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351 Series I Volume XLVI-I Serial 95 - Appomattox Campaign Part I

Page 351 Chapter LVIII. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.

While this charge was made I was wounded by the explosion of a shell, after which the command of the brigade devolved upon Lieutenant Colonel W. H. H. McCall, Two hundredth Pennsylvania Volunteers, the senior officer present.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

C. W. DIVEN,

Colonel Two hundredth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Commanding Brigade.

Major JOHN D. BERTOLETTE,

Asst. Adjt. General, Third Division, Ninth Army Corps.


No. 156. Report of Lieutenant Colonel William H. H. McCall, Two hundredth Pennsylvania Infantry, of operations March 25.


HDQRS. 200TH REGIMENT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS,
March 26, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my regiment in the operations at Fort Stedman on the 25th instant:

Upon hearing the firing on the line in front at dawn of day I immediately formed my regiment and held it under arms awaiting orders, and in a few minutes I received an order from General Willcox, through one of his staff, to report at the Friend house (General Willcox's headquarters) with my regiment, but upon arriving within about half way from my camp to his headquarters I saw a number of men retreating from the front, when I immediately halted my regiment and moved it forward a short distance, with my right resting near the Dunn House Battery, and attempted to drive back the men who had retired from the front. A few moments after this General Hartranft appeared on the ground in person, and ordered my regiment forward, at the same time advancing with it to the camp of the Fifty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers, driving back the enemy's skirmishers, who had advanced beyond the camp, and at the same time charging the enemy, but finding him too strong and suffering terribly from this fire my men were driven back to na old line of works a few rods in rear and right of the camp of the Fifty-seventh Massachusetts Volunteers, where my regiment was reformed. Another attack was ordered by General Hartranft, and my regiment moved forward handsomely and gained a position quite near the enemy. This position was held fifteen or twenty minutes, with a large loss, when the regiment again retired to the cover of the old line, where a connection was formed with the Two hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers on the right. Here the left wing of my regiment inflicted severe injury on the enemy by its fire, and prevented any farther advance.

General Hartranft now directed me to hold this position, which I did, against any farther advance of the enemy. I remained in this position some time, when Major Berlolette, assistant adjutant-general, of General Hartranft's staff, who had been rendering valuable assistance all the time informed me that an assault would soon be made by the division to retake the works, and that my regiment, with the Two hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, would conform to the movement of the Second Brigade, which was several hundred yards to my left, and that the signal for the assault would be the advance of the Two hundred


Page 351 Chapter LVIII. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.