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519 Series I Volume XI-I Serial 12 - Peninsular Campaign Part I

Page 519 Chapter XXIII. BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG, VA.

direction of General Sumner in reserve in rear of General Peck's line of operations. Subsequently one piece of Flood's battery was moved to the point in front where the Williamsburg road enters the woods. While this piece was in position at the latter point Private Eugene Sherry, of Flood's Battery D [Pennsylvania Reserve Artillery], was so dangerously wounded by the explosion of a shell as to render amputation of both legs necessary. I inclose the surgeon's report. No portion of this artillery was engaged, all the points at which artillery could operate having been occupied by artillery from other divisions.

I have the honor to be, captain, with the highest respect, your obedient servant,

ROBT. M. WEST,

Major and Chief of Artillery.

Captain FRANCIS A. WALKER,

Assistant Adjutant-General.


No. 40. Report of Colonel Julius W. Adams,

Sixty-seventh New York Infantry, commanding First Brigade, of operations May 4-7.

HEADQUARTERS GRAHAM'S BRIGADE, Williamsburg, May 7, 1862.

SIR: I have the honor to report the operations of this brigade since the morning of the 4th instant:

The brigade consists of the First Long Island Regiment, the Thirty-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, First U. S. Chasseurs, Sixty-first and Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, and attached to it a battery of the First Pennsylvania Artillery, commanded by Captain Miller.

Orders were received from division headquarters to take two or three regiments of my command and a section of Captain Miller's battery and capture the forts on Warwick River in front of Dam No. 2, below Lee's Mill. Accordingly the Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Neill, and the First Long Island, Lieutenant-Colonel Cross, were ordered forward. Upon arriving in front of the main works it was presumed that they had been abandoned by the enemy; however, no precaution was omitted to guard against a surprise. The river and deep marsh immediately in their front required the combined efforts of the whole force for nearly two hours to effect a passage.

The works, which were quite extensive and very strong, were found abandoned by the enemy. At this point we received orders to join the column of General Naglee, ordered to the front on a reconnaissance. The march was accordingly resumed, the remainder of the brigade having in the mean time joined. We halted for the night after a march of about 7 miles, and, being without supplies of any kind or means of transportation, were compelled to send a large force back to camp to bring them up. This detained us, owing to the terrible state of the roads, until the next day at 3 p.m., when, receiving orders to proceed to the front without delay to re-enforce the remainder of the division, then hotly engaged with the enemy, we resumed our forward movement [Captain Miller's battery had previously advanced upon the receipt of written orders and has not joined the brigade since], and night coming on before we could get into position, owing to the violent storm, the brigade bivouacked near the headquarters of the Fourth


Page 519 Chapter XXIII. BATTLE OF WILLIAMSBURG, VA.