Halfway up the hill in the Woodlawn Cemetery I met John C. Decker, CoE, 1st ME CAV. Even though we missed each other by 107 years, I still paused to think about him and wonder about his life after the Civil War. Judging from his metal grave marker, however, it is apparent that his cavalry experience remained with him to his grave.
The history of the 1st ME CAV was well documented first by Edward P. Tobie of CoG. Then in 1997 Mary Renier Calvert wrote a history of the first Maine Cavalry with a dedication to her grandfather, John Philip Renier, CoH.
The first Maine Cavalry served during the entire Civil War (1861-1865). Perhaps John C. Decker spoke of the day in 1863 when he sat mounted on this horse in a “line of battle” when President Abraham Lincoln slowly rode past while reviewing the troops.
The first Maine Cavalry fought in 42 battles which were more battles than any other Union Army cavalry with the last battle being in Appomattox, Virginia. 174 were killed or died of wounds, 334 died of disease, and 145 were taken prisoners by the Confederates- They suffered the heaviest losses of any cavalry regiment in the Union Army.
In the month before Gettysburg they had taken part in seven battles. One of these battles was Brandy Station Virginia. “Soon after daylight the division moved out. A short march in the beauty of the early June morning carried it to the ford, where the 1st Maine, being in the rear of the brigade, was forced to wait for the remainder to cross. Before its turn at the ford came the sound of brisk artillery firing up the river, at the right, which told the boys the ball had opened. When across the river the whole command was put into a gallop, which was kept up three or four miles, the dust so thick that in a very short time the blue of the uniforms was entirely invisible, most of the way through the woods, and all the time rapidly nearing the fire. A brief halt was made, when orders were received to tighten the saddles girths and load the carbines, which were rapidly obeyed, and the regiment again started, shortly after emerging from the woods into a large open field. As soon as the regiment debouched from the woods it formed squadrons at a gallop, drew saber, and in a moment more was charging across the field. And thus, before the boys were aware of it, almost, the regiment was in its first cavalry charge as a regiment.”
At daybreak on July 2nd 1863, the exhausted men and horses of the 1st Maine set out for Gettysburg. There they would meet up with General George Armstrong Custer’s Michigan brigade to oppose the advance of Major General J.E.B. Stuart’s Confederate Cavalry.
