Today in History:

1036 Series I Volume XXV-I Serial 39 - Chancellorsville Part I

Page 1036 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.

about one hour, when it was ordered with the brigade to support the right of the line. It was marched to the second line of the enemy's breastworks under a heavy severe fire of artillery and musketry. It was formed in rear of Roane's [McGowan's] South Carolina Brigade, behind the intrenchments, but was soon ordered to move to the right, meeting a flank movement of the enemy, which was repulsed with severe loss to the regiment, over 100 being killed, wounded, and captured by the enemy. Lieutenant-Colonel Walker was killed by a cannon ball passing through his body. Major [Joshua] Stover was mortally wounded, and 3 company officers killed and several wounded.

The regiment being very much exhausted, was ordered to assemble at a house in the rear during the night and recruit its broken ranks.

Early in the morning it was marching to the front, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel [Simeon T.] Walton, of the Twenty-third Virginia Regiment, when it was detailed, by order of General Lee, to collect the arms from the battle field, where it was engaged until the morning of the 5th, when it joined the brigade on the right of the Chancellor house, where it remained in line of battle during the night.

On the morning of the 6th, it was ordered to the front as skirmishers, and marched as such to within a short distance of the United States Ford, on the Rappahannock River, where it again joined the brigade, and remains on picket duty at this point.

Very respectfully, &c.,

A. H. SMALS,

Captain, Commanding Tenth Virginia Regiment.

Captain GEORGE G. GARRISON,

Assistant Adjutant-General, Colston's Brigade.


Numbers 414. Report of Lieutenant Colonel Simeon T. Walton, Twenty-third Virginia Infantry.

BIVOUAC NEAR UNITED STATES FORD, May 9, 1863.

CAPTAIN: After a toilsome march on the 2nd instant, the brigade was formed in line of battle across the road leading to Chancellorsville, and about 3 miles above the village. The Thirty-seventh Virginia was on the right and this regiment (Twenty-third Virginia) on the left. The road separated these two regiments from the others of the brigade for a distance of 75 yards. We were ordered to advance as did the line in front. This we did, and in less than twenty minutes after the action commenced the two regiments had overtaken it at a point on the right of the road, where three pieces of artillery were posted. In a few moments the gunners were killed or wounded and the pieces captured. This regiment continued to advance, driving the enemy before it, capturing prisoners, &c., until it had passed 300 yards beyond the strong breastworks in the woods where the battle raged so furiously on Sunday. It was then dark, and we were ordered to halt. In a short time we were relieved by General A. P. Hill, and retired a few hundred yards to collect and reform the regiments. The men were badly scattered, on account of thickness of the forest, and we could not muster more than 70 men on Sunday morning.

Early on that day we moved from the left of the road to the breastwork, and on its extreme right were exposed to a terribly destructive


Page 1036 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.