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303 Series I Volume XXV-I Serial 39 - Chancellorsville Part I

Page 303 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.

house, and to the right of the bridges. At about 8.30 a. m., by order of Colonel Wainwright, the rifle-pits of the enemy, on the opposite shore, were shelled slowly for about one hour. During the firing 79 projectiles were expended, of which 30 were Schenkl percussion, 30 Hotchkiss time shell, and 19 Hotchkiss case-shot. Most of the percussion, 30 Hotchkiss time-shell, and 19 Hotchkiss case-shot. Most of the percussion shell struck in and about the pits and exploded. A small proportion did not explode. The Hotchkiss shell and case-shot worked well, most of them exploding at or near the point fired upon. The battery remained at the place above designated without further action until the morning of May 2, at 10 a. m., when it took up the line of march for the United States Ford, where it crossed the river and parked three-eights of a mile from the bank until May 5. At 10 a. m., by order of Captain Best, it recrossed the river and was posted on the bank of the river, 1 mile below the United Sated Ford, where it remained until about 10 a. m., May 6, when the enemy opened a battery to our right and front, about 1,500 yards distant.

This battery was beyond a crest of a hill, firing down a ravine at Thompson's and Knap's batteries. We could see nothing but the smoke of their guns rising above the crest of the hill, and the projectiles were fired at such an elevation as to go over the hill, and the effect could not be observed. This engagement lasted about one hour, in which 73 projectiles were fire, of which 120 were Hotchkiss time-shell, 12 Schenkl percussion, and 51 Hotchkiss case-shot. At 5.30 p. m. the battery withdrew from this position, and went into camp near the Warrenton pike.

On the morning of the 7th instant, it marched to its present camp near Whit Oak Church, where it arrived at 5 p. m.

No casualties occurred to the men or officers of the battery during these operations. The materials lost were 1 horse (left exhausted); 4 tar-buckets and 4 watering-buckets were lost on the march.

J. H. COOPER,

Captain, Pennsylvania Artillery, Commanding Battery B.

Colonel C. S. WAINWRIGHT,

Chief of Artillery, First Army Corps.


Numbers 61. Report of Captain R. Bruce Ricketts, Battery F, First Pennsylvania Light Artillery.


HDQRS. BATTERY F, FIRST PENNSYLVANIA ARTILLERY,
May 9, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by my command in the late operations in the vicinity of Fredericksburg:

At daylight on the morning of April 29, I was placed in position in the corn-field in front of the Fitzhugh house, by Colonel Wainwright, chief of artillery, First Army Corps.

At 5 p. m. on the 30th, the enemy opened from a battery of 20-pounder Parrott guns, at a distance of about 3.600 yards, and continued firing until 7 p. m. During that time I fired 20 Hotchkiss shell, 25 Schenkl percussion, and 3 case-shot (Schenkl), at an elevation of from 10 to 14 degrees, and fuse from eleven to fifteen seconds. The distance


Page 303 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.