Pennock Huey
Encyclopedia
Pennock Huey was an officer
and cavalry
brigade
commander in the Union Army
during the American Civil War
.
known locally as "The Squire of Kennett Square". He pursued a career as a merchant before war broke out in 1861.
In September 1861, he became captain of Company D of the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry (89th Pennsylvania Volunteers), serving under the regiment
's colonel
, David McMurtrie Gregg
. Huey was promoted to major
in January 1862. When Gregg became a brigade commander, Huey took command of the regiment and subsequently led it at the Battle of Chancellorsville
, serving in the brigade of Thomas Devin
. The brigade, including the 8th Pennsylvania, remained with the main body of the army, missing the futile raid George Stoneman
led into south central Virginia
. Huey's command became involved in a collision with Confederate
infantry
, from which it was only possible to extricate his troops by giving the order to; "Draw sabre and charge." This encounter on a back road, which cost the regiment substantial losses, later was magnified into a full-scale charge for which Cavalry commander Alfred Pleasonton took credit, claiming he had explicitly ordered Major Peter Keenan to go head to head with Jackson's troops. The charge, during which Keenan was killed, was completely inadvertent; the only way to extricate a column of cavalry from a narrow road thick with Confederate infantry.
Later on the evening of the charge, "Stonewall" Jackson, while out scouting the area for the presence of Union troops, was inadvertently shot by South Carolina troops having mistaken him and his party for Union soldiers.
After his failed raid, Stoneman was removed from command of the Cavalry Corps (ACW)
in the Army of the Potomac
, being succeeded by Pleasonton. When the corps was reorganized later that month, Gregg took command of the new second division, mostly composed of his old division, the third. This new organization included the 8th Pennsylvania. Huey, meanwhile, had been promoted to colonel of the regiment on June 25, 1863. Huey took command of a brigade under Gregg in time for the Gettysburg Campaign. He was on detached duty during the Battle of Gettysburg
protecting supply trains in Maryland
, but he participated in the pursuit of the Confederate army. The brigade served under Judson Kilpatrick, not Gregg, during the pursuit.
Huey returned to regimental command for most of the remainder of 1863. He led his regiment under Phillip Sheridan in the opening campaigns of 1864. Huey commanded Gregg's rear guard during part of the retreat from Trevilian Station
. He was captured at the Battle of St. Mary's Church, June 24, 1864. Paroled on December 9, 1864 at Camp Asylum, Columbia, South Carolina
, after imprisonment in that state, Huey resumed his command. He was made a brevet
brigadier general in March 1865 and was mustered out with his regiment at Richmond, Virginia
, on August 11, 1865.
After the war, Huey married Elizabeth Waln Wistar, daughter of Joseph Wistar of Philadelphia, worked as a merchant and in the canal industry. He wrote his account of the charge at Chancellorsville to reclaim the credit he thought his due, contradicting Pleasonton's account of the action. Huey died on his farm at the age of 75 and was buried in Philadelphia
.
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
commander in the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Biography
Huey was the son of Jacob Huey, a farmer in Chester County, PennsylvaniaChester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
known locally as "The Squire of Kennett Square". He pursued a career as a merchant before war broke out in 1861.
In September 1861, he became captain of Company D of the 8th Pennsylvania Cavalry (89th Pennsylvania Volunteers), serving under the regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
's colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
, David McMurtrie Gregg
David McMurtrie Gregg
David McMurtrie Gregg was a farmer, diplomat, and a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
. Huey was promoted to major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in January 1862. When Gregg became a brigade commander, Huey took command of the regiment and subsequently led it at the Battle of Chancellorsville
Battle of Chancellorsville
The Battle of Chancellorsville was a major battle of the American Civil War, and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville Campaign. It was fought from April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville. Two related battles were fought nearby on...
, serving in the brigade of Thomas Devin
Thomas Devin
Thomas Casimer Devin was an United States Army officer and general. He commanded Union cavalry during the American Civil War and during the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
. The brigade, including the 8th Pennsylvania, remained with the main body of the army, missing the futile raid George Stoneman
George Stoneman
George Stoneman, Jr. was a career United States Army officer, a Union cavalry general in the American Civil War, and the 15th Governor of California between 1883 and 1887.-Early life:...
led into south central Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Huey's command became involved in a collision with Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, from which it was only possible to extricate his troops by giving the order to; "Draw sabre and charge." This encounter on a back road, which cost the regiment substantial losses, later was magnified into a full-scale charge for which Cavalry commander Alfred Pleasonton took credit, claiming he had explicitly ordered Major Peter Keenan to go head to head with Jackson's troops. The charge, during which Keenan was killed, was completely inadvertent; the only way to extricate a column of cavalry from a narrow road thick with Confederate infantry.
Later on the evening of the charge, "Stonewall" Jackson, while out scouting the area for the presence of Union troops, was inadvertently shot by South Carolina troops having mistaken him and his party for Union soldiers.
After his failed raid, Stoneman was removed from command of the Cavalry Corps (ACW)
Cavalry Corps (ACW)
Two corps of the Union Army were called Cavalry Corps during the American Civil War. One served with the Army of the Potomac; the other served in the various armies of the West.- Overview :...
in the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, being succeeded by Pleasonton. When the corps was reorganized later that month, Gregg took command of the new second division, mostly composed of his old division, the third. This new organization included the 8th Pennsylvania. Huey, meanwhile, had been promoted to colonel of the regiment on June 25, 1863. Huey took command of a brigade under Gregg in time for the Gettysburg Campaign. He was on detached duty during the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
protecting supply trains in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, but he participated in the pursuit of the Confederate army. The brigade served under Judson Kilpatrick, not Gregg, during the pursuit.
Huey returned to regimental command for most of the remainder of 1863. He led his regiment under Phillip Sheridan in the opening campaigns of 1864. Huey commanded Gregg's rear guard during part of the retreat from Trevilian Station
Battle of Trevilian Station
The Battle of Trevilian Station was fought on June 11–12, 1864, in Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan fought against Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gens...
. He was captured at the Battle of St. Mary's Church, June 24, 1864. Paroled on December 9, 1864 at Camp Asylum, Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, after imprisonment in that state, Huey resumed his command. He was made a brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
brigadier general in March 1865 and was mustered out with his regiment at Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, on August 11, 1865.
After the war, Huey married Elizabeth Waln Wistar, daughter of Joseph Wistar of Philadelphia, worked as a merchant and in the canal industry. He wrote his account of the charge at Chancellorsville to reclaim the credit he thought his due, contradicting Pleasonton's account of the action. Huey died on his farm at the age of 75 and was buried in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.