Today in History:

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

Page 421 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.


No. 118. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Calvin A. Craig, One hundred and Fifth Pennsylvania Infantry.

CAMP SICKLES, VA.,

May 9, 1863.

CAPTAIN: I have the honor to submit the following report of the movements of my command since April 28 until our return of this camp:

Having complied with all preparatory orders, the regiment moved with the brigade on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 28, with 27 officers and 320 men, and reached a point about 4 miles below Fredericksburg, on the Rappahannock, where we bivouacked for the night.

The next day, April 29, we moved to the woods skirting the river, where we encamped for two nights, Colonel McKnight holding an informal regimental muster on April 30.

May 1, we took up our line of march about 2 p.m. for the right, and halted within a short distance of the United States Ford at 12 p.m.

Soon after daylight (May 2), we moved forward, and crossed the Rappahannock at the United States Ford about noon, when we received orders for picket duty, and moved to a field near Chancellorsville, on the Plank road to Orange Court-House.

At 5 o'clock, our orders being countermanded, we moved and formed line of battle near the Chancellorsville brick mansion (our batteries at that point having been attacked), where we received a heavy artillery fire, and remained there until daylight, the brigade at that time being moved to the center, where we were deployed as skirmishers, and remained until afternoon, when we were ordered to join the reconnaissance. This we did, and returned about 9 p.m., and lay during that night (Saturday) to the rear of the batteries, about 1 mile south of the Orange road, while the other brigades of the division were engaged with the night attack.

At daylight on the morning of Sunday, we moved a short distance for the purpose of making an artillery road across a swampy piece of ground. As we finished this, we received a sweeping fire of musketry from the enemy, which wounded several men, and the then moved to the rear of the batteries at the brick mansion.

From this point we moved forward, the One hundred and fourteenth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers on our right, we being the extreme left of the brigade, and charged the woods immediately in front of these batteries, where we were engaged for nearly two hours at the entrance of these woods.

At the time we were gaining position, Colonel McKnight was shot through the head and instantly killed. The command of the regiment then devolved upon me. It was at this time my regiment suffered severe loss in killed and wounded.

Discovering a movement to outflank our left, I ordered Lieutenant Nesbit, of Company B, to take his men beyond the breastworks. This he did, occupying a position where he killed and wounded many of the enemy, thus assisting to drive them from their position and for the time checking their movement. The enemy, however, were re-enforced, and the brigade was then outflanked upon the right, when we retired from the woods to the rear of the batteries, forming line of battle immediately in rear of the brick mansion. From this position, we next reached


Page 421 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.