Today in History:

1053 Series I Volume XXVII-I Serial 43 - Gettysburg Campaign Part I

Page 1053 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.

REPORT OF Major MYRON H. BEAUMONT, FIRST NEW JERSEY CAVALRY.


HDQRS. FIRST REGIMENT NEW JERSEY CAVALRY,
NEAR WARRENTON JUNCTION, VA.,

JUNE 11, 1863.

GOVERNOR: I HAVE THE HONOR TO REPORT THAT, IN OBEDIENCE TO ORDERS, WE BROKE CAMP IT THIS PLACE ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE 8TH INSTANT, AND MARCHED WITH OUR DIVISION, UNDER GENERAL GREGG, TO NEAR KELLY'S FORD, WHERE WE BIVOUACKED. AT 3. 30 A. M. OF THE 9TH, WE WERE UNDER ARMS. AT 5. 30 O'CLOCK WE HEARD THE GUNS WHICH ANNOUNCED THE FACT THAT GENERAL BUFORD HAD OPENED THE FIGHT ON THE RIGHT. SOON AFTER WE CROSSED THE RIVER BY FORDING IT, HAVING HAD TO WAIT SINCE 3. 30 O'CLOCK FOR COLONEL DUFFIE (COMMANDING SECOND DIVISION) TO COME UP. OUR DIVISION THEN MARCHED SOUTHWARD AND THEN TOOK THE MAIN ROAD TO BRANDY STATION, IN ORDER TO ATTACK THE ENEMY IN THE REAR WHILE HE WAS ENGAGED WITH GENERAL BUFORD. THE SECOND BRIGADE, CONSISTING OF THE FIRST NEW JERSEY CAVALRY, FIRST MARYLAND, AND FIRST PENNSYLVANIA, UNDER COMMAND OF COLONEL WYNDHAM, WAS IN THE ADVANCE AND MARCHED IN THE ORDER ABOVE INDICATED. WE ADVANCED WITH GREAT CAUTION, AND NEARLY ALL THE ENEMY'S VEDETTES WERE CAPTURED BY Captain P. JONES YORKE, WHO LED THE ADVANCE GUARD WITH MUCH JUDGMENT. ON APPROACHING BRANDY STATION, THE ENEMY (CAVALRY AND ARTILLERY) WAS DISCOVERED IN CONSIDERABLE FORCE OCCUPYING AN ELEVATION ON THE WEST OF THE RAILROAD, ABOUT A HALF MILE DISTANT. ON THE TOP OF THE HILL WAS A LARGE HOUSE, IN WHICH I HAVE SINCE LEARNED MAJOR-GENERAL STUART HAD HIS HEADQUARTERS DURING THE BATTLE. OUR ARTILLERY HAVING BEEN PLANTED, BEGAN SHELLING, WHICH WAS REPLIED TO BY A BATTERY OF THE ENEMY, WHICH DID US NO INJURY WHATEVER. THE HILL BEING A VERY COMMANDING POSITION, WE WERE ORDERED TO TAKE AND HOLD IT. THE BRIGADE THEN CHARGED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER, IN COLUMN OF BATTALIONS:FIRST NEW JERSEY CAVALRY, FIRST MARYLAND, AND FIRST PENNSYLVANIA. THE FIRST NEW JERSEY WAS IN THE ADVANCE, UNDER Lieutenant Colonel V. BRODRICK, WHO LED THE CHARGE. THE ENEMY HAD WITHDRAWN BEHIND THE CREST OF THE HILL, AND IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE WERE WITHIN A HUNDRED YARDS OF THE TOP THAT THEY ADVANCED TO MEET US. THEY WERE ARMED, PRINCIPALLY, WITH PISTOLS AND CARBINES, OUR MEN USING GENERALLY THE SABER. THEN BEGAN THE MOST SPIRITED AND HARDEST FOUGHT CAVALRY FIGHT EVER KNOWN IN THIS COUNTRY. FOR SEVERAL HOURS THE CONFLICT WAS CARRIED ON, UNTIL, THE ENEMY HAVING RECEIVED LARGE RE-ENFORCEMENT AND NOW OUTNUMBERING US TWO TO ONE, BEING TOTALLY WITHOUT SUPPORT, WE WERE OBLIGED TO RETIRE TO ANOTHER POSITION, WHICH WE HELD UNTIL ORDERED TO FALL BACK. THIS REGIMENT IN THIS BATTLE NOBLY SUSTAINED THE REPUTATION IT HAD ALREADY WON, AND THERE ARE NO TERMS TOO HIGH TO USE IN SPEAKING OF THE DASH AND GALLANTRY DISPLAYED BY THE OFFICERS AND MEN. IT WOULD BE INVIDIOUS TO PARTICULARIZE ANY OFFICER WHERE ALL WITHOUT EXCEPTION SUSTAINED THEIR PARTS SO WELL. COLONEL WYNDHAM WAS WOUNDED. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL BRODRICK, MAJOR SHELMIRE, AND CAPTAIN SAWYER WERE WOUNDED AND TAKEN PRISONERS. FIRST LIEUTENANT BROOKS WAS WOUNDED BY A SABER CUT IN THE LEFT ARM. SECOND Lieutenant H. CROCKER WAS TAKEN PRISONER. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL BRODRICK, CAPTAINS LUCAS AND MAULSBURY, AND ADJUTANT KITCHEN HAD THEIR HORSES KILLED WHILE IN THE THICKEST OF THE FIGHT. I INCLOSE A LIST OF CASUALTIES, WHICH IS NECESSARILY SOMEWHAT INCOMPLETE. I TRUST THAT THE NUMBER OF MISSING MAY BE LESSENED. *

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*NOMINAL LIST (OMITTED) SHOWS 5 KILLED, 14 WOUNDED, AND 33 MISSING.

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Page 1053 Chapter XXXIX. THE GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN.