Today in History:

578 Series I Volume XI-II Serial 13 - Peninsular Campaign Part II

Page 578 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. Chapter XXIII.

It was in this charge that Dr. Joseph Crockett, assistant surgeon, and Private James Perfater, Company L, were mortally wounded. James R. Richardson, Company B; James Beville, Company A, privates, were wounded.

I beg to say that in the charge the regiment did most handsomely preserving the alignment while charging, and the men seemed to vie with each other in the effort to get the battery.

The casualties were as follows:

Dr. Joseph Crockett, assistant surgeon, mortally wounded; Private James Perfater, Company L, mortally wounded; Private James R. Richardson, Company B, wounded, and Private James A. Beville, Company A, wounded.

I must be pardoned for saying that the men and officers of my regiment were very much pleased at the handsome and splendid style in which the brigade was by the general led into action.

On Saturday morning, the 28th, I threw out some men to relieve the picket I had put out the night before. They brought in several prisoners. It was some three or four of these fresh men who arrested Brigadier-General Reynolds and Captain Kingsbury, his assistant adjutant-general.

The regiment remained here until Sunday morning, when it, with the brigade, marched to the bridge across the Chickahominy, where it remained inactive until nearly night, and then returned to the ground occupied in the morning.

On Monday, the 30th, the regiment took up the line of march and proceeded to a point at or near White Oak Swamp, where it remained for the night.

On Tuesday, July 1, marched down - road; halted near a church. While here the enemy, who occupied a strong position on Malvern Hill, opened fire upon the advance of our army, whereupon an artillery duel ensued between ours and the enemy's batteries. The until quite late in the evening. My regiment did not suffer from the shells thrown by the enemy, though some casualties occurred in the brigade.

Late in the evening the infantry became engaged, and my regiment, with the brigade, marched to the scene of action. I received no orders, but followed the Twenty-seventh Regiment, which was my position in the march. The Twenty-seventh double-quicked through the woods. I followed, passing out of the woods into an open field. We were exposed to a tremendous and furious fire from the enemy's batteries. I continued to move the regiment at a double-quick in order to secure the wood, some 200 yards in advance, where I intended to close the regiment up, as coming so rapidly through the first woods the files became widely separated, but all entered the field and were striving to close up, though the shells were bursting all around and in great rapidity; but when the first company reached the woods, Colonel Grigsby, I believe-or it may have been some one else-commanded "Left into line." I commanded "Halt," and did all I could to stop the regiment, in order to close it up. But it was getting late, and the cheering of the men made it impossible for me to arrest the movement, Lieutenant Colonel R. D. Gardner and Major William Terry doing all in their power to bring the regiment together, but, unfortunately, it was not accomplished.

It was here that Lieutenant-Colonel Gardner's horse was shot dead, falling upon him, and he was unable to get from under his horse until assisted. Up to this moment he was doing all a man could do to get


Page 578 THE PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN, VA. Chapter XXIII.