1863.
Battle of Chancellorsville--March to Leesburg, Littletown, and
Gettysburg.
The morning of May 1st dawned upon a scene of bustle and active
preparation for the bloody work which was to follow. Troops had been
arriving during the entire night from the direction of the United
States ford, and the light of early morning revealed an almost solid
mass of blue-coated soldiers filling the open fields and woods in the
vicinity of the Chancellor house. They were mainly from the Fifth,
Eleventh, and Twelfth corps. At about 8 o’clock A. M. the Twenty-ninth,
with its brigade and division, made a reconnoissance in force, and
after marching about one-half mile the division formed in line of
battle, and in this position was moved about the field until afternoon,
when the lines were generally moved to the east through the timber,
the right resting on the road. Moving perhaps half a mile we found the
enemy in strong force, his artillery masked in the road. During this
time some skirmishing and artillery firing was indulged in, and several
of the Twenty-ninth were wounded. Late in the afternoon we moved to the
rear under a heavy fire from the rebel artillery. Reaching the place
we had left in the morning we set to work throwing up breastworks.
The rebels advanced and our skirmishers kept up a rattling fire all
night, while the regiment worked like beavers preparing the works for
the coming conflict. The Second division, commanded by John W. Geary,
occupied about the left center in the order of battle.
During the evening of May 1st the Confederate army were charging the
right of our lines, and for four hours the artillery firing on both
sides was terrific. It continued at intervals the entire night. The
air was ablaze and full of deadly missiles dealing destruction all
around us; the earth trembled under our feet; the rattle and roar of
artillery was like continued bursts of thunder. The heavens seemed
on fire, revealing the deadly strife of two grand armies locked in
close embrace, fighting with desperate valor. The dense smoke was
lightened by rapid flashes of artillery, the bursting of shell, and the
unceasing discharges of musketry, making a scene grand and terrible
in the extreme. At midnight this deadly combat ceased, the death-like
stillness which succeeded being broken only by the cries of the wounded
and the dying comrades so recently beside us in deadly combat. About 1
o’clock at night pickets were posted forty yards from the main line. We
were so near the rebel pickets we could hear every movement. Here we
lay flat on the ground watching for demonstrations of the enemy until
the dawning of another day of blood and death. In the first flush of
early morning the rebels advanced with columns _en masse_ and at once
opened fire on us. This we returned and then quickly retired under a
storm of leaden hail. Leaping over the rifle-pits we soon rejoined the
command.
The Twenty-ninth regiment now moved in a southwesterly direction along
the line of works a short distance, in support of a New York regiment.
While supporting this regiment the Twenty-ninth was under artillery
fire from the right flank. Colonel Clark was struck by a shell, and
rendered unconscious nearly two hours. The regiment again moved into
its old position on the road south of the Chancellorsville house,
where it remained under heavy fire of artillery and musketry, and in
the afternoon our right flank was turned, and the Union army was soon
forced back in the direction of the river, at Banks’ ford. When the
Twenty-ninth fell back the rebels were in possession of the Chancellor
house, and there were not one hundred Union soldiers in sight. The army
fell back about one mile and a half, filling the woods and the road
leading to Banks’ ford. Here it took a strong position and threw up a
line of works and remained until May 6th, when, after being on arms
all night, it marched at 6 A. M., crossed the river at Banks’ ford, and
camped for the night.
During the three days’ fight the Twenty-ninth regiment lost quite
heavily; the killed were four, wounded forty-two, and prisoners
twenty-five.
In this action the rebel loss was officially reported in killed,
wounded, and missing, as upward of 10,000 men, while the Union loss was
about the same. The rebel loss in killed and wounded was greater than
ours, in addition to which they lost one of their ablest generals.
May 7th, marched at 6:30 A. M. It rained hard all day. We passed
Hartwood church, Staffordshire, and went into camp near Aqua creek, and
here it remained until June 3d, when the regiment moved to the south
about one mile, and engaged in the construction of two small forts.
Early on the morning of June 13th, we received orders to march. Tents
were struck, but it was not until late in the afternoon that we moved,
and then marched during the whole night, reaching Dumfries after
daylight on the morning of the 14th.
15th, march at 4 A. M. Halted on the north bank of the Occoquan creek
for dinner. Resuming the march in the afternoon we passed Fairfax
station and Court House on the road leading to Leesburg (marched
twenty-five miles). This was a march of much suffering to the men,
several of whom died during the day from sunstrokes.
16th. Remained in camp all day.
17th. March in the direction of Leesburg. Halted at 12 M., and camped
for the night.
June 18th. Marched to near Leesburg and went into camp. _Oh! How it
rains!_
19th. Remained in camp cleaning up guns and equipage, and all is
quiet. In the afternoon the Twelfth army corps were ordered out to
witness the shooting of three deserters from the First division of the
Twelfth army corps. Following are the names: William McKee, company A,
Forty-sixth Pennsylvania; Christopher Krumbart, company A, Forty-sixth
Pennsylvania; and William Grover, company B, Thirteenth New Jersey.
Lieutenant-colonel Clark left us here badly broken down in health.
Sunday, June 20th. In camp cleaning up for inspection. 21st and 22d in
camp. 23d, 24th and 25th, Captain Schoonover, in charge of one hundred
and twenty men from the brigade, felling timber, uncovering Ball’s
Bluff in front of Fort Beauregard.
26th. The regiment left Leesburg, crossing the Potomac at Edward’s
Ferry, passed Poolsville, and encamped for the night at Monocacy
aqueduct.
27th. Moved at 4:30 A. M. by way of Point of Rocks, Petersville and
Parkersburg, and camped for the night five miles from Harper’s Ferry.
28th. Moved in the forenoon, passing through Harper’s Ferry, then up
the tow path of the Baltimore & Ohio canal to Clear Springs, where the
Twenty-ninth passed under the canal through a culvert, and moving in
the direction of Frederick City, Maryland, went into camp.
29th. Moved through Frederick City in the direction of Pennsylvania,
and went into camp. General Hooker was relieved from command of the
Army of the Potomac, and General George G. Mead placed in command.
30th. Moved north into Pennsylvania, and late in the afternoon reached
Littlestown, where we had a skirmish with the advance guard of the
rebel Lee, which falling back toward Gettysburg, we moved north of
town; mustered for pay and went into camp for the night.