, Whitside⁴ and Coats⁵ were engaged in this affair and were commended for their good conduct. The loss in this action was four killed, eight wounded and three missing. 

The regiment was very proud of this little fight, for the companies engaged were greatly outnumbered at every turn, and it was only by the exhibition of perfect confidence and unhesitating courage that the command was enabled to withdraw, after it was discovered that the supposed small detachment of the enemy had suddenly grown to several squadrons, backed up by infantry. 

The Confederates continued their retreat and the regiment remained in close proximity to the rear guard through the 10th and 11th; on the latter date a sharp engagement, lasting nearly two hours, took place at New Kent Court House, when the enemy withdrew and the regiment pushed on to Cumberland Landing, on the Pamunkey river. During the pursuit, near New Kent Court House, the enemy's rear guard was constantly driven back, and Lieutenants Balder⁶ and Kerin⁷ behaved with such fearlessness and gallantry as to call forth a special report to the brigade commander.

¹ Charles R. Lowell (January 2, 1835 – October 20, 1864)- Charles Russell Lowell III rose to the rank of Brigadier General only to be mortally wounded 2 days later at the Battle of Cedar Creek.

² William P. Sanders (August 12, 1833 – November 19, 1863)- William Price Sanders rose to the rank of Brigadier General but was mortally wounded shortly after at the Siege of Knoxville.

³ Benjamin T. Hutchins (14 March 1836 -5 May 1889)-Benjamin Tucker Hutchins finished the war a Colonel. A Harvard graduate and  attorney, he resigned from the  Army in 1869 to go to seminary becoming an Episcopal minister.

⁴ Samuel M. Whitside (January 9, 1839 -December 15, 1904)- Samuel Marmaduke     Whitside finished the war as a Major surviving a major wound at the Battle of Culpepper Courthouse. He continued in the army serving on the frontier and in the Spanish American War, dying in 1904 as Brigadier General. He is the author of the above work.

⁵ Albert Coats  - Coats ended the war as a Lieutenant Colonel.

⁶ Christian Balder- 1st Lieutenant Balder was killed during the Gettysburg campaign at the Battle of Fairfield.

⁷ Joseph Kerin ( d. September 24, 1890) - The Irish born Kerin was captured in 1863 being held captive till exchanged in 1865. He retired from the Army in 1878.

Another good account of this actiona is at the website, Fiddler's Green-Regular Cavalry in the Civil War.