Today in History:

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

Page 963 BATTLE OF FAiR OAKS, OR SEVEN PINES. XXIII.

lery near the road. We were losing heavily, especially in field and company officers. Within the space of a few minutes the Twenty-fourth Virginia had lost its only field officer, wounded (Major Maury); the Twenty-third North Carolina all its field officers, wounded or disabled, and 8 out of 10 company commanders and 17 out of 29 officers killed or wounded; the Second Florida 2 field officers and 10 oat of 11 company commanders, killed or wounded; the Thirty-eighth Virginia its colonel, temporarily disabled, but who again took the field. The entire brigade of fix-e regiments and a battalion was in front of th& ~ fight, receiving time first shock of the enemys force with only six field officers, two regi- nients without any, two more with one apiece. Add to this the list of casualties among company officers shown in the returns, amid it is not surprising that regimental lines were not accurately preserved; yet nothing occurred to the disparagement of the general reputation of the troops. There were stragglers, few or many, as upon all other occa- sions, of course. The sup~)orting brigade advancing at this opportune moment, aiid the passage of lines being a feat in tactics which had never been l)rac- heed by any of us, large fragments of those regiments who were left without field or company officers were joined in and contimmued forward with that brigade. The regiments with field officers remaining (the Second Florida and Thirty-eighth Virginia especially) l)reserve(l a more distinct oroanization. I assisted Major Wilson to collect some of the Second Mississippi Battalion, and sent them on the left of tIme Twenty- eighth Georgia. Passing to the right, where Lieutenant-Colonel [It. 1).] Johnston, before being wouu(led, had attached some of his coin- panics to the Fourth Not th Carolina, I kept on the right with the mixed coinminaud up to the earthworks and rifle pits, placing them to hold the rifle pits and use them in reverse. Arriviimg there, my horse, which had been shot at an early hour, be- caine now so disabled that I was cOmpCllC(l to abandoim him, accepting the use of Captain Mannings until required by him to go after ord- nance. 1 then mounte(l an artillery horse, which ~vas twice struck with musket-balls while I was upomi himn. Finding M~~jor-General Hill, my (hivisioll comnmnander, near me, I reported to hint, and rendered assist- ance for a time in conducting the re-enforcements now arriving to their positions and imi rallying such regiments or l)arts of regiments as wavered anywhere on our part of the hues. My own command, now npon the field, was interming-led, in the maim- ncr already state(l, to a large extent with Colonel Andersons brigade. The Second Florida and Thirty-eighth Virginia, having continued iii the tight until a late hour, were sent back, under or(lers to supply their exhausted ammunition, about the same time with the Forty-ninth Vir- ginia. These orders were given t.o them by Captain Meeni, uumy adju- tamit-general, upon learning that they were without a supply, and the or(lers were ratified by me. 1~iding back, at the request of General Hill, to communicate with General Wilcox, whose brigade was coining up, I found that Colonel Smith, Forty-ninth Virginia, had been directed by General Longstreet to joimi these regiments with his own and carry them back to the Iront. I ot course resumed command of them myself, ammd imow take especial l)aimis, in justice to them, to call attemition to their good cOn(hmmct. The Secoimd Florida captured time colors of the Eighth New York and .45 or 50 prisoners, with several horses ; was leading the advance, and, with other troops, clearing men and horses from the section of artillery planted near the road, which the enemy never afterwards regained.


Page 963 BATTLE OF FAiR OAKS, OR SEVEN PINES. Chapter XXIII.