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132 Series I Volume XXXVII-I Serial 70 - Monocacy Part I

Page 132 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XLIX.

the 10th ultimo, at 4 o'clock in the morning, in company with the rest of the brigade and division, and arrived at Lexington about noon next day, a distance of thirty-six miles.

Encamped until the morning of the 14th, when we marched to Buchanan, arriving at 6 p.m.; distance of twenty-four miles.

Left Buchanan on the morning of the 15th; crossed the Blue Ridge, my regiment leading the advance and skirmishing with the enemy, losing 1 man wounded.

Passed through Liberty on the 16th, at 11 a.m., and encamped on Otter Creek, eight miles from Liberty, until the morning of the 17th, 5 o'clock (marching thirty miles on the 15th and 16th), when we marched within about three miles of Lynchburg, where we were confronted by the enemy in force.

BATTLE OF LYNCHBURG.

Immediately upon the arrival of the regiment in front of the enemy, within three miles of Lynchburg, and after a march of eleven miles without rest, I was ordered to form the regiment on the left, of, and at right angle with, the turnpike road leading to Lynchburg, the regiment occupying the extreme left of the brigade, Company B, of the regiment, being deployed as skirmishers on our left. We advanced in this order until we gained the crest of the hill, the first line of the enemy's barricade, a distance of about half a mile. Here, by your direction, I took a position with the regiment still farther to the left to cover the left flank of the line, and again advanced down over the hill through the woods, steadily driving the enemy before us, until we reached the foot of the hill. Night overtaking us, the advance was discontinued, and the action closed for the day, the regiment resting in line for about an hour, when our brigade was relieved by a brigade of the First Infantry Division, and we took a position, by your direction, about one-quarter of a mile to the rear of the line, and rested upon our arms until daylight next morning, when we accompanied the brigade in a reconnaissance of the enemy's extreme left, marching a distance of about four miles. We returned at about 11 a.m. and formed in line near the ground on which we rested the previous night, my regiment occupying the extreme left, doubled by wing. Immediately upon the formation of the line I received your order to move forward, and we advanced over the crest of the hill (some 300 yards to the left of our line of direction the evening before) and down through an open field, the regiment being exposed to a heavy artillery fire of shell, grape, and canister, for a distance of about 800 yards. At the foot of the hill I found the enemy strongly posted in a deep ditch, concealed by thick weeds and underbrush, lining both banks. Upon this discovery, we immediately charged the enemy and drove him in confusion from his position. Having now gained a line somewhat sheltered from the enemy's fire by the rising ground in our front, in order to reform the line, which had become somewhat broken in consequence of crossing a deep ditch running diagonally through the field, over which we had charged, as well as to give the men a moment's rest before making the final assault, I halted the regiment for about three minutes, after which I ordered another charge upon the enemy, who had taken shelter behind a stone wall, rail breast-works, and an old dwelling-house, stable, and ice-house, about 200 yards in our front. Simultaneously with the order, both the officers and men gallantly rushed forward with a shout, and drove the enemy from their shelter in utter confusion. Here we received the hottest mus-


Page 132 OPERATIONS IN N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XLIX.