Hello,
My wife has an ancestor Charles Baylie who was a private in the Union Army; enlisted Company B Regular Army 2nd Cavalry Regiment on Aug 22 1856 at age 21 Captain Harrison's Company.
Is there some source that could help me verify if he was at the First Battle of Bull Run as the family oral history suggests? I do know his widow many years later collected a pension certificate 588419 application 801.974 filed March 3 1904.
Regards,
Cedar Creek
Second U. S. Cavalry
Report of Maj. Innis N. Palmer, Second U.S. Cavalry, commanding
battalion.
CAVALRY CAMP, NEAR ARLINGTON, July 23, 1861.
SIR: In obedience to circular from brigade headquarters of this date, I have
the honor to submit the following report off the operations of my command
during the battle before Manassas on the 21st instant. (1st Bull Run)
My command consisted of one company of the Second Dragoons, Capt.
F.C. Armstrong commanding, two companies of the First Cavalry, under
Capt. A.V. Colburn, and four companies of Second Cavalry, under Capts.
A.G. Brackett, W.W. Lowe, J.E. Harrison, and First Lieut. Drummond.
At the commencement of the action the whole cavalry force was ordered to
the front, and it took a position on the extreme right of the line. From this
point portions were detached from time to time, to support the different
batteries and to examine the ground on the left of the enemy's line. While
they were thus engaged, a small body of the enemy's cavalry, which had
charged through the New York Zouave Regiment, came within short distance
of my commanded, and I directed a small party, under Sergeant Sachs, of
the Second Dragoons, to pursue them. He succeeded in capturing several
prisoners, among them Gen. George Steuart, of Maryland.
During the entire action the cavalry, sometimes together and sometimes in
detachments, moved by the direction of the commanding general to various
points in the field, where there was a prospect of their being able to act to
advantage. When the force on the right of our attacking line first gave way,
all of my officers, assisted by Governor Sprague, of Rhode Island,
endeavored to rally them, and I found it necessary to deploy the cavalry to
oppose the retreat of these men. They were, however, totally demoralized,
and a galling fire, opened suddenly from the woods in front of us, made all
our efforts unavailing.
When the retreat from the field became general, the whole of the cavalry,
excepting those killed, wounded, or dismounted by loss of horses, was
together, and in good condition. I was directed to cover the retreat, assisted
by a section of Arnold's battery. The enemy rapidly advanced upon the rear,
and at the crossing of Bull Run it was necessary to form my command to
receive their cavalry. Two shots from the guns of Arnold caused them to
retire, and soon after I received orders to push on as rapidly as possible in
order to save my command. I reached Centreville about 8.30 p.m., and this
place at 5.30 a.m. the next morning.
The conduct of officers and men throughout the day was in the highest
degree praiseworthy.*
* * * * *
All of which is respectfully submitted
.
I.N. PALMER,
Maj., Second Cavalry, Commanding Cavalry.
Capt. W.W. AVERELL,
A.A.A.G. Col. Porter's Brigade.
INNIS N. PALMER
Palmer, Innis N., brigadier-general, was born in Buffalo,
N. Y. March 30, 1824. He was graduated at the United States
military academy in 1846 and served throughout the Mexican war,
where he was wounded at Chapultepec, won the brevets of 1st
lieutenant and captain for gallantry at Contreras, Churubusco
and Chapultepec, and took part in the assault on and capture of
the City of Mexico. He was afterwards on frontier and
recruiting duty, and was promoted major, April 5, I86I, having
attained the intervening grades. He served from April to July,
1861, in the defenses of Washington, and in the Manassas
campaign he commanded the battalion of United States cavalry at
the battle of Bull Run, winning promotion to brevet lieutenant-
colonel by gallantry there. He was transferred to the 5th
cavalry in Aug., 1861, was commissioned brigadier-general of
volunteers on Sept. 23, and commanded a brigade in the 4th army
corps of the Army of the Potomac during the Virginia Peninsular
campaign being engaged at Yorktown Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, and
in the Seven Days' battles. He was subsequently engaged in
organizing and forwarding to the field New Jersey and Delaware
troops and in superintending camps of drafted men at
Philadelphia, Pa., in 1862; commanded then the 1st division of
the 18th army corps in North Carolina from Jan. to July, 1863,
the Department of North Carolina, February to March, the
District of Pamlico, the 18th army corps and the defenses of New
Berne, N. C., March, 1863, to April, 1864, and then the
districts of North Carolina and Beaufort, N. C., successively
until June, 1865. He was promoted lieutenant-colonel and
transferred to the 2nd cavalry, Sept. 23, 1863, and on March 13,
1865, was brevetted brigadier-general in the regular army and
major-general of volunteers. He was promoted colonel in June,
1868, and commanded his regiment at various posts until retired
at his own request in March, 1879. He died in Chevy Chase, Md.,
Sept. 1O, 1900.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 8
Source: Official Records
CHAP. IX.] THE BULL RUN CAMPAIGN. PAGE 393-2
[Series I. Vol. 2. Serial No. 2.]
Brigadier-General, William Woods Averell, (1832 - 1900) was born in
Cameron, Steuben county, N. Y., Nov. 5, 1832. Being graduated
at West Point in 1855 he was assigned to the mounted riflemen
and served in garrison and at the school for practice at
Carlisle Pa., until 1857, when he was ordered to frontier
duty, and saw a great deal of Indian fighting. He was
severely wounded in a night attack by the Navajos in 1859, and
was given sick leave until the outbreak of the Civil War in
Being promoted to first lieutenant of the mounted
riflemen, on May 14, 1861, he fought at Bull Run and in other
engagements until Aug. 23, 1861, when he was appointed colonel
of the 3rd Penn. cavalry, and given command of the cavalry
defenses in front of Washington. In March, 1863, he began the
series of cavalry raids in western Virginia that have made his
name famous. His raids did much to help the Union cause, and
he was rewarded by the government in frequent promotions. On
March 13, 1865, he was made brevet major-general, U. S. A.,
and on May 18 he resigned. From 1866 to 1869 Gen. Averell was
consul-general of the United States in the British possessions
of North America, and then became president of a large
manufacturing concern. He invented a process for making cast
steel from the ore in one operation, the American asphalt
pavement and several complicated machines.
Source: The Union Army, vol. 8