Today in History:

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

Page 922 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.

one of them misbehaved, so far as I could observe, but, on the contrary, all exerted themselves. The men proved themselves veterans.

The loss of my regiment is as follows: 6 officers wounded, 14 men killed and 84 wounded, as the tabular list annexed will show.*

Respectfully submitted.

SAM. D. LOWE,

Colonel, Commanding Twenty-eighth North Carolina Regiment.

Lieutenant O. LANE, Aide-de-Camp.


Numbers 357. Report of Captain Joseph H. Saunders, Thirty-third North Carolina Infantry.

MAY 9, 1863.

SIR: I respectfully beg leave to submit the following report of the Thirty-third North Carolina Regiment in the battles around Chancellorsville:

The regiment left camp with 480 men. Very few of the men fell out from sickness or any other cause during the march to Chancellorsville. The march on Saturday, May 2, was a very fatiguing one. Although the men were on very short rations, they held up remarkably well, and were in very fine spirits. I never saw the regiment go into action better than they did on that evening. While halted in the road, was exposed to the heaviest artillery fire it has ever been under.

About dark, the regiment was deployed as skirmishers on the right and left of the Plank road. We then advanced to within short range of the enemy's skirmishers. Colonel [Clark M.] Avery was on the Plank road; Major [Thomas W.] Mayhew on the extreme left; Lieutenant-Colonel [Robert V.] Cowan on the right, while I commanded the extreme right wing. After establishing my line, I went to the road for final instructions. While there, Lieutenant [James W.] Gibbs, of Company F, reported to me that a flag of truce was on the right. Lieutenant-Colonel Cowan and myself both rapidly went in that direction. When about the center of the right wing, a heavy fire was opened on us from our own troops on the left flank and rear. The skirmishers, to avoid the fire from the rear, rushed forward, the enemy's skirmishers falling back. This drew on us a heavy fire from the front and right flank. At this time Lieutenant-Colonel Cowan received a painful wound in right arm. I also think at this time most of the men now missing were captured. A good many men were wounded by this concentrated fire from all directions. I restored the line as soon as possible; then, observing a bulk of men on my right, and having no available men to send to reconnoiter, went back to Seventh [North Carolina] Regiment to ask Colonel [Edward G.] Haywood for a squad for that purpose. Lieutenant-Colonel [Junius L.] Hill came forward and met me, also the officer with the flag of truce, who had run from my right when we were fired upon. At this time you came up, and sent the squad of men which captured the regiment of prisoners.

At this time we were again fired upon from all sides. Again, for the third time, I restored my line of skirmishers. I then went to the left of the road to report to Colonel Avery. Found that he had been relieved, after having been twice fired upon from all sides. The left wing suffered much more than the right did from this fire.

Major Mayhew then came to the right wing and took command. The

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* Not found; but see Guild's report, p. 807.

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Page 922 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.