A Controversial Death

Union Colonel Ulric Dahlgren was killed during a raid on the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia on March 2^nd 1864.

Ulric Dahlgren was the son of Rear Admiral John A and Madeleine (Vinton) Dahlgren, and was born April 3^rd 1842 in Neshaminy, Buck County, Pennsylvania.  After graduating from school in 1858, he went to work as a civil engineer, surveying some lands in Mississippi.  In 1860 he began studying law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

When the Civil War started, Dahlgren served on the military staffs of Franz Sigel, Ambrose E Burnside, Joseph Hooker and George G Meade.  He precipitated in reconnaissance during the Battle of Chancellorsville, and scouted Confederate lines throughout the Gettysburg Campaign.  On July 6^th 1863 while fighting as part of the cavalry in Union General H Judson Kilpatrick’s division Dahlgren was wounded and lost his foot.  He was back in the saddle with a promotion to Colonel by February 1864.  While on a cavalry raid near the King and Queen County Court House, Dahlgren was killed March 2^nd 1864, being shot in the side and back.  His body was hidden by Union sympathizers.  It was recovered by the family after the war and buried in the Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

There were papers found on Dahlgren’s body that contained signed orders written on Union stationery, of which read, "The men must keep together and well in hand, and once in the city it must be destroyed and Jeff. Davis and Cabinet killed."  These papers were reprinted in European and American newspapers, causing a great deal of controversy.

Caught Up With Them

Gen Judson Kilpatrick

The Battle of Buck Head Creek was fought November 28^th 1864, a part of the March to the Sea.

Confederate Major General Joseph Wheeler caught up with two Union regiments on November 26^th 1864, and attacked their camp.  This kept Union Brigadier General H Judson Kilpatrick from destroying a railroad trestle over the Briar Creek.  Kilpatrick then found out the Union prisoners being held at Camp Lawton that he was supposed to release, had been moved, and so he began a move of troops to meet up with Union Major General William T Sherman.

Kilpatrick’s cavalry made camp on November 27^th 1864 near Buck Head Creek.  Early the next morning November 28^th 1864 Wheeler came up on the camp, almost captured Kilpatrick, driving the Union cavalry across Buck Head Creek.  The 5^th Ohio Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Thomas T Heath fought a rearguard action with the support of two pieces of artillery.  They raked Wheeler’s men with canister, and then burned the bridge they had crossed on.  Wheeler’s cavalry crossed the river, pursuing the Union troopers to Reynolds’ Plantation, where they found the Union soldiers behind barricades.  Wheeler’s men retired from the field, and Kilpatrick continued the join up with Sherman.

His Nickname Was Kill-Cavalry

Union General Judson Kilpatrick received an appointment on June 28^th 1863 to command the Third Division of the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry Corps.

Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was born on the family farm in Wantage, New Jersey on January 14^th 1836 the son of Simon and Julia [Wickham] Kilpatrick.  He graduated just before the start of the Civil in from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1861.  Kilpatrick received a commission to Second Lieutenant in First United States Artillery.

At the start of the Civil War Kilpatrick was made a Captain in Duryee’s Zouaves, the 5^th New York Infantry.  He was wounded at the Battle of Big Bethel June 10^th 1861, hit in the thigh while leading a company.  Kilpatrick was made a Lieutenant Colonel in the 2^nd New York Cavalry in September 1861.  He was an aggressive, ambitious leader, who had a willingness to use up men and horses in suicidal charges, earning himself the nick name “Kill-Cavalry”.  In February 1863 Kilpatrick moved up to command of the First Brigade of the Second Division of the Army of the Potomac’s Cavalry.  During the Chancellorsville Campaign Kilpatrick made a ride around Lee’s Army burning bridges and reaching almost to Richmond, Virginia.

Kilpatrick fought at Brandy Station on June 9^th 1863, receiving his commission to Brigadier General on June 13^th 1863.  Three days before the Battle of Gettysburg June 28^th 1863 he assumed command of a division.  Following Pickett’s Charge on July 3^rd 1863 he ordered a controversial charge against the Confederate infantry located at base of Big Round Top in which Union Brigadier General Elon J Farnsworth was killed. 

In the spring of 1864 Kilpatrick was involved in the Dahlgren Affair.  After this he was sent to the Army of the Cumberland, where he was placed in command of the third Division of the Cavalry under Union Major General William Tecumseh Sherman.  Sherman said of Kilpatrick, "I know that Kilpatrick is a hell of a damned fool, but I want just that sort of man to command my cavalry on this expedition."  He started in the Atlanta Campaign and on May 13^th 1864 was wounded at the Battle of Resaca badly enough he out of the fight until July 1864.

Following the war Kilpatrick became active in Republican politics.  President Andrew Johnson appointed him the Minister to Chile.  He married Luisa Fernandez de Valdivieso while in Chile.  Kilpatrick died while in Santiago, Chile December 4^th 1881.  He is buried in the West Point Cemetery at West Point, New York.

Another web site you might want to look at for more about this is Judson Kilpatrick, Vernon's Civil War hero (sort of)

A Corps For Washington

The Twenty-second Union Army Corps was created on February 2^nd 1863.

Created on February 2^nd 1863 the Union Army XXII Corps, made up of the Military District of Washington, and consisted of all troops garrisoned in Washington, DC.  It included H Judson Kilpatrick’s Cavalry and three divisions of infantry.  The XXII was under the command of Union Brigadier General James S Wadsworth.  Its area of posting ran from Piscataway Creek, to Annapolis Junction, to the Monocacy River, south to the Bull Run Mountains and back by way of the Occoquan River.  This area would expand by the end of the war to include Maryland and Virginia.

The XXII Corps held the defense of Washington, DC when Confederate General Jubal Anderson Early made his raid on the city in 1864.  During the defense of Fort Stevens on July 11^th 1864 as part of Early’s raid the XXII lost 73 men killed or wounded.

Off To The Races

The Battle of Buckland Mill was a cavalry fight between Union Brigadier General H Judson Kilpatrick and Confederate Major General JEB Stuart, fought October 19^th 1863.

Following the Confederate defeat at Bristoe, Confederate Major General JEB Stuart with a cavalry division under Major General Wade Hampton, were covering General Robert E Lee’s retreat from the Manassas Junction area.  The Confederate cavalry was in the Buckland Mills area.  They were being pursued along the Warrenton Turnpike by Union Brigadier General Judson Kilpatrick.  On October 19^th 1863 the Union troops were ambushed when Stuart turned on the Union cavalry, while Confederate Major General Fitzhugh Lee charged into the Union flank.  Kilpatrick’s men were overwhelmed, and they bolted to Haymarket five miles away.  The Confederate commanders said it was like a fox hunt and called the Battle, “The Buckland Races”.

A Retreating Battle

A part of the retreat from Gettysburg, the Battle of Boonsboro was fought July 8th 1863 in Washington County, Maryland.

As the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia retreated south following its defeat at Gettysburg, its cavalry held the passes in South Mountain. They fought a rearguard action against parts of the Union First and Third Cavalry and a supporting infantry. The Battle of Boonsboro on July 8th 1863 occurred along the National Road. Confederate Major General J E B Stuart with five brigades of cavalry ran into Union resistance at the Beaver Creek Bridge about four miles north of Boonsboro. The Confederate cavalry moved forward through rain soaked fields causing them and their Union Cavalry counterparts Brigadier Generals H Judson Kilpatrick and John Buford’s divisions to have to fight dismounted. By late afternoon the Union left under Kilpatrick, low on ammunition fell under Confederate pressure. Stuart’s troops advanced in the early evening, but were stopped by the timely arrival of Union infantry.

The fight gained a day for General Robert E Lee’s retreating army.