Today in History:

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

Page 517 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.

from picket on the morning of April 27, and marched from camp immediately thereafter, reaching Hartwood Church the same day; Kelly's Ford the succeeding night; crossing the Rappahannock and Rapidan April 29, encamping at Ely's Ford for the night, and arrived at Chancellorsville the forenoon of April 30.

About 4 p.m. of that day, an order was received from Major-General Meade, commanding Fifth Corps, to proceed along the road leading to Banks' Ford, to support Barnes' brigade, which had met the enemy in that vicinity. The command was marched rapidly about 3 miles, when an order was received from General Griffin to return to Chancellorsville, where the brigade encamped in the contiguous woods.

May 1.-The brigade led Griffin's division in the detour to the left of Banks' Ford, returning to the vicinity of its encampment late in the afternoon, where it remained in line of battle while Sykes' division was engaged with the enemy.

During the night it marched to Stout's Mills, and took position immediately on the right of Humphrey's division, which held the left of what was our fortified line of battle in the subsequent operations.

The next day (May 2), the different regiments constructed strong breastworks and abatis in front of their respective positions. The brigade remained here until 4.30 a.m. of May 3, when it was moved into a new position to the right of the while house, on the road leading to Chancellorsville. During the battle at this point, the Sixty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers was deployed as skirmishers in front of Stockton's brigade, while the other regiments supported batteries and threw up breast-works on the line occupied by the brigade. The Sixty-second Pennsylvania Volunteers was withdrawn in the afternoon and placed in reserve.

The following diagram will show the positions occupied by the different regiments on Sunday, and until the army recrossed the Rappahannock:

Map.

During the night rifle-pits were dug, which rendered the position perfectly defensible against any force that could be brought against it.


Page 517 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.