Today in History:

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

Page 722 Chapter XXXVII. N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.

At about 9 a. m. Lieutenant Winegar, commanding Battery M, First New York Artillery, still engaged in his position of the previous evening, reporting to me that he was nearly out of ammunition, I brought up Lieutenant Davis' section from General Geary's line to relieve him; but before the section, though coming up at a trot, could reach the graveyard in rear of the Twelfth Corps artillery, the batteries of that line had all fallen back, M, of the First New York Artillery, the last of them to retire, going by Lieutenant Davis just as he went into battery, which he did under my direction a little northeast of the graveyard. From this position we opened a fire of Hotchkiss fuse and Schenkl percussion shell against a rebel battery which was enfilanding our line from the field about a mile south of the Plank road, every one of the 12 shells that we fired (elevation 6 degrees) bursting among the enemy's pieces, although the smoke that hung over that part of the field prevented us from seeing any other effect than the explosion of an ammunition chest and a temporary slackening of their fire. After firing 12 rounds, we were obliged to directs our pieces against a body of rebel infantry who had driven our troops back over the road, and were pouring into us a sharp fire of musketry from our right and front. We now fired shell and case shot at an average elevation of 1 degree until the enemy advanced over the line that had been occupied by Captain Best's artillery, D, of the First New York Artillery, and other batteries, earlier in the morning, when we fired percussion shell at point-blank.

A regiment of our infantry that had been lying on the ground on our right and rear now rose and fell back. At about 10.30 a. m. I withdrew the section, under cover of a fire from some of our artillery posted near the Chancellorsville house, to the second line, formed near the white house, which we had barely reached when we came into battery, west of the United States Ford road, against a body of the enemy who were driving our infantry our of the woods on the west and south of the white house. We here fired percussion shell at point-blank against the enemy in the edge of the woods with great effect. Their advance at that point was effectually checked by the artillery fire. Between 2 and 3 p. m. I directed Lieutenant Davis to join Lieutenant Bailey's section, which had been in position, unengaged, near General Griffin's division of the Fifth Corps, on our right.

Early Monday morning, Captain Weed, commanding the artillery of that line, ordered the battery to the left, near General Birney's division of the Third Corps. Here, toward evening, we were hotly engaged with the rebel infantry and artillery, first shelling a battery on the left which we silenced, and then turning our fire, in common with that of the whole line, against a battery on the right, which was also silenced in a few minutes.

From Monday evening, May 4, until Tuesday, 8 p. m., we remained in the last-named position, unengaged. We were then (Tuesday, May 5, 8 p. m.) ordered to United States Ford by Captain Weed.

On Wednesday a. m., May 6, I put the battery imposition near the group of buildings a shot distance south of the ford, by order of Major-General Reynolds, commanding First Corps, and about 10 a. m., by order of the same officer, crossed the river, the battery joining its corps at Stafford Court-House at about 7 p. m.

First Lieutenant Edward L. Bailey and Second Lieutenant Henry W. Davis deserve a great deal of credit, not only for their gallant bearing under a severe fire, but for the excellent judgment displayed by them both in the management of their respective sections. The non-commissioned officers and men, without a single exception, behaved nobly. The pieces


Page 722 Chapter XXXVII. N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA.