Officers 6th Michigan Cav in Camp, 1863

Private Watkins

2nd Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 12, 2014
Location
Oklahoma
Expired Image Removed
This CDV shows a group of Federal cavalrymen sitting around camp. There is an old period ID written in pencil on the reverse, "Officers 6th Michigan Cav. in camp 1863". A more modern pencil inscription also identifies the officer seated 2nd from the right as possibly Charles E. Bolza who was later killed at Falling Waters not long after this view was taken.

Lots to see in this photo... saddle in the background, the men sit around on boxes and a large chest, cooking utensils, pots & pans... a mess tent?

Any other details or unique items in the image stand out to anyone...?
 
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Another image of Lt. Charles E. Bolza, second from the right in the above camp photo...
488af611172ef02c7ef1c5c5aa00ccfa.jpg

Lt. Bolza was killed at The Battle of Falling Waters, July 1863, during the mounted charge of the 6th Michigan Cavalry. Orphaned as a child, he came to Michigan in 1856 and owned a jewelry store in Grand Rapids at the start of the war. He joined his regiment in October, 1862.

I'm not very familiar with the Battle of Falling Waters... can anyone provide more information...? Thanks.
 
Another image of Lt. Charles E. Bolza, second from the right in the above camp photo...
488af611172ef02c7ef1c5c5aa00ccfa.jpg

Lt. Bolza was killed at The Battle of Falling Waters, July 1863, during the mounted charge of the 6th Michigan Cavalry. Orphaned as a child, he came to Michigan in 1856 and owned a jewelry store in Grand Rapids at the start of the war. He joined his regiment in October, 1862.

I'm not very familiar with the Battle of Falling Waters... can anyone provide more information...? Thanks.

FALLING WATERS, MD
JULY 14TH, 1863

Falling Waters, Md., July 14, 1863. 1st and 3rd Cavalry
Divisions Army of the Potomac. While in pursuit of the
Confederates after the battle of Gettysburg Brig.-Gen. Judson
Kilpatrick, commanding the 3rd cavalry division, learned that
the enemy was moving toward Falling Waters and immediately
started in that direction. At 7:30 a.m. on the 14th his
advance came up with the Confederate rearguard about 2 miles
from Falling Waters and the skirmishing commenced. Half a
mile farther on Heth's division was discovered drawn up in
line of battle on a hill commanding the road on which
Kilpatrick was advancing. Heth's left was protected by
earthworks and his right extended into a piece of woods. The
6th Mich., seeing only that portion of the enemy behind the
works, made a gallant charge under the leadership of Maj. P.
Weber, and although met by a heavy fire passed up to and
over the works, then turned to right and returned to the main
column, bringing in a piece of artillery, which was captured
while the enemy was trying to get it in position in advance of
his works. In this charge the regiment lost 30 in killed,
wounded and missing, Weber being one of the killed. Gen.
Custer next threw forward a regiment as skirmishers, but it
was driven back, followed by the enemy until checked by the
1st Mich and part of the 8th N.Y. Kilpatrick now formed the
entire division and pressed the enemy at all points gradually
forcing him back toward the river. While the 3rd division was
thus engaged with the Confederates in front, the 1st division,
Brig.-Gen. John Buford commanding, made a detour and attacked
them on the flank and rear, throwing them into confusion and
scattering them through the woods and hills. In this flank
attack Buford captured a 10-pounder Parrott gun, a caisson,
300 muskets and over 500 prisoners. As soon as the enemy's
line broke under Buford's assault, Kilpatrick pressed his
advantage and the Confederates were completely routed. This
was the last stand made by Lee's army on the north side of the
Potomac. The Union loss was 29 killed, 36 wounded and 40
missing. The Confederate loss was 15O killed, a large number
wounded and 1,500 captured. Brig.-Gen. Pettigrew, commanding
part of the Confederate forces, was mortally wounded early in
the action. In addition to the prisoners captured the
Federals brought off 2 pieces of artillery, 2 caissons,
several hundred stands of small-arms and 3 battleflags.

Source: The Union Army, vol. 5
 
Expired Image Removed
This CDV shows a group of Federal cavalrymen sitting around camp. There is an old period ID written in pencil on the reverse, "Officers 6th Michigan Cav. in camp 1863". A more modern pencil inscription also identifies the officer seated 2nd from the right as possibly Charles E. Bolza who was later killed at Falling Waters not long after this view was taken.

Lots to see in this photo... saddle in the background, the men sit around on boxes and a large chest, cooking utensils, pots & pans... a mess tent?

Any other details or unique items in the image stand out to anyone...?

MICHIGAN
Sixth Cavalry.
(Three Years)
The Sixth Regiment of Michigan Volunteer Cavalry was
organized in the summer of 1862, under authority of the
Secretary of War, granted directly to Hon. Francis W. Kellogg,
member of Congress from the (then) Fourth Congressional
District of Michigan. It comprised twelve troops of a maximum
strength of 100 men each, including the proper complement of
non-commissioned officers. The rendezvous was Grand Rapids.
George Gray, a leading lawyer of the state, was commissioned
Lieutenant Colonel and assigned to command of the camp. Troop
commanders were ordered to report to him. Subsequently, and
before the date of muster, Governor Blair, in compliance with a
petition of the officers of the regiment, commissioned him as
Colonel. Major Russell A. Alger of the Second Michigan
Cavalry, was commissioned to succeed Colonel Gray as Lieutenant
Colonel.

The regiment was mustered into the United States service
October 11, 1862, with 1229 officers and men. But four of the
officers had seen service, viz: Lieutenant Colonel R. A. Alger,
previously Captain and Major of the Second Michigan Cavalry;
Captain Peter A. Weber, in the Third Michigan Infantry, and
Battalion Adjutant of the Second Michigan Cavalry; Lieutenant
Don G. Lovell, as Corporal in the Third Infantry, and
Lieutenant Phineas G. White, as Sergeant in the First Michigan
Cavalry.

When Hooker's army began its movement into Maryland to
head off Lee, Stahel's division was made a part of the army of
the Potomac, and the Sixth Michigan acted as rear guard at the
crossing of the Potomac River at Edward's Ferry. Kilpatrick
succeeded Stahel; and Custer, promoted to Brigadier General
from the rank of Captain on Pleasanton's Staff, took the place
of Copeland. He was first seen by the Michigan men at the
battle of Hanover, Pa., June 30, 1863, the first time the Sixth
was under fire. The regiment, to quote General Kilpatrick's
report, "particularly distinguished" itself at Hunterstown
after dark on July 2, where it encountered Wade Hampton's
cavalry. It was in the famous cavalry fight on the right at
Gettysburg, July 3, where it supported Pennington's battery.
It marched all day July 4 in a pouring rain, was in the
engagement in the mountain pass at Monterey at midnight, July
4; was at Smithfield, Boonsboro, Hagerstown, Williamsport (July
6), where Adjutant Jewett was killed, and at Falling Waters,
July 14, where, under Major Weber, who was killed, it attacked
the rear guard of the army of northern Virginia, under General
Pettigrew, who was also killed, making a charge which
Kilpatrick in his official report referred to as "the most
gallant ever made," and which a confederate writer in a
southern paper afterwards described as "a charge of dare-
devils." With one exception, Hawes' Shop, this was the most
sanguinary engagement in which the Sixth ever took part.

At Falling Waters the 6th suffered 22 killed, 19 wounded, 17 captured, 3 missing.
 
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