Contributions of the Invalid Corps to the Battle of Fort Stevens – Colonel Gile and the First Brigade, US Veteran Reserve Corps

Contributions of the Invalid Corps to the Battle of Fort Stevens – One of the issues that has come up over and over when it comes to telling the events of the Battle of Fort Stevens has been the story of the Sixth Corps’ rescue of the city. 

History has said that they arrived just in time or that Early arrived just a little too late. But I think they’re missing part of the story. I keep finding snippets here and there of actions and engagements of various Invalid Corps/Veteran Reserve Corps regiments. Either on their own or as part of larger units. And exactly how MUCH they contributed to the defense of the city.

Colonel Gile had command of the First Brigade, US Veteran Reserve Corps (4 Regiments) and their activities tell a different tale than what is most often discussed around Early’s raid on Washington.

Major-General McCook, who commanded the defenses, complimented the Veteran Reserves in his official report stating:

To Colonel Gile and the officers and men of the First Brigade, Veteran Reserve Corps, I am largely indebted for the success of my efforts in keeping the enemy from our line until the arrival of the Sixth Corps.

I found that pretty telling. And of course, because I wanted to learn even more detail, I went looking to find out exactly WHAT Colonel George Gile and the First Brigade actually did in the defense of Washington.

Below is the actual text from his report. Please forgive the odd sizing but I was trying to get images of all of the text clearly. If you don’t want to read the imaged text, a transcription is at the bottom.

TRANSCRIPTION:

Report of Col. George W. Gile, Commanding First Brigade,
U. S. Veteran Reserve Corps, of the defense of Washington.
Hdqrs. First Brigade, Veteran Reserve Corps, Washington, D. C.,
July 22, 1864.

Colonel : I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of the First Brigade, Veteran Reserve Corps, during the late rebel invasion:

Pursuant to orders received from headquarters Military District, dated July 10, 1864, the Ninth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieut. Col. R. E. Johnston commanding, left Camp Fry, D. C., at 4 p. m. and reported to Major-General McCook, commanding at Crystal Spring, Md., at 8 p. m., and bivouacked for the night, the rest of the brigade remaining in camp (with orders to be ready to move at short notice) until 6 p. m., when I received orders to report without delay to you. I immediately ordered the regiments of the brigade to rendezvous at Camp Fry, and at 9.15 p. m. the brigade took up the line of march, arriving at Tennallytown at 11.15 p. m., when, in accordance with your instructions, the following disposition was made of the command : The Twenty-second Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieut. Col. A. Rutherford commanding, was placed in the rifle-pits in front of Fort Sumner ; the Sixth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieut. Col. F. S. Palmer commanding, in rifle-pits on the left of Fort Reno and directly in front of Tennallytown, its right resting on the Rockville pike ; the First Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, Lieutenant-Colonel Trotter commanding, on the right of Fort Reno in the rifle-pits ; the Nineteenth and Twenty-fourth Regiments, commanded respectively by Col. O. y. Dayton and Maj. J. W. H. Stickney, massed in column of division directly in rear of Fort Reno.

The brigade bivouacked for the night, and at la. m. July 11th the Ninth Regiment formed line of battle and remained in that –position until 7 a.m., when they were ordered to occupy the rifle-pits on the left of Fort Stevens. The Twenty fourth Regiment was then moved to Fort Mansfield, the remainder of the brigade remaining in the same position, excepting one company of the Nineteenth Regiment, which was thrown out oil’ the Rockville pike as pickets, and shortly after taking its position was attacked by the enemy, but held its position until relieved, with a loss of 2 men wounded.

At 2.30 p. m. orders were received making the following changes in the line: The First Regiment was sent from Fort Reno to rifle-pits on the left of Battery Sinead ; the Sixth and Nineteenth Regiments to Fort De Russy, the former occupying the rifle-pits on the right of the fort and reaching to Rock Creek, the latter in the rifle-pits connecting Battery Smead and Fort De Russy. The Twenty-second Regiment moved from Fort Sumner to Fort Kearny and took possession of the rifle-pits in front of the fort. At 4 p. m. the Ninth Regiment was ordered to advance as skirmishers and relieve the Twenty-fifth New York Cavalry (dismounted). After a brisk engagement, in which the regiment lost 1 killed and 11 wounded, they succeeded in relieving the cavalry and advancing the line some distance to the front, and remained on the skirmish line until the advance of the Sixth Corps, Army of the Potomac, which relieved seven companies, three companies remaining on the line. After 5 p. m. three companies of the Nineteenth Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps, one company of the Sixth and one company of the First Regiments were deployed as skirmishers in the front and on the flanks of Fort De Russy and Battery Smead, and succeeded in advancing the line some 1,500 yards to the front. The same hour the Twenty-fourth Regiment was ordered from Fort Mansfield to Fort De Russy, and shortly after arriving at that point was sent back to Fort Reno, occupying the rifle-pits on the right of the fort. At 7.30 p. m. the enemy was seen re-cnforcing his lines. I accordingly sent the Sixth Regiment to strengthen the skirmish line on the right and center, and six companies of the Twenty-second Regiment on the left of the line. Our skirmish line now extended from the Rockville pike on the left to about 2,000 yards beyond Rock Creek on the right.

At 3 a. m. July 12 the whole command was under arms. At 6 a.m. I ordered Col. F. S. Palmer, commanding the right of the skirmish line, to advance his line and take possession of a hill about a quarter of a mile in advance, then occupied by rebel sharpshooters, who were annoying our line very much. This was accomplished after considerable resistance from the enemy, with the loss of 1 man wounded. The left and center of the line, which was composed of three companies of the Nineteenth Regiment and six companies of the Twenty-second Regiment, also moved forward until the left of the line was nearly two miles in advance of the defenses. At 7 o’clock the Twenty-fourth Regiment moved from Port Sumner to Fort Kearny. At 1 p.m. I relieved the Sixth Regiment, which was on the skirmish line, by the First Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps.

At 2 p. m. I received orders to send one regiment to Fort Reno. My command at that time was in such a position that I was compelled to send the Sixth Regiment, which had just been relieved from picket. This regiment on arriving at Fort Reno was ordered to occupy the rifle-pits extending from Fort Reno to the left of the Rockville pike. In addition to this it furnished three commissioned officers and eighty-two enlisted men for picket. At 5 p. m. the First Regiment was relieved by the Twenty-fifth Regiment New York Cavalry (dismounted) and occupied the rifle-pits vacated by the Sixth Regiment. Having received information that the enemy were planting some artillery on the right of a building in front of our lines, at 5 p. m. I ordered Captain Clark, Company H, Sixth Regiment, to advance his company and ascertain if such was the fact, and if so, to burn the building occupied by the rebel sharpshooters.

He obeyed the order promptly and drove the rebel skirmishers beyond the building, but was here confronted by a reserve of about 200 ; maintaining his position he made a personal observation and found the report to be incorrect, when in obedience to instructions from me he withdrew his force in a manner highly creditable to himself and men. Captain Clark and four of his men were wounded in this reconnaissance. At 7.30 p. m. the enemy sent forward a force to strengthen their line on our right. A sharp skirmish ensued in which the enemy was compelled to withdraw.

At 12 p. m. I received orders to have the command up and under arms at once, which order I complied with and remained in that position until 5 a. m. July 13, when I sent out one commissioned officer and ten privates to reconnoiter and ascertain the whereabouts of the enemy. They advanced several miles and found that they had withdrawn their picket-line and retreated during the night.

This fact I immediately reported to headquarters. At 7.30 a. m. six companies of the Sixth Regiment were ordered to proceed about six miles on the Rockville pike, to support a section of artillery and Colonel Lowell’s cavalry, then engaging the enemy. At 12.30 p. m. all troops of the brigade then on the skirmish line, except the Ninth Regiment, were relieved and took their former positions in the rifle-pits. At 2 p. m. the Sixth Regiment returned to Fort Reno. At 8.40 p. m. I received your order to report with my command without delay to General De Russy at Arlington. This order was obeyed as promptly as possible, and at 2 p. m. July 14 I reported with all my command, except the Ninth Regiment, to General De Russy.

Our loss during the skirmish in the defenses north of the city was :*

The conduct of officers and men of the various regiments of the brigade was unexceptionable. I should deem it unjust to particularize those whom opportunity made conspicuous, satisfied that all fully appreciated the great responsibility resting upon them, knew their duty, and performed it. Regimental reports herewith enclosed rehearse in detail the several duties performed by them during our brief campaign.

All of which is very respectfully submitted by very respectfully, your obedient servant,

GEO. W. GILE,
Colonel, Comdg. First Brigade, Veteran Reserve Corps.

Colonel Warner,
Comdg. Defenses of Washington near Tennallytown.

*Nominal list (omitted) shows 1 man killed and 1 officer and 20 men wounded

Reference:

The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (https://archive.org/details/warofrebellion371unit/page/346?q=Veteran+Reserve+Corps+Col.+Gile)