DUFFIÉ & THE MONUMENT TO HIS MEMORY
go to page [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] - TRADUCTION FRANCAISE par Jean-Philippe Chereul
On the 7th of November, 1862, General Ambrose E. Burnside
succeeded Mc Clellan as Commander of the Army of the Potomac, and, on the first
day of December, following, the First Rhode Island Cavalry, First Massachusetts
Cavalry and the Third and Fourth Regiments Pennsylvania Cavalry were put under
the command of Brig.-General William W. Averill. This putting the cavalry into
brigades by Burnside was the beginning of the movement towards consolidation
of this arm of the ser-vice, finally resulting under Hooker in the formation
of a cavalry corps. After joining Averill's brigade Colonel Duffié renewed his
efforts to perfect the reg-iment in military knowledge. Copies of tactics were
bought for the use of the non-commissioned officers, and all officers were practically
put into a school for soldiers. The sergeants and corporals had their regular
recitations in the tents of the captains, and all the commissioned officers
were frequently summoned to the colonel's quarters for instruction and examination,
while daily drills in company, squadron and regimental formations tested the
lessons of the book, and the results fully justified the following order:
HEADQUARTERS FIRST RH0DE ISLAND CAVALRY,
CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA., January 16,1863. f (Special Orders, No. 23.)
Fellow-Soldiers:
Again it is my proud privilege to congratu-late you upon your admirable appearance,
drill and discipline, as a regiment. It has been granted me before, in all truth,
to applaud the efforts you have made to become the first among the cavalry in
the service.
General Roberts, Chief of Cavalry on General Pope's staff, on the 18th of last
August, said: "While I have no hesitancy in saying yours is the best regiment
I have inspected so far, there is still much to be done." Since that time, unqualified
praise from high military sources has been repeatedly accorded to you; and now,
to crown the whole, our most distinguished, most esteemed General, commanding
this brigade, after the inspection of the l5th instant, says: "It is the best
regiment in my brigade."
Sharing equally alike the glorious possession of such a pres-tige, we must all
see to it, with jealous care, that we hold the position assigned us against
all comers.
Let no mark or blot mar the fair page; and I hope soon, across the river which
intercepts us from our foe, you will fin-ish your brilliant achievements.
A.N. DUFFIÉ,
Colonel Commanding First Rhode Island Cavalry.
March 1, 1863, General Averill had his force increased by the addition of three
regiments and the whole was divided into two brigades, forming the Second Division,
Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac. Colonel Duffié, although not the senior
Colonel, was appointed to command the First Brigade, composed of the First Rhode
Island, First Mas-sachusetts, Fourth New York, and the Sixth Ohio Cavalry. March
17, 1863, General Averill crossed the Rappahannock River at Kelley's Ford, and
on that day was fought the first cavalry battle in Virginia. Here the First
Rhode Island was first in every encounter with the enemy, and Duffié had rea-son
to be proud of his regiment. Upon the right bank of the river the enemy, sheltered
by rifle-pits, commanded the ford and repulsed the first regiment, and then
a platoon of eighteen men of the First Rhode Island Cavalry, led by Lieutenant
Simeon Brown, charged across under a fire so severe that only the Lieutenant
and three of his men reached the opposite shore, the others having been stopped
by bullets striking them or their horses. It bad been shown that the crossing
could be made, and the remainder of the regiment followed, capturing twenty-five
of the enemy before they could retreat from the rifle-pits to their horses.
In this contest, called the Battle of Kelley's Ford, General Fitz-Hugh Lee was
in command of the rebels, although Gen. J. E. B. Stuart was present, and the
best Virginia regiments of cavalry were there to meet the Yankees; but three
times the First Rhode Island charged them with the sabre and were each time
victorious. The total loss on the Union side was eighty-one, and forty-two of
that number came from the First Rhode Island