Today in History:

129 Series I Volume XIX-II Serial 28 - Antietam Part II

Page 129 Chapter XXXI. OPERATIONS IN LOUDOUN COUNTY, ETC.

and fidelity, viz, Captain A. J. Cohen, assistant adjutant-general; First Lieutenant Isaac W. Ward, Sixth Cavalry; First Lieutenant C. Thompson, First New York Cavalry, aide-de-camp, and First Lieutenant Van Patten, Eighth Illinois Cavalry, division commissary of subsistence.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. PLEASONTON,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.

Brigadier General R. B. MARCY,

Chief of Staff, Army of the Potomac.


No. 3.

Report of Colonel David McM. Gregg, Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, of operations October 26 - November 22.


HDQRS. CAVALRY DIVISION, LEFT GRAND DIVISION,
January 2, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and of other troops under my command, from the 26th of October, when the Second Brigade of Cavalry crossed the Potomac into Virginia, until the 22nd of November, when it arrived at Falmouth:

At Purcellville, Va., the Eighth Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry was employed with the other regiments in picketing, and from here several reconnaissances were made by squadrons of the regiment toward Aldie and Middleburg, which were successful. Upon the arrival of the brigade at Philomont, one squadron was, by the direction of the brigadier-general commanding, sent to reconnoiter the road leading to Union. This squadron having met the enemy's cavalry in considerable force, engaged them, but were compelled to retire. By direction of Brigadier-General Pleasonton, I at once proceeded, with the Third Regiment of Indiana Cavalry and the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, to the support of the squadron engaged; with dismounted skirmishers from both regiments, the enemy were handsomely driven from a wood which they occupied. This wood, in our possession, was subjected to such a fire of grape and canister from the enemy that I withdrew my skirmishers, and sent to Brigadier-General Pleasonton for a piece of artillery, which quickly arrived, and, from a disadvantageous position, opened a well-directed fire of grape upon the enemy. The contest was then continued, the enemy directing the fire of four pieces of artillery upon my command. The enemy's mounted and dismounted men having retired behind his artillery, I returned with my command to camp at Philomont. Whilst I was engaged with the enemy, the firing from Pennington's battery, at Philomont, did good execution, drawing, in some degree, the fire of the enemy from my command, and later entirely compelling the withdrawal of their artillery. In this affair our loss was 2 men killed and 1 commissioned officer and 12 men wounded. The enemy's loss was greater, including 5 commissioned officers wounded. On the 3d, the brigade being engaged with the enemy at Union, two squadrons of the Eighth Pennsylvania Cavalry, under Lieutenant-Colonel Griffiths, entered the town of Bloomfield, drove out a strong picket of the enemy, captured 3 prisoners, and recaptured Major O'Neill, a United States officer on General Meagher's staff, that morning captured by the enemy. The reamin

9 R R-VOL XIX, PT II


Page 129 Chapter XXXI. OPERATIONS IN LOUDOUN COUNTY, ETC.