Today in History:

1018 Series I Volume XXV-I Serial 39 - Chancellorsville Part I

Page 1018 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.

these trials and exposure, both officers and men of my regiment behaved most gallantly.

Annexed please find list of casualties.*

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

J. Q. A. NADENBOUSCH,

Colonel Second Regiment Virginia Infantry.

[Lieutenant C. S. ARNALL,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General, Paxton's Brigade.]


Numbers 401. Report of Major William Terry, Fourth Virginia Infantry.

CAMP, PAXTON'S BRIGADE, May 9, 1863.

SIR: As the brigade commander is familiar with the movements of Paxton's brigade from May 1, when we left Hamilton's Crossing, to the morning of May 3 (during this interval nothing of special interest transpiring), I deem it unnecessary to speak in detail.

On the morning of May 3, about 4 o'clock, my regiment, as a part of the brigade, was put in position on the left of the Plank road, about three-fourths of a mile from Chancellorsville, between the Second and Fifth [Virginia] Regiments. Here we remained in line of battle until about 8 a. m., in the meantime exposed to a severe cannonading, when we were moved by the right flank across the road nearly a fourth of a mile, and then by the left flank in line of battle toward the firing then taking place in our front. After advancing some distance, crossing a small swamp, we arrived behind some defenses of logs, &c., which had been constructed by the enemy, and behind which we found some troops under cover. After crossing this swamp, the Second [Virginia] Regiment, which I had been directed to follow, moved by the right flank down the drain, and, after going a short distance, the command to move by the left flank was given on the left of the Second [Virginia] Regiment. I immediately gave this command to my regiment, moved forward in line of battle, passed the troops in my front, crossed the breastworks, and moved promptly toward the enemy in front, and soon became warmly engaged, contrary to my expectation, for I supposed that there had been a general order for an advance. The Second [Virginia] Regiment did not come up on my right. This exposed me to a very heavy and destructive fire of the enemy's musketry, from which my men suffered very much. After holding this position for some time, and finding I could not dislodge the enemy with my regiment in its exhausted condition, and no fresh troops coming to my support, I deemed it my duty to order my regiment to fall back, and accordingly resumed my position in rear of the breastworks, and reformed the regiment.

In this advance I had sustained a loss of not less than 140 killed and wounded, in an aggregate of 355.

After the lapse of a short time, the brigade was ordered forward by Major-General Stuart, and we again advanced in line of battle, the Fifth [Virginia] Regiment on my left and the Twelfth Georgia on my right. We drove the enemy before us for nearly three-fourths of a mile from some earthworks crowning the crest of a hill. We reached and occupied these defenses.

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*Not found; but see Guild's report, p. 808.

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Page 1018 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.