Page images
PDF
EPUB

At 3

I was ordered to halt and wait for the Second Division. a. m. May 4 again started and crossed Ely's Ford, and from there went to Chancellorsville. Took position at 4 p. m. May 4 on plank road half a mile south of Chancellor's house. Left Chancellorsville May 5, and marched with Gibbon's division to Todd's Tavern, distance 8 miles. From there went to Wilderness battle-field, and took position at dark the same day in rear of Second Division.

May 6.-Changed position to Brock road line of breast-works, in the angle, on the left of General Barlow's division.

May 7.-In the same position as the day before.

May 8.-Marched with Gibbon's division; marched 10 miles on Brock road in direction of Spotsylvania Court-House.

May 9.-Marched back 2 miles, and took position at 10 a. m.; again moved forward and took position near Po River. At 6 p. m. crossed Po River and took position on south bank, facing east.

May 10.-Fired about 60 rounds at the enemy's line at a distance of 1,500 yards during attack of the Fifth Corps. Gibbon's division. having crossed back, I was left under the command of General Barlow, who ordered me at 1 p. m. to fall back across the river. Took position on north bank at 4 p. m., by order of Colonel Tidball, and fired about 300 rounds at enemy's troops on the other side of the Po River. During this ongagement lost 1 man and 1 horse wounded. May 11.-Started at 9 p. m. and marched to Spotsylvania Heights, reaching there at daylight.

May 12.-After the Second Corps had advanced and taken the enemy's line of works, I was ordered by Colonel Tidball to follow some of the Sixth Corps troops and take a position which Colonel Tompkins, chief of artillery, Sixth Corps, would show me. I applied to the latter for a staff officer to accompany me to indicate the spot but he could only furnish an orderly. I moved forward about three-fourths of a mile and there found that the orderly knew nothing about the place he was to show me. I went in battery in a spot which partially answered to Colonel Tompkins' description and fired solid shot over the woods by his order, to carry 1,000 yards. I could not see the effect of the firing, consequently objected very much to wasting ammunition. I received three messages from Colonel Upton, commanding a brigade in the Sixth Corps, to advance a section some 300 yards to a position on the right of his brigade. I could not find any one to obtain authority from, and knowing that I was sent up to support the Sixth Corps, and that it was a matter which would not admit of delay, I assumed the responsibility of sending a section, and detached Lieutenant Metcalf for the purpose. I submit herewith his report. Shortly afterward I received a slight but painful wound on the left leg, which compelled me to leave the field. Lieutenant Beck was left in command, and he reports that he withdrew three guns of the battery about 2 p. m. on account of the ammunition being nearly expended, pointing rings being broken off, and the men completely exhausted from handling the guns in the heavy mud caused by the rain which had been falling for several hours. He kept the remaining gun in position until he had expended the remainder of his ammunition and then withdrew that. During this engagement the battery had 1 man killed, 1 officer, slightly, and 15 men wounded, 9 horses killed and 6 wounded.

May 13.-In position at Landrum's house.

May 14.-Moved to right and took position half a mile to right of Landrum's house.

May 15.-Marched at 1 a. m. and crossed Ny River to turnpike road from Fredericksburg to Spotsylvania Court-House, distance 4 miles.

May 16.-In camp.

May 17.-Marched 3 miles to left and at dark moved back again. May 18.-Took position on extreme right and in rear of Landrum's house. At 1 p. m. withdrew and camped in rear and to right of General Meade's headquarters.

May 19.-Moved 1 mile to the left and in rear of the Sixth Corps and camped.

May 20.-Moved at 11 p. m. with Gibbon's division to Milford Station, distance 19 miles.

May 21.-Crossed Mattapony River at 3 p. m. and took position 2 miles from the river; distance marched, 23 miles.

A

May 22.-Sent out a section under Lieutenant Beck on a reconnaissance with Colonel Smyth's brigade, of Second Division. few shots were fired but no casualties.

May 23.-Marched to North Anna River, distance 10 miles. May 24.-Reported to General Birney and was sent by him across the North Anna River, and went in position in a rebel work on south side of bridge.

May 25.-In same position as on the day before.

May 26.-Recrossed the river at 8 p. m. and took position on opposite bank to cover the recrossing of the infantry.

May 27.-Started at daylight with Birney's division and marched in direction of Pamunkey River 18 miles.

May 28.-After marching all night reached Pamunkey River at 11 a. m., crossed, and took position with Birney's division at 6 p. m. May 29.-Moved at 4 p. m. 5 miles to Shelton's house and took position in rear of it.

May 30.-In same position.

May 31.-At 1 a. m. changed position to bank of Totopotomoy Creek with General Mott's brigade. Enemy's works about 300 yards in front; fired about 400 rounds and had 1 man wounded. At 6 p. m. changed position to Shelton's house.

June 1.-Changed position to extreme right of Birney's division. At 7 p. m. relieved, and at 10 p. m. marched to the left.

June 2.-Arrived at Cold Harbor at 10 a. m. Remained in reserve with Birney's division,

June 3.-Marched with Birney's division to the right, and at 6 p. m. was ordered to come back to the headquarters corps and report to chief of artillery.

June 4, 5, and 6.—In camp.

June 7-Ordered to report to Major-General Birney. Moved 2 miles to Barker's Mill and took position.

June 8.-Same position. Engaged a rifled battery of the enemy with solid shot at 1,900 yards. It ceased firing after I had fired about 50 rounds. One man badly disabled by a premature explosion; no other damage done.

June 9, 10, and 11.-In same position.*

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
JAMES GILLISS,

First Lieut., Fifth U. S. Arty., Comdg. Batteries C and I.
Lieut. U. D. EDDY,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

*For continuation of report, see Vol. XL, Part I.

تم

No. 97.

Report of Lieut. Richard Metcalf, Fifth U. S. Artillery, commanding section, of operations May 12.

CAMP OF BATTERIES C AND I, FIFTH U. S. ARTY.,

Near Petersburg, Va., July, 1864. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of my section, which was detached on the 12th of May last, at Spotsylvania Heights: By your order I advanced with my section to the front line of works and took position on the right of Colonel Upton's brigade, of the Sixth Corps. The enemy not being more than 300 yards in front of my position I opened with canister. Just at this time a Mississippi regiment made a desperate charge on the line immediately in my front. They succeeded in mounting the works, but using double canister on them I drove them back. I then kept up a fire of spherical case and shell with 1 second fuse until I had lost 11 men wounded. Being then unable to work the guns I ordered up the limbers to try to get the pieces off but was unable to do so, as many of my horses were instantly shot down. I then had a detail of infantry to assist me and I succeeded in saving my guns. During the action I lost 1 man killed and 9 wounded; also 9 horses killed and 5 wounded. I did not get my limbers off of the field until the morning of the 13th.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. METCALF,

Second Lieut., Fifth U. S. Arty., Comdg. Section.

Lieut. JAMES GILLISS,

Comdg. Batteries C and I, Fifth U. S. Arty.

No. 98.

Journal of Maj. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren, U. S. Army, commanding Fifth Army Corps.

At midnight, the commencement of May 4, the Fifth Army Corps marched out from the vicinity of Culpeper and took the road direct through Stevensburg to Germanna Ford. Head of the column reached there at 6 a. m., and began crossing at 7 a. m., as soon as General Wilson's cavalry division had cleared the bridges. The corps was all across by 1 p. m., and moving on bivouacked at Old ·Wilderness Tavern, General Griffin's division holding the road leading to Robertson's Tavern. The cavalry, which had been out nearly to this point, were all withdrawn by General Wilson, and the cavalry went on to Parker's Store.

May 5.—Set out according to orders 6 a. m. toward Parker's StoreCrawford, Wadsworth, Robinson; enemy reported close at hand in force, and when Crawford had nearly reached Parker's, Generals Meade and Grant arrived and determined to attack the force on the road near Griffin. Wadsworth was immediately gotten in line to left of Griffin with one brigade of Crawford, Robinson in support. We attacked with this force impetuously, carried the enemy's line, but being outflanked by a whole division of the enemy was com

pelled to fall back to our first position, leaving two guns on the road between the lines which had been advanced to take advantage of the first success. The horses were shot and the guns removed between our lines. The attack failed because Wright's division, of the Sixth Corps, was unable on account of the woods to get up on our right flank and meet the division (Johnson's) that flanked us. Wright became engaged sometime afterward. We lost heavily in this attack, and the thick woods caused much confusion in our lines. The enemy did not pursue us in the least. We had encountered the whole of Ewell's corps. The enemy that moved on past Parker's along the plank road was Hill's corps. General Getty's division, of the Sixth Corps, was sent to the intersection of the Brock road to check the column, which it did, and General Hancock was ordered up from Todd's Tavern, and also engaged Hill's corps. At this time I sent General Wadsworth with his division and Baxter's brigade to attack Hill's left flank as he engaged Hancock. It was late when this was ordered, but the attack produced considerable impression. Wadsworth's men slept on their arms where night overtook them. During the night I sent instructions to Wadsworth to form in line northeast and southwest, and go straight through, and orders were to attack next morning at 4.30 o'clock with the whole army, General Burnside being expected to be up by that time to take part. With the rest of my force I prepared again to attack Ewell in conjunction with a part of the Sixth Corps. The hour of attack was changed to 5 a. m., and at precisely 5 a. m. May 6 the fighting began. General Wadsworth I re-enforced with Colonel Kitching, 2,400 strong. He fought his way entirely across the Second Corps' front to the south side of the plank road, and wheeling round commenced driving them up the plank road toward Orange Court-House. The accumulating force of the enemy staggered his advance, and the line became confused in the dense woods. In the very van of the fight General Wadsworth was killed by a bullet through his head, and General Baxter was wounded. On our right the enemy was found to be intrenched and but little impression could be made. I then sent another brigade to sustain General Hancock, who had now two of my divisions and one of the Sixth Corps, and was defending himself from both Hill and Longstreet. They charged and took possession of part of his line, but were driven out again. Late in the evening the enemy turned General Sedgwick's right very unexpectedly, and threw most of his command into confusion. I sent General Crawford at double-quick, and the line was restored by him. General Burnside did not get into position at all in time in the morning; fought but little during the day, and but slightly affected the result of the day's battle, which in most respects was a drawn battle.

May 7.-Our army took up defensive positions, and spent the time getting our commands again together, detached to defend parts of the field to meet the varying emergencies of the previous days' battles. At 9 p. m. the army began to move toward Spotsylvania Court-House, the Fifth Corps having the advance, on the Brock road. We were delayed about one and one-half hours by the cavalry escort to General Meade, and on reaching a point 2 miles beyond Todd's Tavern were delayed about three hours by Torbert's cavalry endeavoring to clear the way for us. They gave it up about 6 a. m. May 8, and got out of our way. General Robinson's division immediately went forward, lead by himself. He at once cleared out the enemy's cavalry and the wood with which they had ob

structed the road, and advancing rapidly struck the advance of Longstreet's corps near the Block house. This we forced back till we gained a good position, and were compelled then to await re-enforcements. General Sedgwick's corps was sent up to crush out Longstreet, and his rank gave him the command. So much time was lost, however, that night came before more than one of the brigades had become engaged, and that but slightly. General Crawford's division, however, attacked the enemy, captured a color, and many prisoners.

May 9.-The Sixth Corps all took position on my right, and we intrenched. Had a brisk skirmish at night to force the enemy's pickets back. General Sedgwick killed in the morning.

May 10.-General Hancock, advancing from Todd's Tavern, crossed the Po, and threatened to turn the enemy's position. This brought out a part of Hill's corps from the intrenchments. Unfortunately, however, it had been decided to re-enforce my right with the Second Corps and assault the intrenchments, which caused Hancock to recross the Po and leave the open field to the enemy. I began pushing my skirmishers forward at once in very heavy force to drive the enemy to his main line, so as to deploy our heavy force close to him for the assault. This occasioned some heavy fighting. Toward evening two assaults were made with a part of my corps and Gibbon's division and a part of Birney's, but failed to carry the enemy's works, which were defended by musketry and flanked by canister. Loss heavy. General Rice killed.

May 11.—Army mostly lay quiet, straightening matters out and preparing for next day's operations. After dark General Hancock moved his entire command to our left, preparatory to an assault at daylight.

May 12.-At daybreak General Hancock surprised Johnson's division in his lines and captured nearly all of it, with eighteen pieces of artillery. Enemy fought furiously to regain them. General Wright attacked near the Second Corps with two divisions. I also again assailed the enemy's intrenchments, suffering heavy loss, but failing to get in. The enemy's direct and flank fire was too destructive. Lost very heavily. The enemy continuing to fire [on] the Second and Sixth Corps [I was] compelled to withdraw Griffin's and Cutler's divisions and send [them] to the left to their support, where they again became engaged. My whole front was held by Crawford's division and Colonel Kitching and the Maryland Brigade, presenting a line of battle not as strong as a single rank. The enemy made no serious effort to force it. My divisions on the left were relieved during the night from their position, and returned to the right in the morning, having been kept awake nearly all night, which was rainy.

May 13.-Worked all day getting command in hand and constructing a shorter defense line preparatory to moving to the left of General Burnside, who was on the road from Fredericksburg to Spotsylvania Court-House. Got orders to set out in the evening for the left, mass our troops, and attack the enemy at daybreak. Got my command started as soon as possible, which was not before 9.30 p. m., leaving on all my picket force. We marched all night through rain and mud, forded the Ny River once, and over routes none of us had traveled before. The night was intensely dark, and many of the men, from exhaustion and weariness, gave out; the line became disjointed and parts lost their way. The greatest pains

« PreviousContinue »