Today in History:

1123 Series I Volume XXV-I Serial 39 - Chancellorsville Part I

Page 1123 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.

APRIL 27-MAY 6, 1863.-The Chancellorsville Campaign.*

Supplementary report of Captain Frank C. Gibbs, Battery L, First Ohio Light Artillery.

CAMP NEAR FALMOUTH, VA.,

May 10, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith the list of casualties and property lost and destroyed in the late battle of Chancellorsville, Va., on May 3,4, and 5, 1863.

We crossed the Rappahannock on the pontoons at United States Ford, 12 miles above Fredericksburg, on the morning of the 1st of May, and went to the front, parking for the night at Chancellorsville; the next morning ordered 1 mile to the rear, where we parked, remaining until the morning of the 3rd instant, at 7 a.m., when we were ordered to the front on double-quick. We stripped the luggage from the carriages and took position on a slight rise with a cleared field to the front for about 350 yards; then came timber and underbrush. We were in position but a short time when the enemy began to show himself in force, when we gave him shrapnel and canister, when he retired, but soon his artillery opened on us and we responded, giving and taking some hard knocks; after which the sharpshooters began to swarm the woods, picking off our cannoneers. Here we had 4 men wounded, 1 horse killed and 5 wounded. Captain Stephen H. Weed, commanding the artillery, then ordered all the horses to the rear; so it was all day repelling charges, artillery duels, and sharpshooters firing at us.

At 4 o'clock p.m., during one of the artillery duels, a shell struck the limber of Detachment B, broke the iron axle, exploded, killing Lieutenant F. Dorries, Corpl. F. Koehler, and taking the right leg off of Private Cassius Edmonds, a driver, who, when his team was ordered to the rear, volunteered to help work the gun. He is a little fellow, about sixteen years of age, and when carried from the field whistled as though nothing has occurred; he did not shed a tear.

On Monday and Tuesday the fighting was not so severe. On Tuesday night we fell back to our old camp near Falmouth.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

F. C. GIBBS,

Captain, Commanding Battery L, First Ohio Light Artillery.

Colonel JAMES BARNETT,

Commanding First Regiment Light Artillery, Ohio Volunteers, and Chief of Artillery, Army of the Cumberland.

P. S.-Our boys acted nobly. They elicited praise from the chief of artillery.

---------------

*See also p. 146 et seq.

---------------


Page 1123 Chapter XXXVII. THE CHANCELLORSVILLE CAMPAIGN.