Today in History:

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

Page 711 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.

Brigade between the hours of sundown and dark, Captain Scott, your assistant adjutant-general, indicated to me my position in the line of battle. Being the left of the brigade, I drew my regiment up in line at, or nearly at, right angles with our breastworks or the original line, the eight right companies resting inside of the breastworks, the two left companies outside and on a line with the other eight companies. At this time immediately in rear of my left was a perfect jam of artillery and caissons, many of which had been abandoned; some of them had been left standing, horses and all; in some instances the limbers had been dropped, and in others the teams were cut loose, leaving everything. As near as I could learn, but few officers remained with them. I finally succeeded in finding a Lieutenant Lewis, of what battery I did not learn. I requested him to put two pieces on my left, on a high point of ground commanding the ravine in front of the breastworks. He could only find 5 or 6 of his men, and I made a detail from my regiment to assist him. We finally succeeded in getting the two pieces in position. About this time a line officer of the One hundred and tenth Pennsylvania Regiment came up with about 200 men, and reported that he had no field officers with him, and requested me to take charge of them. I put them in position in rear of the artillery, with orders to support it, which they did with alacrity and bravery. I wish to remark here that these men staid with me during the night and through the fight next day, and behaved most gallantry.

About the time I had succeeded in getting the two pieces of artillery in position, a portion of the One hundred an seventh New York Regiment reported to me without a field officer. I put them in position on my left, which brought them in front of the right regiment of General Geary's division. I immediately notified the commanding officer of that regiment that my line extended in his front. This was done in order to prevent them from firing into us by mistake. These arrangements were scarcely completed before the rebels made a charge upon our breast-works with terrific yells. I immediately caused both pieces of artillery to open fire, first with shell and afterward with grape and canister. I am very confident that the fire from these two pieces of artillery, enfilading the whole length of the ravine and abatis in front of the breast-works, did much to check the rebels' advance. These are the only incidents that came under my notice during the night, excepting some firing on the right of our line, in which it is feared two of our regiments fired into each other by mistake.

Shortly after sunrise on Sunday morning, the 3rd, the enemy, having obtained possession of our breastworks on the right, advanced on our line and opened fire.

In a very short time the whole line became engaged. The enemy advanced steadily, delivering their fire with telling effect. Our whole line stood firm. No part of the line yielded an inch or wavered. The enemy poured in regiment after regiment of fresh troops, determined to break the line; but whenever and wherever they made their appearance they found our fire so deadly that they were forced to halt and seek shelter behind the timber and rises in the ground.

After the battle had progressed an hour or more, my officers notified me that the ammunition was running out. I immediately rode up to the right of the line to find you. I found that all the other regiments were also running short of ammunition. I would not see you, and was informed that Captain Scott, assistant adjutant-general, had been wounded and had left the field. I immediately ordered the whole line to fix bayonets and charge, which was done in gallant style. The rebels'


Page 711 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.