Uncle Sam, wake up! Wake up! Sure courage never fails you,

See the fiendish Rebels come! Uncle Sam what ails you?

Thursday November 5, 1863, almost six months to the day when discharged from the Thirteenth New York Infantry, Charles Nelson once again walked into a recruiter's office. This time he enlists as sergeant in Company C of the Twenty-Second New York Cavalry regiment then being formed in Rochester and surrounding communities by Colonel Samuel J. Crook.

What compelled Charles to re-enlist for three years is up to conjecture. Did he miss the camaraderie of his tent mates? Was it the excitement of battle or regimental discipline he was seeking? Could it have been the exhortations of Rochester's Frederick Douglass that fueled the fire to return to conflict, or was it simpler than that? Could it have been patriotic pride or money? Many discharged soldiers from two-year regiments were re-enlisting because according to them "the job was not finished". Re-enlisting, an ex-soldier earned the right to carry the title Veteran Volunteer and that certainly were a badge of honor for many of them. Being a Veteran Volunteer also earned the soldier a bounty offered by both state and federal government for the princely sum of $400. Not bad considering a privates pay was $13.00 a month. Charles left us no thoughts on this decision of his so we can only speculate on whether it was one, all, or none of the reasons above that persuaded him to become a sergeant in Company C.

It took some time to enlist the 1200 officers and men who made up the twelve companies of 100 men each of the Twenty-Second. War had been going on for over two years and the populace is weary of sending loved ones off to war even with the Union victories at first Vicksburg and then Gettysburg. Forty-four communities from sixteen counties must supply men to complete the ranks of the regiment. The first company is mustered in on December 20, 1863 and not until February 23, 1864 is the twelfth and final company sworn in. While organizing, the regiment camped at Camp Crook, located on the fairgrounds south of Mt. Hope Cemetery with Captain F. D. Edwards commanding Company C and C. C. Bruton and F. Collister as his Lieutenants. (1)

Quickly, then, put forth your strength, Crush these heartless traitors,

Put your foot down firmly on the necks of Union haters.

March 6, just ten days after the last company mustered in, the regiment was ordered to Washington DC and became attached to the Ninth Army Corps, Army of the Potomac. Already fate was playing her evil hand. By 11 o'clock a.m. 800 men start their journey south by rail, arriving in Elmira that evening aboard luxurious passenger cars. Transferring to freight and cattle cars for the next leg of their trip, they arrived in Baltimore March 8 and rested for the night. March 9 found the regiment at Washington where they stayed until the 12^th when moved to Giesboro Point. Here they settled into camp life learning dismounted company drill that took place every day for two hours commencing at 9 o'clock a.m. On March 29, two transports of horses were unloaded and the next day dispersed through out the regiment, with officers getting first choice then the enlisted men in order of companies; A, B, C etc. With those men in the latter tier of companies complaining for receiving the "leavings". Again the routine of camp life became the norm but now the men were learning mounted company and battalion drills which occupied their time until ordered to the front on April 29 now attached to the Fourth Division of the Ninth Army Corps. At some point during the months of March and April, Sgt. Charles Nelson was reduced to ranks and became Pvt. Charles Nelson. No reason is given in the company muster rolls for this change. I wonder if the duties of Sgt. were too much for Pvt. Nelson or did he find some mischief along the way and paid for it with his stripes, we may never know. Unknown to the regiment, the black clouds of fate were just over the horizon.

Not less than six Generals were conspiring to take away the trained horses of the Twenty-Second New York as they were marching to the front. General Grant thought these trained mounts should go to Maj. Gen. Phil Sheridan's dismounted veteran troops. On May 3 near dusk when the regiment came into view of Fairfax Court House, the men were formed into line of battle with carbines at the ready, for it was rumored that the Rebs were in their front. It was after all a rumor, and the men quickly went into camp. Next day the troopers reached Manassas, scene of the first battle for many of the Twenty-Second veterans, including Charles. May 5 found the regiment at Brandy Station where they found forage and rations. Leaving Brandy Station after setting the remaining stores on fire, the men headed towards Germman Ford listening to the unmistakable sounds of a battle in the distance. The regiment being "green" and mounted on "green" horses has to be one of the cruel fortunes of war. Both men and animals were soon to learn the art of war the hard way; the Battle of the Wilderness had begun.

Come then Uncle Sam, wake up! Since courage never fails you,

Crush all traitors, North or South! Uncle Sam, what ails you?

May 7 Col. Crook and his men arrived at Germania Ford where three enemy cannon promptly and rapidly from short range shelled the troopers throwing part of the men into a rout with Pvt. David Carr of Company B being amongst the first to be captured. War is coming quickly to these New York fellows. On May 8, Col. James A. Beaver of the 148^th Pa. Volunteer infantry writes to the Asst. Adjutant-General of the Second Corps: Colonel...The regiment (the Twenty-second New York) has evidently been but a short time in the service. The officer in command, Major McLennan, received detailed instructions in regards to his movements and the disposition of his forces. The rear of the column of infantry had proceeded but a short distance when it was attacked by a few skirmishers, who appeared in the woods on the right of the Brock Road. Skirmishers had scarcely been thrown out and the attack repulsed before a portion of the cavalry mentioned above came down in disgraceful confusion, without any apparent cause, no firing having been heard and no considerable force seen at any other point. It is believed that most of the horses of the men who had been dismounted were captured or abandoned without any sufficient cause. The officer in charge of the regiment displayed a want of energy and skill in all his movements, which augur ill for the good of the service.

The next few weeks found the "Two-Twos" escorting ambulance trains back and forth from the battlefield to Fredericksburg, doing picket and guard duty through out the region. Twenty some years later the men recalled this dreary detail made most unendurable by the groans of the wounded and dying from the battlefields of the Wilderness. It was during this time that all cavalry units then serving in the Army of the Potomac not attached to the Cavalry Corps were ordered attached. The 5^th of June found the regiment ordered to the Second Brigade, Third Division, and Cavalry Corps, commanded by Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson. Col. George H. Chapman commanded the Second Brigade consisting of the following regiments: Third Indiana, First New Hampshire, Eigth & Twenty-Second New York, and the First Vermont then camped at Cold Harbor. This was ground that Pvt. Nelson was familiar with, he had marched through Cold Harbor before back in '62 as an infantryman carrying a single shot muzzle-loading rifle. Now he was back, mounted and carrying a carbine. It seems two of the lessons of war learnt by Pvt. Nelson were, it is better to ride than walk and 10-12 shots per minute from a carbine is better than 3-4 shots a minute from an infantry rifle. Besides, there was that old infantryman's adage that went "Who ever saw a dead cavalryman?" Now that the cavalry had been consolidated into one corps, that adage was about to be dispelled.