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The 6th USCT Meets the Rebels in Neshaminy Park
Text and photos by Sgt. Algernon Ward, 6th Reg. USCT
Presented by the Friends of Midland Cemetery
On April
29th 2005 after being alerted to the presence of Confederates in
Neshaminy Park Pa., and despite the inclement weather, the 6th Regiment
USCT with it's Cadet Corps and accompanied by the Chairwoman of the
Contraband Relief Society, Miss Teretha Jones, who was
escorted by Cadet Malcolm Jones of the 22nd Regiment USCT, marched
into Pennsylvania to meet the foe. Cpl. Larry Harris and Pvt. Robert
Houston of the 3rd Regiment USCT of Philadelphia Pa., rallied to support
the offensive. The morale of the troops were buoyed by the fact that its
ranks had steadily swelled with volunteers eager to "Strike a Blow for Freedom" resulting in the largest
deployment of USCT troops to date for the Neshaminy event in its 16th year.
1st Sgt. Minus leads the cadets in singing "We Look Like Men of War." Please click this photo for a larger image.
The advance guard of troops, led by Cpl. Arthur Collins of
Willingboro NJ arrived on Friday night under the cover of a Nor'
Easter storm and erected the camp to receive the main body of
the regiment which arrived on Saturday morning chafing for battle as
the weather cleared.
Cadets Donnel Hooks "DJ" and Drummer Kyle Allen
Please click this photo for a larger image.
To reenact the events from the Appomattox Campaign, The Battle
of Rice's Depot VA. (April 6,1865) the USCT troops
were inserted into the newly formed 4th Battalion who until this
year had been deployed as a reserve battalion. However this year,
due to their improved leadership and tactical maneuvering abilities,
the 4th Battalion led the assault against the formidable Confederate
fortifications. The fortifications consisted of two batteries of the
Danville Artillery supported by at least two regiments of infantry
from the 57th Va.Co. B of Longstreet's Corps. After three determined
frontal assaults on the fortifications, resulting in heavy
casualties, a third battery of Confederate artillery appeared on the
left flank of the 4th Battalion catching it in an enfilading
crossfire of canister shot. Yet, the brave survivors of the 4th
Battalion attacked again, unwilling to relent in their assault on
Rice's Depot. However this final maneuver had disastrous
consequences as it allowed a further two regiments of the 1st
Battalion A.N.V./CSA Confederate infantry to attack the right flank
and exposed rear of the ill fated 4th Battalion. Faced with
overwhelming numbers and an untenable tactical situation the
remaining few survivors of the 4th were forced to surrender. The
white troops were taken prisoner, the Black troops and wounded were
shot and bayoneted on the field. Thus ended the ill fated
reenactment of The Battle of Rice's Depot. Taps was sounded
and the troops resurrected themselves in solemn tribute to those who
had actually fallen in the battle on April 6, 1865.
Back at camp, a civilian had infiltrated the ranks of the
musicians detail. Young Caitlin, a white girl of 11 yrs. had
disguised herself as a Fifer and fell into the ranks with the
musician cadets. Her presence had largely gone un-noticed while the
musicians practiced their shrill craft all afternoon. However the
incident took on a new significance when Sgt. Ward was approached by
a Corporal from the Mifflin Guards accompanied by a Park Ranger, who
asked him if "we had a white girl named Caitlin in our camp"?
Recalling that a white girl had been in the camp earlier in the day,
Sgt. Ward responded that there had been one there, but he did not
know her name, but would check on the situation when he got back to
camp. Upon his return, Sgt. Ward called out for Caitlin to report
front and center and sure enough a young white girl in a dressed in
a uniform rose from the group of lounging cadets and hastened to
the presence of Sgt. Ward. The anxious Corporal quizzed her if she
knew that her Grandparents had been looking for her since the
morning and had reported her missing to the Park Rangers? She shook
her head "no" and quickly left camp in the company of the Corporal
and the Ranger. The incident could have escalated into something of
more significance if fear and prejudice driven imaginations had
taken over and the the camp not also been attended by several
mothers of the cadets throughout the afternoon. These parents led by
the Chairwoman of the Contraband Relief Society, Miss Teretha
Jones, a nurse and social worker by profession, took the initiative
to visit Caitlin's grandparents campsite and reassured them that no
harm had come to, or would ever come to, the child at our hands.
This gesture must have had the desired effect on them because on
Sunday morning, Caitlin reappeared in camp just in time for
breakfast, promising to check-in with her guardians every few hours.
Kneeling: 1st Sgt. Frederic L. Minus, Cadet Drummer Kyle Allen, 1st rank standing: Miss Teretha Jones
CRS, Cpl. Larry Harris 3rd USCT, Cadet Malcolm Jones, 22nd USCT, Infiltrator Caitlin, Cadet Fifer Steven Thomas, Medical Steward Thom
Wooten, rear rank: Pvt. Gyasi Mann, Pvt. Angel Blackstone, Pvt. Jordan Lester, Sgt. Algernon Ward Jr.
Please click this photo for a larger image.
The attractive nature of the 6th Cadets cannot be underestimated. They are quite handsome in their uniforms (but don't tell them I said so), and they do not go un-noticed by the young ladies. In fact, the camp was besieged by a bevy of young beauties beseeching our Cadets to escort them to the Civil War Dance held on Saturday night.
Privates Jordan Lester and Angel Blackstone
On Sunday, the 4th Battalion formed up determined to avenge their defeat on
Saturday at Rice's Depot. For this battle, they were brigaded with the
Mifflin Guards, the 1st and 28th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiments and
several cavalry and artillery units. This time the rebels were to feel
the full might of the Union Army upon them in the reenactment of the
Battle of Cumberland Church (April 7,1865). In this attack on the
Confederate fortifications, three full Infantry Regiments attacked in
line abreast. This formation prevented any flanking or rear attacks by
the rebels and poured a great volume of fire on the fort's defenders.
The Union Cavalry swept around the left flank catching a company of
snipers in the woods before they could deploy and open fire on the
infantry. When fresh regiments of Confederates appeared, they were raked
with grape shot from the Union artillery and cut to pieces. Under
relentless pressure from the infantry regiments, the Rebels were forced
back into the fortifications where they were continually pounded from
all sides until they capitulated. The casualties on both sides in this
action were extremely high, but the Union forces eventually won out
through bloody attrition. Taps was again sounded in solemn tribute to
the fallen soldiers of The Battle of Cumberland Church. A
poignant moment was arranged when both armies formed two lines facing
one another and saluted each other on command. The soldiers then
approached each other, offering friendly greetings and handshakes.
kneeling: 1st Sgt. Frederic L. Minus, Drummer Cdt. Kyle Allen, 6th Reg. USCT.
1st rank: Cpl. Larry Harris, 3rd Reg. USCT, Cdt. Malcolm Jones, 22nd Reg. USCT, Infiltrator Fifer Caitlin,
Cdt. Fifer Steven Thomas, Medical Steward Thom Wooten, 6th Reg. USCT. 2nd rank: Pvt. Gyasi Mann, Pvt. Angel
Blackstone, Pvt. Jordan Lester, Sgt. Algernon Ward, 6th Reg. USCT
By all accounts it was a fun outing despite the inclement weather and
we look forward to the event next year, the 17th anniversary, on April 29-30 2006.
Respectfully submitted, Sgt. Algernon Ward, 6th Reg. USCT, Trenton NJ.
See also Sgt. Ward's report of the Memorial Day activities, May 2005 | Rochambeau's
March to Yorktown
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