Today in History:

1261 Series I Volume LI-II Serial 108 - Supplements Part II

Page 1261 Chapter LXIII. MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS, ETC.

been moved to the extreme right of our corps line, the Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania was formed in line of battle on our right and the three remaining regiments, by division en masse, were posted in echelon from right to left. A few moments later a division of the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts (Major Walker) were deployed as skirmishers to cover the right and flank of the division, and at the same time the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts (Colonel Pickett) were ordered to dislodge the enemy from a small redoubt in our front, which they easily accomplished. The remainder of the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts was sent to the support of a battery of artillery. When this battery from time to time changed position these troops moved with it, and having in course of subsequent movements come under the command of Brigadier-General Devens, commanding Third Division, did not again report to me until the evening of the 2d. Captain Caswell's report of his operations during his absence from my command is as follows:

The main portion of the regiment, after supporting a battery until dark, was sent to re-enforce General Devens, by whom we were placed on picket. From this duty we were relieved at 8 a. m. June 2, and Major Walker went to report to General Stannard. While I was thus left in command of the regiment an aide-de-camp to General Devens, of the rank of major, ordered me to the right to support a weak point. I moved under his direction to a piece of high ground, where the enemy opened on me a severe fire of artillery and musketry. The aide-de-camp above mentioned left me without further orders, and as I could be of no use in the position which I occupied, I retired my command with a loss of 8 killed and 13 wounded.

The whole command now moved forward, the Twenty-first Massachusetts on the right, joined with the Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania and Twenty-third Massachusetts on its left, the left of our line serving as a support to our first line, which now became heavily engaged. The command lay in this position until 8 p. m., when it was, by direction of the general commanding division, moved to the right, where it occupied throughout the night a line or rifle-pits from which the enemy had previously been driven, with a strong picket, consisting of three companies of the Twenty-fifth Massachusetts, in our front. The command lay in the position above indicated throughout the day on the 2d, and about 9 p. m. was ordered to extend its line by deployment to the right, and to form a junction with the Fifth Corps and cover the movements of trains.

We lay in this position until daybreak on the 3d, when, the trains having passed, our intervals were closed to the left, and at 4 a. m. the whole command moved to the left. Having moved about half a mile, the brigade was formed en masse by division, the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts leading, and, moving rapidly across an open field under sharp artillery fire, entered a piece of woods, through which we moved in the same formation, our left resting upon the edge of a ravine. The column was formed in the following order: Twenty-seventh Massachusetts (Major Walker), Twenty-fifth Massachusetts (Colonel Pickett), Twenty-third Massachusetts (Colonel Elwell), and the Fifty-fifth Pennsylvania (Captain Shearer). The Twenty-seventh Massachusetts was now deployed as skirmishers, and moving up cautiously, arrived at a distance of 350 yards of the enemy's works, when the command was by storm. The works at this point consisted of strong rifle-pits, converging to a small earth-work, mounting three light field guns, directly in our front, on the farther bank of a deep ravine, and situated at the convergence of an angle the apex of which was toward the enemy. As the assaulting column moved up I lost the commanding officer of nearly every regiment of my command. In the Twenty-seventh Massachusetts, Major Walker being killed, the command devolved upon Captain Caswell; the Twenty-fifth, Colonel Pickett and Major Atwood both being


Page 1261 Chapter LXIII. MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS, ETC.