Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[264] withdrawing Captain Moser's battery, and although the ground was admirably adapted for the play of artillery, I was left for a time without any with which I could reply to that of the enemy. A little before nine A. M. the enemy succeeded in placing a field-battery about one thousand two hundred yards in advance of our front, and a second battery at a more distant point to our right and front. When the enemy, without any annoyance from us, had quite completed his artillery arrangements, he opened fire upon our lines with his two batteries. Their artillerymen were without the range of our rifles, and I ordered the brigade to lie down and wait the advance of their infantry. The rebel battery nearest us was worked with much spirit, and some skill, occasionally doing some little injury within our lines. But the battery more distant was not worthy of any notice, doing us no manner of injury, or even approaching it. When the rebel batteries had continued their fire to their satisfaction, the enemy threw forward, under cover of the woods in our front, a large body of infantry, and attacked our centre. When the attacking force came within the range of our arms, our whole line sprang to their feet, and poured into the enemy a withering fire. The rebels stood well up to their work, and largely outnumbered us, but our men had the advantage in ground, and were determined not to yield it. The firing continued with much violence on both sides, but the fire of the enemy, being generally too high, did us comparatively little injury. Soon, however, the advantage of our ground and the superiority of our arms became evidence in the effect of our fire upon the enemy. The enemy began to waver. I then ordered the One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania, Colonel Rowley, which was held in reserve, to advance with our line upon the enemy. Nobly and gallantly did every man of the regiment respond to the order, and the impetuous dash of our men the enemy could not resist, but gave way and were sent back much cut up and in disorder over the ground on which they advanced. This success gave us much advantage of position, by allowing the left centre of the brigade line to rest upon the woods, some eight hundred yards in advance of our first position, and at the same time affording us a crossfire upon any second attempt of the enemy upon our position. At this time I was reenforced by detachments from two Maine regiments, which being posted on my right in support of the Ninety-third Pennsylvania, gave me much additional strength. I was soon again reenforced by Captain----'s battery. I immediately placed it in battery in a favorable position to bear upon the rebel battery that had annoyed us with its fire in the beginning of the action. The battery at once opened fire upon them with fine effect, the spherical case-shot doing good execution in their teams and among their artillerymen. The rebel battery replied spiritedly for a time, and after a sharp cannonading from our battery it drew off the field. During this cannonading the enemy kept up a sharp fire of musketry at longrange, but with little or no effect. In the mean time I was again reenforced by two other Pennsylvania regiments, under the command of Colonel Barlow, from General Caldwell's brigade. The firing now became very heavy on the part of the division on my left, and by the aid of a glass I could discover the rapid movement of bodies of the enemy to my left. At this time a division staff-officer came to me for any assistance I could send to our left. I immediately ordered the battery and the three last regiments that had come to my support to the left. The enemy again came down upon the left and centre of our division in strong force, and was again repulsed, Colonel Nevin's regiment, the sixty-second New-York, on the left of my brigade, gallantly joining with the left of the division in the repulse. The enemy again rallied, and the firing continued sharp along the whole line of the division. About this time, batween six and seven P. M. my brigade was reenforced by Captain De Russy's regular battery of the Fourth artillery, which was at the time of great assistance, as night was coming on and the enemy seemed determined to make one more last effort before abandoning the field. The battery took a fine position, and delivered its fire, with that of the whole brigade and division line, with marked effect, until after nine P. M. when the enemy gave up the field.

I inclose herewith a list of the casualties in the brigade during the day, and when it is considered that the brigade was under fire over twelve hours, and a portion of the time hotly engaged, I think the whole loss sustained, being in the aggregate two hundred and eight, will be considered small.

More than thanks are greatly due to Captain J. Heron Foster of the One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania regiment, a member of my staff, for the gallantry and untiring energy with which he performed far more than his duties from early morning until late at night. He was the only staff-officer during most of the day I had, the other members of the staff being disabled early in the action.

I am, Captain, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

sir: In accordance with your instructions received from you, my regiment was posted, on the first instant, on the brow of a hill opposite a wood where the enemy was known to be in force. As near as I now can judge, the enemy opened fire from their batteries on our own position at about eleven o'clock, and kept it up nearly three hours,