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[149] Major-General McLaws, it resumed its proper position in line.

On Saturday the thirteenth instant, the regiment marched off by the left flank, with the rest of the brigade, to the support of General Cobb's brigade, under Marye's Hill. Passing to the rear of the batteries, the regiment halted, and lay down in line of battle, in rear of the Marye house, until, by an order extended through Assistant Adjutant-General Holmes, it was marched across the hill, under a heavy fire, to the rear of the cemetery, as a support to Colonel Walton's batteries. Later in the evening the regiment was marched down to the stone wall, on the road below Marye's Hill, to the support of the Second Carolina regiment, and there remained until the evacuation of the city of Fredericksburg by the enemy, the night of the fifteenth instant.

The conduct of the officers and privates of the regiment throughout the entire five days, from the eleventh to the sixteenth December, was such as to meet with my unqualified approbation.

I would respectfully bring to the notice of the Brigadier-General the services of the staff officers actually engaged: Adjutant James M. Davis, for the gallant and prompt execution of all orders extended by him ; Surgeon James and Assistant--Surgeon Wallace; also the Rev. H. B. McCallum, chaplain of the regiment, for their skilful and assiduous attention to the wounded; and Ordnance Sergeant R. W. Boyd, for his prompt attention to the duties of his department.

The regiment went into action with twenty-seven commissioned officers and three hundred and seventy-seven enlisted men; and had two commissioned officers (Lieutenants Barron and Derrick) wounded, one sergeant and one private killed, and fifty-two enlisted men wounded, of which a tabular statement has been heretofore furnished.

Respectfully submitted.

W. D. De Saussure, Colonel Fifteenth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers.


Report of Colonel Nance.

Richmond, December 24, 1862.
Captain C. R. Holmes, A. A. G.:
Sir: Early in the morning of the thirteenth instant, I took my position in line of battle just to the right of the Telegraph road, as you approach Fredericksburg, and immediately at the foot of the first range of hills from the river. Except some slight shelling, which annoyed us and wounded one or more of my men, nothing of special interest occurred to us until about two P. M., when, by command of Brigadier-General Kershaw, I moved, by the left, out of some breastworks which I had thrown up the night before, down the Telegraph road five or six hundred yards, filed to the left, and, crossing the branch running by its side, took the road leading over the high hill on the left of the Telegraph road, and into the open field behind Marye's house. When within five or six hundred yards of this house, Lieutenant Doby, A. D. C., delivered to me an order to form my regiment and move forward and occupy the crest of the hill at Marye's house, with my right resting at the house. I immediately began to close up my regiment to execute the order, when Major Gaillard rode up, and, speaking for Brigadier-General Kershaw, extended substantially the same order, and, at my request, gave me the direction of the crest which I was to occupy, so that I could form parallel to it before advancing. The regiment was considerably strung out in the flank movement made in coming to this point, and while waiting for it to close up, Lieutenant Doby, A. D. C., came to me, telling me to hurry up, and represented to me that Marye's house was in danger of being possessed by the enemy. Seeing the importance of the point, and thus having my fears for its safety excited, I advanced at once with that portion of my regiment which was formed, and left my adjutant, Lieutenant G. J. Pope, to bring the other companies forward, as soon as they formed. When we reached the neighborhood of Marye's house a severe fire was opened upon us; but we steadily advanced to the crest of the hill, when my men lay down and opened fire on the enemy, who were in the flat in our front. By this time their fire was strongly directed against us. The other companies of my regiment came up immediately after we became engaged. I went to the right to see that they were put in proper position, and was shot down, a minie ball entering my left thigh just to the right and above my knee, while discharging this duty. At that time I declined to be moved, but continued to direct and encourage the men, who were already doing manfully.. I soon saw, however, that we were too much exposed, and that we were contending at disadvantage, owing to the fact that we were engaged at a great distance, and the enemy's guns were of superior range. Having been moved back to Marye's house, I sent word to the officer in command to withdraw far enough to get shelter behind the crest of the hill, without retiring too far to deliver an effective fire. Accordingly Major Maffett, then commanding, withdrew to the road running beside the river fence, in Marye's yard, where, I believe, the regiment held its position, and continued its fire until the close of the battle. Afterwards I sent directions to the officer commanding to send a detail after ammunition. He did so, and this was my last official communication with the regiment for the day. An account of what subsequently occurred and a list of the casualties in the regiment will, I presume, be furnished by some other officer. It is my duty and pleasure to testify to the courage and fortitude with which these dangers were met and these fiery trials were endured by my brave comrades, so long as they were under my observation. Several valuable officers were wounded--one, Captain W. W. Chance, who has suffered amputation of his leg, is lost to the service, if he shall not unfortunately be lost to his friends. He was a superior and gallant officer, and his loss is a great one to the regiment. Captain John C. Summer, a most successful officer, Captain Perrin


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