Today in History:

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

Page 733 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.

ments, and his loss is one which cannot well be replaced. He fell, bravely battling the enemy, among, an as one of, his own men.

My warm acknowledgments are also due to each and every member of my staff, viz: Captain Thomas H. Elliott, assistant adjutant-general; First Lieutenant Llewelly R. Davis, aide-de-camp; Captain Reuben H. Wilbur and Henry H. Wilson, aides-de-camp, and Captain William t. Forbes, acting assistant inspector-general; and they eminently deserve this official recognition of their gallantry and efficiency during the whole of the operations.

Captain Wilbur is missing since the action of the 3rd instant, in which he was doubtless severely wounded or made prisoner by the enemy.

The service has lost a brave and gallant soldier in the death of Captain Robert B. Hamton, of Hampton's battery. At the commencement of our operations he was attached to my command, but was temporarily detached on the evening of the 2nd instant, and ordered to the right of the First Division. While there, in the execution of his duty, he fell, mortally wounded, on the morning of the 3rd, and died within half an hour. When I mention him as one of the bravest and most gallant officers of the service, I feel that I am scarcely doing justice to his worth as a soldier and a gentleman.

I refrain, however, from mentioning the conduct of others upon an occasion when each one seemed to wish to excel his fellow in prompt obedience and soldierly bearing. The conduct of the entire command, with but very rare individual exceptions, was all I could wish. by many of them large number so prisoners were taken, and by two-the One hundredth and eleventh Pennsylvania and the One hundred and second New York-battle-flags were captured from the traitor hands that bore them.

For fuller details I beg leave respectfully to refer to the accompanying report of brigade and regimental commanders, and especially to that of the gallant Major Chapman, commanding Twenty-eight Pennsylvania, whose death occurred in my own immediate presence near the close of the action.

The losses and casualties in the division are not so numerous nor so serious as might be supposed, when account is taken of the murderous nature of the fire to which a great portion of the command was so long exposed. This is to be attributed in some measure to the admirable self-control and discipline shown by the men under such trying circumstances, and the prudence of the officers in keeping them well covered.

The following is a summary of the entire loss in killed, wounded, a missing:

Officers Killed. Severely Slightly Missing. Total.

and men. wounded. wounded.

Officers. 14 24 20 12 70

Enlisted 110 305 288 436 1,139

men.

Total.* 124 329 308 448 1,209

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JNO. W. GEARY,

Brigadier-General, U. S. Volunteers, Commanding.

Lieutenant Colonel H. C. RODGERS, Asst. Adjt. General, Twelfth Army Corps.

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*But see revised statement, p. 185.

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Page 733 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.