Today in History:

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

Page 324 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.

marching until it arrived near Chancellorsville, about 10 p. m., where the brigade was ordered to halt and bivouac over night. Here I would respectfully refer you to the report transmitted by Colonel N. A. Miles as to the part this regiment took on the day of the 1st instant, until 11 p. m. the same day, when I was ordered to take command of the regiment, Colonel N. A. Miles being detailed as general officer of the day, and in command of the line of skirmishers in front of the division. The regiment was then drawn up in line of battle in a wood, with the One hundred and forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers on its right and the Twenty-second Massachusetts Volunteers on its left. While here, it had been exposed int he fore part of the evening to a short but sharp artillery fire of the enemy.

A little before daylight on the 2nd, I received orders from General Caldwell to march my regiment out silently, by the left flank, from the position it had occupied in the woods during the night. I was followed by the One hundred and forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers. After clearing the woods, we marched down the road and to the rear about 200 yards, and a new position was given us by Lieutenant D. K. Cross, aide-de-camp to General Caldwell, in the woods to the left, and nearly parallel to the one we had previously occupied. Here we threw up a strong breastwork all along our front, of bushes, timber, and earth. In the afternoon the pickets in our front were suddenly and vigorously attacked by a heavy column of the enemy's infantry, but it was soon repulsed by the skill and tact of Colonel N. A. Miles, who was in command of said pickets. In the afternoon, while an engagement was going on at our right, we were also exposed to a cross fire from the enemy's artillery, but without any damage to our numbers.

About 6 p. m. I was requested by Colonel Miles to throw out a line of pickets from my regiment long enough to cover its entire front, and to have it connect right and left with the rest of the line. I sent two companies out, under the command of Captain P. C. Bain. The whole detachment consisted of 6 commissioned officers and 43 enlisted men. This force remained out until noon of the following day, when most of it rejoined the regiment, after the latter had fallen back.

No order or warning having been given to these pickets to withdraw when the rest of the troops were falling back, and their connection with the right of the picket line being suddenly lost, they did not move until they found that the enemy was in their rear and had occupied the breastworks behind which the regiment had previously been lying. In working their way out of the woods, 16 enlisted men and 1 commissioned officer-Second Lieutenant D. J. Buckley-were lost, and probably taken prisoners, and 2 enlisted men wounded. From all accounts I have received, First Lieutenant W. H. Gordon has merited much credit as being the principal one in saving this force, together with six companies of the One hundred and forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, which had also been out on picket, by adroitly conducting them out and off from the enemy, who were in their rear, until the whole safely reached their respective regiments. Of these pickets, 2 were wounded by the enemy's artillery.

On the morning of the 3rd, from sunrise to about 10 a. m., the regiment, while lying in the entrenchments, was exposed to a heavy and continuous cross-fire from the enemy's artillery, but without any damage to ourselves. At about 10 a. m. I received orders from General Caldwell to follow the One hundred and forty-eighth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and marched off by the right flank, at a right-shoulder shift and double-quick, until the brigade halted on the left of the main road


Page 324 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.