“To its very muzzle”
1st Lieut. Edward B. Williston Norwich University Class of 1856 at Trevilian Station, June 12, 1864
Excerpt from Williston’s Medal of Honor file
General Wesley Merritt’s recommendation for Williston’s Medal of Honor states: “This officer especially distinguished himself at the action of Trevilian Station, Virginia when: In a crisis of the action when our lines were being pressed by an overwhelming force of the enemy, Lieutenant Williston, planted three guns of his battery (horse D, 2nd Artillery) in an exposed but favorable position for effective work and then personally moved the fourth gun on the skirmish line where, using double charges of canister, he by his individual efforts, greatly aided in resisting the charge of the enemy.”
General Information on the battle:
The Battle of Trevilian Station, fought on June 11-12, 1864, was the greatest cavalry battle of the Civil War. With action see-sawing back and forth during the afternoon of June 12, 1864, Brig. Gen. Matthew C. Butler's South Carolinians repulsed seven separate attacks on the Bloody Angle made by Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt's and Col. Thomas C. Devin's dismounted troopers of Brig. Gen. Alfred T. A. Torbert's division of Philip H. Sheridan’s Cavalry Corps. By the seventh attack, the main lines of battle lay only a few yards apart.
Excerpt from Brig. Gen. Wesley Merritt’s Official Report
“At about 3 p.m. on the 12th the (Reserve) brigade was ordered to attack the enemy’s left, while it was intended that the First Brigade should co-operate on its left. The brigade went in on an open field to its right and attacked the enemy’s left flank vigorously, holding everything they had gained on the left, where the line was weakest, and driving the enemy on the right before them in expectation of a general advance. In thus advancing the right of the brigade was so swung round as to be exposed to the enemy’s attack on its wing. This he was not slow to take advantage of, when a squadron of the Second Cavalry, my only remaining mounted support to the battery [Bob Poirier NU 1966 comment - Battery D, 2nd US Artillery under Williston], was thrown in to meet the attack. Right gallantly did the battery come up in the midst of heavy musketry fire, we being at that time so close to the enemy that their shells all flew far over us. Planting three guns of the battery in this position, where it dealt the enemy heavy blows, Lieutenant Williston moved one of his brass 12-pounders onto the skirmish line. In fact, the line was moved to the front to allow him to get an eligible position, where he remained with his gun, in the face of the strengthened enemy (who advanced to its very muzzle), dealing death and destruction in their ranks with double loads of canister.
Bob Poirier NU 1966 comments
On the afternoon of June 12, 1864, Williston’s guns engaged elements of the 4th South Carolina Cavalry, the 5th South Carolina Cavalry, and the 6th South Carolina Cavalry of Matthew C. Butler’s (Wade Hampton’s) division, and (probably) elements of the 3rd Virginia Cavalry of Williams C. Wickham’s Brigade. This fight took place at the so-called “Bloody Angle” on the afternoon and evening of June 12th, and was in conjunction with the seventh and final Federal assault on the dismounted Confederate cavalry positions.
According to the map on the Trevilian Battlefield website, Williston’s battery was positioned about 330 feet east-southeast of the Gentry Farm and about 320 feet east-northeast of the Central Virginia Railroad track. The guns would have been firing into the South Carolina brigade in a west-south westerly direction toward the “Bloody Angle” and the Ogg Farm. Modern research, however, indicates Williston’s guns were within 100-150 feet of the railroad tracks. How far forward he pushed his single gun, and the exact site of his Medal action, are as yet unclear. However, it must have been closer to the Gordonsville-Trevilian Station wagon road than the three guns in his main battery position (noted on maps of the action). This conclusion is based on reports that toward the end of the engagement, the battle lines were only “yards apart” and that attacking Confederates enemy “advanced to its very muzzle.”
Williston’s fight would have taken place in the late afternoon and evening, as Merritt comments “It was now dark” when describing the Williston fight. In addition, Confederate General Butler indicates the seventh and final assault took place “between sunset and dark, when the dusk of the evening was still shrouded by the smoke of battle.” The South Carolina cavalry used Enfield Muskets rather than cavalry weapons, a fact which led to some Federals to believe they were fighting infantry. The 2nd US Cavalry supporting Williston used Spencer repeating rifles.
Robert Poirier
Norwich University Class of 1966
Chief Researcher and Historian
Author of “By The Blood Of Our Alumni, Norwich University Citizen Soldiers in the Army of the Potomac”
