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

Page 599 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.

The non-commissioned officers and men acted nobly, and I saw no indication of fear, although the battery was exposed to a severe infantry fire. Nothing was lost or abandoned worthy of mention.

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

EDWARD B. WILLISTON,

First Lieutenant Second U. S. Artillery, Commanding Company D.

Major J. A. TOMPKINS,

Chief of Artillery, First Division, Sixth Army Corps.


Numbers 226. Report of Brigadier General Albino P. How, U. S. Army, commanding Second Division.

HDQRS. SECOND DIVISION, SIXTH ARMY CORPS, May 10, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report the operations of the Second Division, Sixth Corps, from the time it crossed the Rappahannock on the evening of May 2 until it recrossed on the night of May 4-5.

The division crossed the river early in the evening of the 2nd, and about 12 o'clock that night I received notice to move in rear of General Newton's division to Fredeircksburg. About 3 a. m. the rear of General Newton's division moved, and the head of my column reached Hazel Run some time after daylight, uninterrupted except by the troops in front.

About 11 a. m. on the 3rd, I received notice from the commanding officer of the Sixth Corps that he was about to attack the enemy's position between Hazel Run and Fredericksburg, and wished me to assist. I immediately formed three storming columns, the first column, commanded by General Neill, composed of the Seventh maine, Lieutenant-Colonel Connor; the Seventy-seventh New York, Lieutenant Colonel French; the Thirty-third New York, Colonel Taylor, and a portion of the Twenty first New Jersey, Lieutenant-Colonel Mettler. The second column, under the command of Colonel Grant, acting brigadier-general, was composed of the Second Vermont, Colonel Walbridge; the Sixth Vermont, Colonel Barney, and the Twenty-sixth New Jersey, Colonel Morrison. The third column was composed of the Third Vermont, Colonel Seaver; the Fourth Vermont, Colonel Stoughton, and a portion of the Twenty-first New Jersey, Colonel Van Houten, led by Colonel Seaver, of the Third Vermont. I also placed the division artillery in favorable range, and where it could have an effective fire upon the enemy's works, at the same time allowing the most practicable lines of advance for our assaulting columns, so that they would not interfere with the line of artillery fire.

As soon as the fire was heard on my right, I opened my artillery fire with full force, and advanced the two columns under Neill and Grant, with the bayonet, upon Cemetery Hill. This point was gallantly carried without any check to our columns.

From this point Neill's and Grant's columns were moved to assault, on our right, the main works on Mayre's Hill. I at once brought all the division artillery to bear upon the works on those heights, and advanced the column, led by Colonel Seaver to make an assault, on our left, of the same work. Neill's column charged and successfully carried the strong covered way leading from the first work on Marye's Heights to


Page 599 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.