Today in History:

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

Page 679 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.

and Fifth Connecticut, undoubtedly fell under the heavy fire of the enemy, concealed in the woods on our right and in our own rifle-pits, on the extreme right of our line.

Among those whom we know were mortally wounded at this time I have with regret to record Major Strous, Forty-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers. Colonel Packer, of the Fifth Connecticut Volunteers, also fell into the hands of the enemy at this time, but it is not know whether wounded or not.

On the first appearance in our rifle-pits of the men of the Eleventh Corps falling back from the attack on the right, four companies of the Twenty-eighth New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Cook commanding (six companies being on detached duty), left as guard in camp, were deployed across the woods, and for a while successfully stopped the fugitives. It is estimated that nearly 2,000 formed behind our barricades, but they fled at almost the first approach of the enemy, breaking through our thin line of skirmishers. Lieutenant-Colonel Cook attempted to resist the enemy' advance, but, passing our flank on the north side of the Plank road, they succeeded in placing themselves in his rear, and making prisoners of Lieutenant-Colonel Cook, 2 captains, and about 60 men of his command.

Finding that our original line of intrenchments could not be reoccupied, and that from the direction of the enemy's attack it would furnish little, if any, defense to our own troops, with the approval of the major-general commanding the corps I ordered a new line to be taken up along the interior edge of the woods in front of the ravine near Fairview, connecting near the Plank road with the left of Berry's division, of the Third Corps, which had come up to take position on the right of the Plank road. On consultation with General Berry, I decided to relieve, by two regiments of the Second Brigade of my division, two regiments of his command, which were on the left of the Plank road. The night was passed in throwing up along my whole line such defenses of logs and earth as was possible from the scarcity of tools at hand. The ammunition was also fully replenished to all the regiments from the division pack train.

During the evening a staff officer of General Sickles' corps communicated t me the intention of attacking the enemy on his right flank, in the woods, with at least one brigade of that corps. On account of the position of most of my line, at right angles to the position of General Sickles' troops on the left, and from the evident danger of confusion and mishap in the darkness of the night, i asked this officer to have the attack deferred until I could communicate with General Slocum, who was then at the headquarters of the army. The attack, however, began before I could see General Slocum, and, if without important results, yet, I think, without injury inflicted by our own guns upon our own troops, as was at first feared. I used all endeavors to communicate to my line the nature and locality of the attack, and to prevent firing in the direction of the attacking party. The infantry on the right of my line, finding itself threatened during this attack, opened a brisk fire, and the artillery shelled the woods in advance with a vigor that must have been very destructive to the enemy's masses in the woods.

On the morning of May 3 (Sunday), my line was as follows: Connecting with the left of Berry's division, on the Plank road form Chancellorsville to the Wilderness, just in advance of Fairview, were two regiments of the Second Brigade (the One hundred and twenty-third New York and Third Maryland Volunteers), having been transferred from the left during the early morning. Ruger's brigade completed the line along


Page 679 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.