Today in History:

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

Page 570 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.

Jersey Volunteers, who, in the absence of the color-sergeant, bore the national colors and acted with the utmost courage and coolness.

I inclose a nominal list of the killed and wounded in this division.*

Captain S. H. Manning, assistant quartermaster for the division, although not with it in the campaign, yet is deserving of mention for the efficiency in which the affairs of his department have been conducted. The preparations for a campaign are quite as important as the actual conduct of it.

Very respectfully,

W. T. H. BROOKS,

Brigadier-General, Commanding Division.

Lieutenant Colonel M. T. McMAHON,

A. A. G., Sixth Army Corps.


Numbers 209. Report of Colonel Henry W. Brown, Third New Jersey Infantry, commanding First Brigade.

HDQRS. FIRST Brigadier, FIRST DIV., SIXTH A. C., May 4, 1863.

SIR: I have the honor to report that in obedience to orders, on April 28, I marched the First Brigade from camp near White Oak Church to a point near to that at which the Left Grand Division crossed the Rappahannock in December last, and there bivouacked.

At 5 a. m. on the 29th, crossed the river with my brigade in pontoon boats, and remained on the south bank, taking my tour of picket duty without advancing until Sunday, May 3, when, at daylight, I sent the Fifteenth Regiment New Jersey Volunteers, in accordance with orders received, to take post a point where the Richmond and Fredericksburg road crosses the ravine, and act sa rear guard to the division. At 6 a. m. I was ordered to post my brigade in this road, on the left of the division line, toward the burnt house, and we remained there under a very hot shell fire from a battery posted in front of my position at about 800 yards distant, and from which I lost some men in the Fifteenth and Twenty-third Regiments New Jersey Volunteers. I had also some casualties from the fire of the enemy's pickets, to which I did not reply. At 11 a. m. I was ordered to move rapidly to my right along the road toward Fredericksburg, leaving my picket line out and one battalion (the Fifteenth) in support. We marched through the town and up the Plank road toward Chancellorsville, and halted for five minutes on the south side of the heights, which had been gallantly carried at the point of the bayonet by Newton's division in the morning.

We were then in the advance, and I formed my brigade; six companies of the Second, under Colonel Buck, as skirmishers on either seed of the road, the First and Third, under Colonel Collet, on the right of the road, in line of battle, and the Twenty-third, under Colonel Grubb, on the left, at about 200 yards in rear of the line of skirmishers, and so moved about half a mile, when we were met by a fire of shell from a battery in position on the crest of a hill at about 300 yards distant. Our skirmishers still advanced gallantly, and by their fire drove the enemy to a precipitate retreat, our batteries, which had now come into position, contributing to this result. Our advance continued about 1 1\2 miles farther, the enemy still retreating and fighting, using their batteries at every advantageous point. I should here state that I

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*Embodied in revised statement, p. 189.

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Page 570 N. VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. Chapter XXXVII.