Today in History:

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

Page 752 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.

Distance marched during the eleven days that the regiment was absent from camp, about 100 miles. The men carried three days' meat and eight days' bread, and two days' bread and meat were served them on the other side of the Rappahannock.

The loss of the regiment was 6 killed, 13 wounded, and 2 missing.

The officers and men behaved with great bravery and steadiness, and returned to their camp in the same order as they would on dress-parade.

Respectfully submitted.

WM. RICKARDS. JR.,

Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding Twenty-ninth Pennsylvania Vols.

Colonel JACOB HIGGINS,

125th Pa. Vols., Commanding 2nd Brigadier, 2nd Div., 12th Army Corps.


Numbers 293. Report of Captain John Young, jr., One hundred and ninth Pennsylvania Infantry.

SIR: I have the honor to make the following report of the part taken by the One hundred and ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers in the late battle of the Chancellorsville, Va.:

On the morning of May 1, we were ordered in line, and marched up the Plank road from the brick house where general Hooker had established his headquarters, when, reaching a road that branched off from the main road to the right, we halted, where the first and second companies were deployed as skirmishers through a dense wood, which was filled with newly made rifle-pits, but were then deserted. We advanced about 2 miles, when we met a body of the enemy's cavalry. They proved to be too powerful for us, when we were ordered to rally on the reserve in the road. We returned to the regiment in good order, bringing in 1 prisoner.

In about an hour the second company was again thrown out as skirmisher through the same wood. Having advanced about half a mile, the enemy was observed advancing in line on our right flank with a large force of infantry and artillery. We then received the order to fall back on the regiment, which was done in good order. We then fell back, and occupied our old camping-ground of the night previous. About dusk two companies - the first and fourth - were thrown out in front of the brigade as skirmishers, where they remained until midnight, when they were relieved by the third company.

On the morning of the 2nd, we took our old position in the rear of the entrenchments. About 1 o'clock we were ordered out on a road on the left of the Plank road, and thrown out to the right and left of the road, where we encountered the enemy, and lost 1 man killed and 11 wounded. We then fell back, and occupied the entrenchments left vacant by the Third Brigade, where we remained that night under a straggling fire from the enemy's sharpshooters in the front, and an enfilading fire from the enemy's batteries.

On the morning of the 3rd, we were still in the entrenchments. As soon as it was daylight, the first, company was deployed along a road in rear of the entrenchments, to drive back the stragglers, who were arriving in large numbers. About 7 o'clock, Colonel H. J. Strainrook, who was on the level ground in rear of the entrenchments, rose to give an order to the men on the right, when he was struck from the front by a rebel sharpshooter


Page 752 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.