Watched a trade for the sale of a cavalry saber from the Civil War era.
During negotiations, the issue arose of saber-caused deaths during the war. It was claimed that cavalry sabers caused very few, if any, deaths during the entire conflict.
Am wondering whether there are any accounts of cavalry commanders or troopers being killed by saber cuts in a cavalry engagement during the war.
I am aware of quite a few incidents where men were killed by saber during the Civil War, in both armies, and I could give many examples to that fact from period sources. However, I will just give the following one for you now.
That being the Battle of Lovejoy`s Station and Nash`s Farm during the Atlanta Campaign, on 20 Aug 1864, which was a horrific scene, where numerous Confederate cavalry from Ross`s brigade were cut to pieces by Kilpatrick`s men with the saber, cutting off hands, arms, heads, and cutting some men clean in half as they were mounted, with the top parts of their bodies sliding off to the ground.
By the early morning of 20 Aug 1864, things with Kilpatrick`s cavalry was heating up at Lovejoy`s station as he was reported being heavily engaged against Ross` Texas brigade. Armstrong and Ferguson were ordered from their positions to respond with their brigades in an effort to reinforce Brig. General Ross at Lovejoy`s station, which they did. The plan was for all three cavalry brigades to triangulate and formulate a strong offensive action against Kilpatrick`s position (Lovejoy`s station) where they would be able to box him in leaving no place for his men to escape to so that they could defeat them all quickly.
The only escape route seemingly possible for Kilpatrick, was to tear out to the east on the McDonough road. Kilpatrick's cavalry dashed about a mile east of Lovejoy`s station and upon reaching a high ridge, spotted about four-hundred of Ross's Texas brigade, dismounted with artillery pieces behind them, blocking the McDonough road near the old Nash farm, then located at McDonough and Babb's Mill road. To make things worse for the Federals they could hear the cavalry brigades of Armstrong and Ferguson fast approaching and quickly advancing on their position from two separate adjoining roads to reinforce Ross` Texas brigade.
Kilpatrick, knowing that he was trapped, gave the order to Col. Minty`s
"saber brigade" to prepare to fight for their lives. He directed Col. Minty to form his command in three columns by regiment, with his regiments in groups of four. Col. Minty
"moved into the cornfield south of the McDonough Road, facing east," placing his 4th Michigan Cavalry Brigade at the end of the column, with the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry Brigade on his right (McDonough Road) and the 4th U.S. Cavalry Regulars on the left.
Col. Minty ordered the column to start at a trot toward Ross' Texas brigade who were posted across the McDonough road at Nash farm, which was blocking Minty`s escape. When they were close enough for a charge, the order was given to draw their sabers and the whole Federal force, some four-thousand men, broke into a full run, with sabers drawn, and ready for battle as they rushed Ross` position. A detachment of men, on foot, went ahead of the charge and took down the rail fences which allowed the horses to pass through the gaps. The charge was across a cornfield, the stalks of which pounded the legs of both men and horses. One of Ross` cannons fired away at the approaching Federal column, but Ross` dismounted cavalry could only watch until the charging Federal force was in range. Ross's men held their line and fired a volley into the charge, but there was little time for a second shot before the Federal charge over ran their line. This resulted in many of Ross's men scattering in all directions to escape the crush of the sabers.
The scene was a horrific, as Minty`s men hacked away at Ross` men, slashing off limbs and taking heads. Ross' men could do little once the Federal force was among them, except to fight for their lives or surrender.
"Our men were mounted on the gallop and…cut them down right and left," recalled Union Capt. Robert Burns of Company C, 4th Michgan Cavalry, regarding the days fighting in his daily Journal as well as a personal letter written home on 28 Aug 1864 explaining the days fighting from the 18th to 20th. Some of the things which he wrote were:
"Col. (Eli) Long halted just in rear of Col. (Eli) Murray, this was about 6 a.m. of the 20th. Our Brigade had just been ordered to mount and move forward when Col. Long was attacked, by the rebel cavalry which had followed us from Jonesboro. It now consisted of Ross`, Ferguson`s and Armstrong`s Brigades, about 4,500 men. Our (2nd) Brigade (Garrard`s Division) moved on and turned sharply to the right, in a south westernly direction, for the purpose of striking the railroad again about 8 miles below Jonesboro."
"I was just about to strike two, when they threw up their hands and surrendered. I passed them by, leaving someone in the rear to take care of them. A third who did not surrender fast enough, I struck him full on top of the head, felt my saber sink in, saw him fall, and dashed on."
"Pvt. Sam Waters riding in the front ranks of the 7th Pennsylvania Cavalry, stood up in his stirrups as he overtook a mounted Confederate and raised his saber. The Rebel rider threw his arm up to ward off the blow. The Yankee blade flashed, cutting off his hand at the wrist. Another blow nearly severed the mans head from his body."
However, not all of the Federal cavalrymen were so eager with the sword. Pvt. Albert Potter of the 4th Michigan Cavalry wrote:
"They surrendered by the dozens, but many were cut down without mercy, for my part I could not strike them down after they had given up and but very few did hit them in our regiment, but the Regulars - slashed left and right, and left many a poor devil's brains lay scattered on the ground - from there it was nothing but a Panic, they just ran like dogs."
Below is an account from the 2 Sep 1864 issue of
"The Philadelphia Inquirer" (Philadelphia, PA.), which was written less than two weeks after the fight.
"While the various regiments were being maneuvered into position to meet the onslaught of the rebels, who were sweeping down upon them, the men had time to comprehend the danger that surrounded them, rebels to the right of them, rebels to the left of them, rebels in the rear of them, rebels in front of them surrounded, there was no salvation but to cut their way out. Visions of Libby Prison and starvation flitted across their minds, and they saw that the deadly conflict could not be avoided. Placing himself at the head of his brigade, the gallant and fearless Minty drew his saber and his voice rung out dear and loud, "Attention, column forward, trot, regulate by the center regiment, march - gallop - march!" and away the brigade went with a yell that echoed far across the Valleys.
The ground from which the start was made, and over which they charged, was a plantation of about two square miles, thickly strewn with patches of woods, deep water-cuts, fences, ditches, and morasses. At the word, away went the bold dragoons, at the height of their speed. Fences were jumped, ditches were no impediment The rattle of the sabers mingled with that of the mess-kettles and frying-pans that jingled at the sides of the pack-mule brigade, which was madly pushed forward by the frightened darkies who straddled them. Charging for their lives, and yelling like devils, Minty and his troopers encountered the rebels behind a hastily-erected barricade of rails. Pressing their rowels deep into their horses' flanks, and raising their sabers aloft, on, on, on, nearer and nearer to the rebels, they plunged. The terror-stricken enemy could not withstand the thunderous wave of men and horse that threatened to engulf them. They broke and ran, just as Minty and his troopers were urging their horses for the decisive blow. In an instant, all was confusion. The yells of the horseman were drowned in the dashing of steel and the groans of the dying. On pressed Minty in pursuit, his men's sabers striking right and left, and cutting down everything in their path. The rebel horsemen were seen to reel and pitch headlong to the earth, while their frightened steeds rushed pell-mell over their bodies. Many of the rebels defended themselves with almost superhuman strength, yet it was all in vain. The charge of Federal steel was irresistible. The heads and limbs of some of the rebels were actually severed from the bodies, the head of the rider falling on one side of the horse, the lifeless trunk upon the other.
The individual instances of heroism were many. Hardly a man flinched, and when the brigade came out more than half the sabers were stained with human blood. Among the cases of daring vouched for are the following: An orderly of Major Jennings, Samuel Walters, Company F, Seventh Pennsylvania, rode upon a rebel cavalryman, who threw up his band to guard the blow. The saber came down, severing the hand from the arm. Another blow followed quickly after upon the neck, and over the rebel rolled out of his saddle, the head only clinging to the body by a thin fiber. Private Douglas and Captain Mclntyre, of the Fourth United States, charged side by side, killed four or five with the saber, captured a captain and lieutenant and thirteen men, who were turned over to Douglas by the Captain, who rushed forward into the fray. After the charge was over Douglas rode up to Colonel Minty, saluted him, turned over his fifteen prisoners, and remarked, "Here Colonel, are fifteen Johnnies, the trophies of Captain Mclntyre and Private Douglas, Fourth Regulars."
It was, all admit, one of the finest charges of the war. Fully one hundred men fell under the keen sabers of Minty's brigade. The praises of Minty and his command are upon every tongue. The Fourth United States, Fourth Michigan, First, Third, and Fourth Ohio regiments charged over a rebel battery of three guns on the left of the road; but no sootier had our men passed than the rebels again seized the cannon and, reversing them, poured grape and canister into the charging columns. General Kilpatrick, seeing this, with his staff and others, about thirty in all, moved forward to capture the guns, but found a high staked fence between him and the battery. Seeing the predicament in which the General was, private William Bailey, Company I, Fourth Michigan, an orderly to Colonel Minty, coolly rode up to the fence, dismounted in the face of a severe fire, tore down the fence, remounted, rode up to the battery, shot the captain, took possession of the horse and arms, and rode out. He was immediately followed by a party of men who captured the battery and spiked the guns. In the charge, Minty s brigade captured three stands of colors, the Fourth United States taking two, and the Fourth Michigan one."
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