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| A company of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry - "Rush's Lancers" They were the ONLY cavalry regiment on either side to have/use lances. (Some are shown stacked in this image) |
Hamilton Ballentine, born in Ireland in 1833, immigrated to the United States as a young child and eventually found work as a coachman in Philadelphia. When the Civil War erupted in 1861, he enlisted in "K" Company of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment and served - as he put it - "...without ever been sick in hospital, wounded or captured. Never missed a march nor a battle..." [1]
In a letter to his brother in May of 1863, William, Ballentine described the grueling conditions his regiment faced during the Chancellorsville Campaign with the heavy rain and deep mud making every maneuver a challenge. By day, they skirmished while battling hunger and cold; by night, they collapsed in exhaustion, lacking even the energy to prevent their prisoners from escaping.
Ballentine's account of the Union's heavy losses and plummeting morale underscores how decisive the Confederate victory was at Chancellorsville.
But Sergeant Ballentine epitomized the fighting spirit of the University of Notre Dame's leprechaun trademark—he was the quintessential "fighting Irishman." Ballentine fought not only the Confederates with determination and grit, but he even faced down challenges within his own ranks!
He vividly recounted one such clash that occurred during the campaign in his letter:
[Punctuation and spelling has been cleaned up for clarity.]
Oakford Church, Virginia; May 12, 1863.
"We got there between 11 or 12 at night. The river was then so high we could not attempt to cross it in the dark, so we were dismounted and ordered to stand to horse. But I could not keep my eyes open any longer, and the ground was knee-deep with mud. So I hunted up a piece of board and had just laid it down to fix my horse's lines around my leg when Major Haseltine came up and picked up the board. I told him to leave it. He asked me if I knew who I was talking to, for he was Major of this regiment. I told him I did not care a damn who he was. So he grabbed me by the throat, and I hit him. Then he pulled out a pistol and said he would shoot me. I said, 'Shoot and be damned.' Then he went away, saying he would have me reduced in rank and tied up tomorrow. But tomorrow did not come yet."[1]
This confrontation highlights the indomitable spirit of Sergeant Ballentine, whose defiance in the face of authority and unyielding determination made him a memorable figure in Civil War of memorable figures. His personal battles, both on and off the battlefield, serve as a testament to the relentless courage and tenacity that defined his service.
He ended the letter with a resigned air.
"I had just gotten myself stretched out on my board when K Company was ordered to the rear to support an artillery battery. Daylight came and we began crossing the [Rappahannock] river. Shells and ammunition had to be thrown in the river as we tried to help the battery get across. We finally got over safely but 3 men drowned and four horses..." [1]
There are millions of stories from the Irrepressible Conflict. This was just one of them.
Mac
[*] Major James H. Haseltine (in some of the war records, his surname is found as “Hazeltine") was the commander of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Haseltine was born in Philadelphia the same year Ballentine was born in Ireland - 1833. Prior the the Civil War, Haseltine pursued art studies in Europe but returned to join the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry as Captain of Company E in 1861. On 1 March 1863, he was promoted to Major of the regiment. After Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, he resigned from command in November, 1863. [2]
[**] Ballentine's name and rank are on the monument to the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment at Gettysburg. He's listed in Company K. [2]
Works Cited
[1] "Letter by Hamilton Ballentine, Company K, 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Chancellorsville". Heritage Auctions website. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
[2] Gasbarro, Norman. "Monuments at Gettysburg - 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry". Civil War Blog: a project of pa historian website - May 14, 2015.. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
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