Official Records. SERIES I. Vol. XLVI/1
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Report of Major H. B. Scott (4th Mass. Cavalry) to Governor John A. Andrew of Massachusetts.
April 24, 1865
I have the honor to transmit for the information of Your Excellency a report of the engagement at High Bridge, Va., on the 6th instant, of a detachment of this regiment with the cavalry of General Lee's army.
This engagement, although disastrous to the regiment in the loss of three excellent and very gallant officers killed and five officers wounded, has redounded greatly to the credit of the regiment and the State. Several rebel officers with whom I conversed after their capture spoke of it as the most gallant fight of the war. The numerous saber wounds given and the great mortality among the officers is good evidence of this, and the fact that Colonel Washburn, with less than seventy men, almost held his own against three brigades of cavalry, with the infantry of Lee's army supporting them, needs no comment. I leave the two regiments of infantry under Colonel Washburn's command out of the consideration, because it is generally conceded that their behavior was not creditable. I think there is no doubt that if the whole regiment had been under Colonel Washburn's command we should have a different result to the engagement, and General Lee's surrender been hastened two days. I am happy to inform Your Excellency that the colors of the regiment were not captured; at the suggestion of Surgeon Garvin they were burned by the color-sergeant, Thomas Hickey.
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I would respectfully suggest, if the matter has not already received your attention, that a new set of colors be sent the regiment, and three company guidons for Companies I, L, and M, which, unfortunately, were captured when all the officers and men were killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. I shall have the honor to forward nominations for the vacancies caused by the deaths in battle as soon as I am advised by Colonel Washburn, who is now at home.
Chelsea Telegraph and Pioneer
April 29, 1865
Battle of High Bridge.
Fourth Mass. Cavalry.
Col. Horatio Jenkins, of this city, returned home on Friday Morning, looking well. He was wounded in the charge of the 4th Mass. Cavalry, on the 6th inst., receiving a bullet in the right arm, where it remains. The Cavalry composed of the body guard of Gen. Ord, two squadrons, about 80 men; Col. Washburn in command. They reached Burkville on the night of the 5th, in pursuit of Lee. Early on the morning of the 6th, Gen. Ord sent two regiments of infantry, accompanied by his body guard, to take possession of Highbridge, on the Lynchburg road, and hold it. They reached the bridge, meeting only with the enemy's scouts; but here the rebel Gen. Rosser intercepted their retreat by throwing himself between them and Burkville, and immediately made an attack. Our Infantry numbered 800, and Cavalry 80, with eleven officers. Rosser's men numbered at least 2,000, with Fitz Hugh Lee's cavalry at supporting distance. The rebels, knowing their advantage in numbers, pressed so hotly that it became necessary for our Cavalry to charge, which they did, with the understanding that the Infantry would support them in the effort to cut their way through the rebel ranks. The charge was made gallantly; the enemy's first line of battle, consisting of one Brigade, was cut through and their men scattered in every direction. But the Infantry failed to follow up the charge! Reforming in compact order, again the Cavalry charged, throwing themselves on the enemy's second line. A hand to hand fight ensued, when our brave little band was almost cut to pieces; all were captured; three officers killed and five wounded, out of eleven. The infantry was subsequently captured. The enemy, fearful of the close proximity of Sheridan, moved off rapidly, leaving the wounded in a rebel house by the roadside, whence they were taken by the advance guard of the Federal army.
From the report of General Ord
(Commander, Army of the James):
Apprehending that my bridge-burning party might meet a force of Lee's cavalry sent southward to hold this bridge I had, before receiving Sheridan's dispatch, sent General Theodore Read, my chief of staff, and the most gallant and reliable officer I had at hand, to conduct the party, cautioning him to reconnoiter the country well before he moved up to the Farmville bridge; and after I received General Sheridan's dispatch I sent the next best staff officer I had to caution Read that Lee's army was in his rear, and he must return by pressing on, crossing the Appomattox and going around by Prince Edward Court-House. The last officer was driven back by Lee's cavalry. Read overtook Washburn's small party, took the cavalry into Farmville and examined the country, returned to the infantry, and was pushing for the bridge when the advance cavalry of Lee's whole army overtook them within two miles of the bridge. Here, about noon, the gallant Read drew up his little band of 80 cavalry and 500 infantry, rode along the front of his ranks, inspired them with all his own daring, and began the battle with an army in his front. Charge after charge was made by the handful of cavalry, led by the chivalrous Washburn, who captured more rebels than he had men; but Read fell mortally wounded, then Washburn, and at last not an officer of that cavalry party remained alive or unwounded to lead the men, and not until then did they surrender. But, as I learned afterward, this stubborn fight in his front led General Lee to believe that a heavy force had struck the head of his column; he halted his whole army, began intrenching, issued what was called a stampeding order, so that not long afterward Sheridan's cavalry and the Sixth Corps did overtake and strike him, and swept his lines for some two miles.
Official Records. SERIES I. Vol. XLVI/1
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Report of Major H. B. Scott (4th Mass. Cavalry) to Colonel Ed. W. Smith, Assistant Adjutant-General, Department.
May 9, 1865
I have the honor to forward, for the information of the major-general commanding the department, the inclosed report of the fight at High Bridge, Va., on the 6th ultimo, made by Lieutenant Lathrop, the senior officer of the regiment remaining unhurt.
I respectfully ask your attention to the fact that of eleven officers engaged but three escaped uninjured, three officers being killed dead on the spot and five severely wounded, one of whom, Colonel Washburn, has since died, and ask that some official notice of their gallantry, as evidenced by their wounds, may be taken. I may add that all of these wounds are saber cuts or shots received at close quarters. The following officers were severely wounded, and merit brevets: Col. Francis Washburn, since died; Lieut. Col. Horatio Jenkins, jr., pistol wound in arm; Captain Caldwell, in thigh; First Lieutenant Belcher, saber cut; Second Lieutenant Thompson, in abdomen. Captain Goddard, Captain Hodges and Lieutenant Davis were killed on the spot while displaying especial gallantry. All of the officers and men of the command behaved admirably and deserve praise. The discrimination has been made in recommending brevets in favor of those who are, and have been, suffering from wounds.
Report of Lieut. J. H. Lathrop to Major H. B. Scott
April 25, 1865
Being the senior officer of the Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry who escaped uninjured from the fight near High Bridge, Va., on the 6th instant, I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of the cavalry during that day:
At 4 o'clock on the morning of April 6 a detachment of thirteen officers and sixty-seven men of the Fourth Massachusetts Cavalry, under
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command of Colonel Washburn, left Burkeville to co-operate with the Fifty-fourth Pennsylvania and One hundred and twenty-third Ohio Infantry in burning a long railroad bridge over the Appomattox River about two miles from Farmville. We proceeded quietly until, when within some two miles of our destination, the advance guard was fired on by a few mounted rebels. The cavalry then pushed forward to hold a road leading to the bridge, while the infantry followed slowly. A few minutes later we came to a small stream, the bridge over which had been torn up, and on a hill just beyond were about thirty rebel cavalry who commenced firing as soon as the head of our column came in sight. The advance guard, under Lieutenant Davis, dashed forward, laid the planks, charged up the hill, and drove the enemy for more than a mile until, near Farmville, they were re-enforced and made a stand. We skirmished with them for half an hour or more, when they opened on us with artillery, and we gradually fell back, hearing our infantry firing quite rapidly in our rear.
The fight took place at about noon in a small strip of woodland nearly a mile from the bridge, the country adjacent being very rough and hilly, so that it was impossible for cavalry to work to any advantage. When we reached the scene of action the infantry were deployed and holding a fence just inside the woods, while a few rods beyond was a brigade of dismounted rebel cavalry engaging our infantry at short range. Immediately on our arrival Colonel Washburn held a consultation with General Read, and at once determined to charge the enemy. Forming the squadron on the brow of the hill we moved forward in column of fours, at a trot, until beyond the right flank of our infantry, and then, wheeling to the left, by fours we charged into the woods. This charge was eminently successful, the enemy scattering in every direction, and we captured a number of them. The squadron was then reformed and we charged back into the woods, meeting a large force of rebel cavalry who had come up during our first charge. The men fought desperately hand to hand, but the conflict only lasted a few minutes, for, overpowered by numbers and all the officers being disabled or captured, many of our men surrendered. Some tried to cut their way out, but it was useless. The guidons of Companies I, L, and M were captured, but the regimental flag was burned by Color-Sergeant Hickey when he found that escape was impossible. Our whole force, infantry and cavalry, numbered about 800 men, while the troops we fought were General Rosser's division of cavalry, with Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry and Longstreet's infantry within supporting distance.
The enemy's loss was much greater than ours, but our cavalry suffered severely, particularly in officers; of 11 who went into the fight, 3 were killed, 5 wounded, and 3 taken prisoners. Our surgeon and chaplain remained in the rear with the wounded and were captured after the action was over.
Five officers and sixty enlisted men were taken prisoners and remained in the hands of the enemy until the 9th instant, when General Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox Court House.
Francis Washburn by Horatio Stone
Harvard Univ. Portrait Collection.