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483 Series I Volume XLII-I Serial 87 - Richmond-Fort Fisher Part I

Page 483 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.

angle of 45 degrees, with rest of brigade. As the enemy's right passed our left we opened fire, fairly mowing them down. Two colors were captured by the regiment, and the whole brigade of rebels, with the exception of perhaps 75 men, were killed or taken prisoners. Adjt. Manuel Eyre, jr., took one set of colors in front of the line of works shortly before the surrender of the broken rebels; the other was captured after by First Sergt. John Shilling, Company H. We occupy the same line at present, and the enemy did not again appear. An abatis covers our front, and trees and brush have been cut in woods beyond us, forming a mass of chevaux-de-frise impassable to troops.

Our losses are: August 18-wounded, 2 men; August 19-wounded, 6 men; missing, 1 man; August 20-wounded, 1 officer, 3 men; August 21-killed, 1 man; wounded, 3 men; missing, 7 men. These losses, with four exceptions, occurred on the picket-line.

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

JAS. A. HAUGHEY,

Captain, Commanding the Regiment.

Captain F. H. COWDREY,

Asst. Adjt. General, Third Brigade, Second Division.


Numbers 153. Report of Colonel J. William Hofmann, Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania Infantry, commanding Third Brigade, of operations August 18-21.


HEADQUARTERS THIRD BRIGADE, SECOND DIVISION (LATE SECOND Brigadier, FOURTH DIV.) FIFTH ARMY CORPS,
In the Field, near Yellow House, Va., August 27, 1864.

LIEUTENANT: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of this brigade since the 17th instant:

At 5 a. m. on the morning of the 18th instant the brigade left camp near the Jones house and moved south over the Jerusalem plank road. The brigade consisted of the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteers, commanded by Major Jack; One hundred and fifty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, Captain Carter; Third Delaware Veteran Volunteers, Captain Baily; Fourth Delaware Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel La Motte; Seventy-sixth New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Cook; Ninety-fifth New York Volunteers, Major Bard, and One hundred and forty-seventh New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Harney, having a total of 1,187 muskets, and an aggregate of 1,571. This brigade formed the rear of the corps column. It arrived at the Yellow House, on the Petersburg and Weldon Railroad at 12 m. The march was a very fatiguing one on account of the heat of the day. Only one-half of the men arrived with the brigade. By 3 p. m. most of the men reported. At 3.30 p. m. the brigade was moved to the front of a wood about half a mile north of the Yellow House. Deployed in line of battle, the left resting on the railroad and facing north. The One hundred and forty-seventh Regiment New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Harney, was sent forward as skirmishers. At 4 p. m. the brigade was detached from the Fourth Division and ordered to report to General Ayres, commanding the Second Division. In compliance with directions from General Ayres, the brigade was moved to the left of the railroad and relieved the brigade of Colonel Dushane, whose right connected with the brigade of General Hayes, and who


Page 483 Chapter LIV. THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN.