USA > New York > An historical sketch of the 162d Regiment N.Y. Vol. Infantry : (3d Metropolital Guard), 19th Army Corps, 1862-1865 > Part 1
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 162D REGIMENT N. Y. VOL. INFANTRY, (3D METROPOLITAN GUARD) 19TH ARMY CORPS, 1862-1865
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00822 4799
AN
HISTORICAL SKETCH . -
OF THE
162D REGIMENT N. Y. VOL. INFANTRY,
-
(3D METROPOLITAN GUARD, )
19TH ARMY CORPS,
/1862-1865.
ALBANY: WEED, PARSONS AND COMPANY, PRINTERS, 1867.
1755405
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Chew: Benedick Col16geny. vol Coming
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8349 .586
An historical sketch of the 162d regiment N. Y. vol. infantry. (3d Metropolitan guard, ) 19th army corps, 1862- 1865. Albany, Weed, Parsons and co., printers, 1867. 45 p. front. (port.) 22}em.
SHELF CAMS
1. U. S. - Hist. - Civil war - Regimental histories - N. Y. inf. - 162d. 2. New York infantry. 162d regt., 1862-1865. .
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303980
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TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
SKETCH, . - 5
HISTORY OF THE COLORS,
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ROSTER AT MUSTER-IN, -
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CHANGES IN FIELD AND STAFF, 40
ROSTER OF ALL OFFICERS COMMISSIONED, - 41
ROSTER AT MUSTER-OUT,
- 44
STATEMENT OF CASUALTIES,
- 45
SKETCH.
THE 162d Regiment was the third of those organized under the auspices of the Police Commissioners of the City of New York.
In addition to the U. S. bounty of $100, and $3 hand money, the State and the City and County of New York, each, offered a bounty of $50 per man ; which was paid until Sept. 6th, when the State bounty was withdrawn. It is not known that any bounties were paid by private persons.
The Police Department signalized its loyalty and patriot- ism by resolving itself into an instrumentality for recruiting, and adopted a policy by which every member of its force became, practically, a recruiting agent, and every station- house a recruiting office; and all without charge to the General Government. Besides, the Department was as liberal in contributing its money as its services to this patriotic purpose.
Recruiting was embarrassed by the interference of those pests of the service, recruiting brokers, whose sole aim was to defraud the recruit of the bounty to which he was entitled ; and by the incompetence or corruption of examining sur- geons, who did not scruple to pass invalids, the subjects of loathsome diseases, and unable to march a mile. The Regi- mental Surgeon, Dr. William B. Eager, Jr., discharged num- bers who had been passed by the U. S. Examining Surgeons. Under the regulations of the War Department, Regimental Surgeons had no part in the examination of recruits.
Recruiting for this Regiment commenced August 26, 1862,- the term of enlistment being three years.
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On the 16th Sept. Col. Lewis Benedict, of Albany, formerly Lt .- Col. of :34 N. Y. Vols. (2d Fire Zonaves), arrived, with Maj. James H. Bogart (formerly Adj't of 43d N. Y. Vols.}, and assumed command of the forces on Riker's Island. Lt .- Col. Justus W. Blanchard, formerly Capt. 3d N. Y. Vols., reported Sept. 21st, and succeeded Col. Benedict in command, whose presence was required in the City.
Oct. 14th, Lieut. R. B. Smith, 11th U. S. Infantry, mustered in companies Band C; and on the 1Sth he mustered in the remaining companies and their officers, except F, late K, 53d N. Y. V., which had been mustered in Aug. 22d, by Capt. T. P. Mott, 19th U. S. Infantry. Number of non-commissioned officers and men, 795; absentees, 150. Total, 945.
Oct. 24th, the War Department ordered the 162d to the field. It was presented with a stand of Colors by the Corpo- ration of New York. The history of these Colors may be found in the Appendix.
About 5 P. M. one-half of the 162d embarked in a small steamboat for Port Monmouth, N. J., and at 11 P. M. the remainder followed. In landing, one man fell into the water, and drowned before any aid could reach him. Between Port Monmouth and Philadelphia the train parted, in consequence of the breaking of a coupling, detaching three cars, which, by some means, became so damaged that it was necessary to trans- fer their contents to other cars and abandon the injured ones. At Philadelphia, where it arrived at daybreak of 25th, the 162d enjoyed the hospitalities, now famous, of the Soldiers' Relief Committee of that city : and upon reaching Baltimore, at 11 P. M. of the same day, where it bivouacked in the mar- ket-place, the Relief Committee of that city also kindly pro- vided it with refreshments. Owing to various detentions, the 162d did not reach Washington until the evening of the 26th, when it arrived in the midst of a furious storm of rain, and found shelter in the Soldier-' Retreat.
Oct. 25th, the 162d marched through Washington, and, crossing the Long Bridge, proceeded to Camp Seward, about four miles from the city, where it pitched its tents and resumed
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drilling. On the 30th, it was ordered to the Chain Bridge, some 7 miles above Camp Seward, to report to Brig .- Gen. Abercrombie, commanding the Provisional Division, and join the 133d N. Y. (2nd Metropolitan).
Nov. 4th, the 162d, together with 133d N. Y. V., were ordered to Alexandria, Va., 14 miles below, to report to Brig .- Gen. John E. Slough, and to hold themselves in readiness to embark on transports at a moment's notice, these regiments having been detailed for service in the Banks Expedition.
On the morning of Nov. 10th, Lient .- Col. Blanchard, in command of the six right companies, 1, C, D, F, HI, I, embarked on an old propeller, called the "George's Creek," which had been imposed upon the Government. Col. Bene- diet and the remaining four companies were detained at Alexandria until the 16th, when they embarked upon a diminutive propeller, called the " City of Bath," constructed originally to ply between Boston and Bangor. Lient .- Col. Blanchard and the six companies arrived in Hampton Roads on the 12th, Col. Benedict and the four companies on the 17th, and lay there waiting further orders for some days. About three-quarters of the fleet belonging to the Banks Expedition were assembled in the Roads. The 162d reported to Brig .- Gen. Wm. II. Emory, commanding the forces afloat. During the time of this detention the Regiment disembarked and drilled daily. Finally, at 8 P. M., Dec. 3d, the gunboat Augusta, convoy of this division of the fleet, fired a signal- gun, and the fleet got under way. The destination of the expedition remained a secret until the mouth of the Mississippi was reached.
When the fleet weighed anchor the sky was overeast, a gusty wind had sprung up, causing a short chopping sea that rapidly destroyed the comfort of the landsmen on getting out- side. Off Cape Hatteras, the wind freshened to a gale. The " City of Bath " lay on her beam-ends for some hours, after which the gale abated, though a heavy sea continued. On the night of Dec. 5th, 211 Lieut. James De P. Wilkes, of Co. II, nephew of Com. Wilkes, was lost overboard. He left the cabin to go on deck, and was never seen again.
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Dec. 11th. the " City of Bath " made Key West and took in coal and water. The officers and men had suffered severely during the passage, on account of most of the water having been put in casks which had previously contained oil. As the " City of Bath" was going out of Key West, the "George's Creek" was coming in. Dec. 15th, the "City of Bath " arrived at New Orleans, having touched at Ship Island, when the sealed orders were opened and her destination ascertained. Col. Benedict reported at the Head-Quarters of the Depart- ment of the Gulf, and, under orders, proceeded with the vessel to Carrollton, a small place in the suburbs of the town, and six miles above the eity proper. On arriving there, Gen. T. W. Sherman, commanding the post, ordered him to disembark his men at Camp Parapet, some two miles above Carrollton, and there go into camp.
Camp Parapet is a line of earthworks extending from the Mississippi River to an impenetrable swamp, lying between it and Lake Pontchartrain, and distant from the river about a mile. They were constructed, under the direction of the Rebel Gen. Beanregard, to protect New Orleans against attack from above ; Forts St. Philip and Jackson being supposed to be a sufficient defense against attack from forces approaching by sea.
The forces at this post, at this time, were 25th and 26th Conn., 16th N. IL., a detachment of 12th Maine, 4th Wis. and 1st Vermont Batteries, and the four companies of the 162d. Col. Benedict took command of the post. Day after day passed without tidings from Lieut .- Col. Blanchard and the six com- panies with him. The character of the transport filled the Colonel's mind with anxiety concerning the fate of the looked- for officers and men : at length, on the 24th Dec., the wretched weather-beaten hulk slowly steamed up to the Parapet and landed her precious freight, to the general delight of the garri- son and the special joy of the 162d.
Dec. 31st, in pursuance of orders from Gen. Banks, Major Bogart and three companies, B., Capt. King, C., Capt. Wunder, . and E., Lieut. Curtis, were di-patched, by Col. Benediet, to
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Plaquemine, a small town 110 miles above New Orleans, to dislodge any force of the enemy found at that point ; informa- tion having been received at Head-quarters that a battery- had been planted there to intercept communication between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Maj. Bogart, not finding any enemy there, quietly occupied the town and threw out pickets. Capt. Wunder, of Co. C. was officer of the day, and, at about 11 P. M., he reported a large force of the enemy to be advancing, - his fears having multiplied a few guerrillas to an overwhelming body of troops. Upon receiving such alarming intelligence, Maj. Bogart hastily withdrew his command to the bank of the river and posted it behind the levee ; designing to use it as a breastwork in case of an attack. After some firing the pickets emulated the general example and withdrew to the main body. The gunboat Catawba then commenced shelling the woods. By the premature explosion of a shell, 1st Sergt. J. A. Baker was instantly killed, one private severely wounded, and one corporal slightly. No damage was received from the enemy. Maj. Bogart called a council of his officers, and the result was that the town was abandoned.
About the Sth Jan., 1863, Col. Benedict was ordered to move the 162d to Donaldsonville, 60 miles above New Orleans, and hold that place, while Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, who had been lying at Thibodeaux, moved on Brashear City and other points on Bayou Teche ; it being apprehended that during Weitzel's employment elsewhere, the enemy might get in his rear, and endanger both him and our possession of the Mississippi River. Col. Benedict extended his pickets fifteen miles, to Napoleon. The 162d remained at Donaldsonville until the 25th, when, by the success of Weitzel's expedition, the necessity for strengthening the regular garrison having ceased, it returned to its camp at the Parapet.
Feb. 24, the 162d broke camp and went into quarters at Camp Mansfield. half a mile from Carrollton, -Col. Benedict turning over the command of Camp Parapet to Gen. Neal Dow. It was there brigaded with the 16th N. H., 110th N. Y. and 4th Mass., constituting the 1st Brig., 8d Div. of 19th
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Army Corps, under command of Brig .- Gen. Andrews of Mass. ; and remained there until March 6th. At this time, Col. Benedict, who had been suffering for some weeks from - an ailment, to be relieved only by a surgical operation, received leave of absence to enable him to go North in order to obtain the necessary treatment.
March 6th, the army embarked for Baton Rouge ; the 162d from Carrollton, on the steamer " Time and Tide," a demon- stration against Port Hudson being contemplated, to favor the passage of the batteries by Farragut's fleet. A few days before, Gen. Andrews had been appointed Chief-of-staff to Gen. Banks, and Col. Ingraham, 38th Mass., was put in com- mand of the Brigade.
March 14th, the Army left Baton Rouge, moving toward Port Hudson in two columns; one taking the Port Hudson turnpike and the other the Clinton road, in order to get in the rear of and between Clinton and Port Hudson. The 162d and one company of Cavalry, under command of Lt .- Col. Blanchard, were detached by Gen. Emory to make a recon- noissance upon a road in the rear of the Clinton road. Arriv- ing, at daylight on the 15th, at certain cross-roads, three companies were detached, to proceed some four miles and burn certain bridges, which otherwise might enable the enemy to gain our rear and enter Baton Rouge. This was accomplished, not without some skirmishing, in which, however, the com- panies did not lose a man. Lt .- Col. Blanchard was to proceed by a plank road as far as White Bayou, there to join a part of Grover's Division, taking care to apprise that General that he was in his rear to aid in any service that might present itself; which notice was given by Adjutant Leonard. The 162d remained there until night, when all went into camp on the Clinton Plank Road. The next morning Lt .- Col. Blanchard was ordered to report back at the cross-roads, and await further orders. After remaining there one day and night, the 162d was ordered back to its camp.
The various reconnoissances having developed a great dis- parity in the numbers of the opposing forces-not less than
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50,000 Rebel soldiers being in and about Port Hudson, while Gen. Banks' army was less than 30,000, all told, and Farra- gut having executed his famous attempt to run the batte- ries -it was determined to postpone, for the time, further demonstrations against the formidable defenses of the place. The Army was, accordingly, withdrawn. April 1st, the 162d left Baton Rouge for Algiers, by the steamer St. Maurice, where it arrived on the following day, and remained until the Sth, when, with the army, it was transferred by the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad, to Brashear City, the terminus of the road. On the morning of the 9th, the 162d crossed to Berwick City, opposite Brashear City.
Here was organized the well-known Teche Expedition. April 11th, the Army, Gen. Weitzel's Brigade leading, moved on Fort Bisland, 15 miles above Berwick City. Fort Bisland is a line of breastworks thrown up between Bayon Teche and a swamp, about half a mile distant ; protected by a ditch, 15 feet wide, which made scaling difficult.
On Sunday, April 12th, the 162d was deployed as skir- mishers along the edge of the woods on the left. It advanced in this manner several miles, through corn and canefields, or over ploughed ground, most fatigning to the men, who carried heavy knapsacks, not having yet learned how expedient it was to carry on such service only overcoats and blankets. Line of battle was formed several times, in expectation of attack from the wood. Finally, all the Brigades were formed in line of battle -- each extending over half a mile of ground - Weitzel's Brigade in the advance, Paine's 2d, Ingraham's 3d, and Gooding's 4th. About 4 P. M. the action fairly com- menced, the batteries being in position on each flank of the first three Brigades. After an Artillery duel of a couple of honrs' duration, firing nearly ceased. At 7 P. M. the 162d was ordered to support Mack's Battery (the 18th N. Y.), in a grove on the edge of the Bayou, as it was apprehended that the Diana, a gunboat captured from us, might come down the Bayou and annoy us during the night. She had, in fact, done a principal part of the fighting on the Rebel side during
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the afternoon. Piles had been driven across the Bayou by the Rebels, to prevent our gunboats coming to us. The Rebel sharp-shooters had occupied, and still continued to occupy, a number of negro cabins and other outbuildings, this side of their fortifications. The Diana, from half a mile up the Bayou, kept up a desultory firing through the night. In the mean time, Gen. Grover had crossed the Teche and gone np on the other side, intending to recross at some convenient point above, and march down. Mistaking the road, he did not cross just where he had contemplated, and was, moreover, somewhat delayed, and found himself constrained to fight a severe battle at Irish Bend, a little above Franklin. At day- break the action was resumed by the Artillery. During the morning the sharp-shooters of the enemy were dislodged, by the demolition of the buildings that had sheltered them. About 3 P. M. the Infantry commenced firing, and made an unsuccessful assault. At 6 P. M. the 162d was detached from the Brigade, and ordered to report to Gen. Weitzel at the extreme front. Lt .- Col. Blanchard, who commanded, directed Adjutant Leonard to report to Gen. Weitzel and receive his orders; which were, to deploy four companies as pickets, along the edge of the woods, and the remaining six companies to be held in reserve ; establishing themselves on the left of the first line of battle. The enemy threw a few shells, to oppose the regiment in taking its position. During the night the enemy made a hurried retreat. abandoning provisions, and nearly every thing besides. The camps were left standing, and some of the officers' quarters, built of cane, were quite commodions, and exhibited decided pretensions to elegance in construction. Between Gen. Banks' close pursuit of the enemy and Gen. Grover's convenient position at Franklin, about 2,000 prisoners fell into our hands. Halting for the night at Franklin, where four companies of the regiment were detailed for provo-t duty in the town. preparations were made for a vigorous pursuit of the enemy. At this place Col. Ingraham was obliged to turn back, on account of severe and increasing illness. He had been compelled to travel in an ambulance the day previous.
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Just above Fort Bisland the Diana was found, totally destroyed, and. further up, the Hart was discovered in a similar condition - the Queen of the West was captured.
Texans, and troops raised in Western Louisiana, constituted the Rebel army doing duty in this part of the State. The pris- oners exhibited a most hostile and revengeful disposition. So many sullen and vindictive countenances have rarely been seen together. There was much ill-feeling apparent between the Texans and Louisiana troops; the Texaus not relishing fighting for the Louisianians. There were a number of half- blood Indians among the Texans.
The Brigade at this time was reduced to two regiments-the 110th and 162d N. Y., Col. Sage commanding, --- the 4th Mass. and 16th N. IT. having been left to garrison Brashear City.
Adjutant Leonard picked up in one of the abandoned quarters an order, signed by the Rebel Chief of Artillery, in which, after expressing regret for the defective character of the shells, he directed that perfect ones only should be used at short range. This may, to a degree, account for the small loss sustained by our troops- very few of the shells thrown by the enemy exploded.
At 4 A. M. of the 16th, the Army was again in motion, and about mid-day reached New Iberia, picking up on the way about 300 pri-oners. After halting for an hour, the Infantry pushed on, the Cavalry in the mean time having had a skirmish in front, losing three or four, the enemy ten or twelve. At the cross-roads, one of which led to the Salt Works, and the other to Opelousas, and on which the skirmish occurred. the 162d was ordered to report to Gen. Grover, who took the road to Opelousas and marched to Vermilion Bayou, Gen. Emory taking the other in order to destroy the Salt Works, 7 miles from New Iberia. At Vermilion Bayou the bridge was found burning, and the enemy was shelled across the bayou. Two days and one night sufficed to rebuild the bridge, and on the 23d the troops entered Opelousas.
On the 24th Gen. Banks ordered the 162d, under command . of Lt .- Col. Blanchard, to proceed to Barre's Landing on Bayou
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Courtableau, about S miles from Opelousas, and occupy the place. A section of Artillery and a company of Cavalry accompanied, for the purpose of making captures in the adjacent district. On information furnished by colored spies, Lient. Neville and a detachment was sent some five miles down the Bayou, where they seized a small steamer called the Ellen, used for navigating the Bayou and transporting stoek and produce for the Rebels. The capture was reported to Gen. Banks, who sent an officer to survey the vessel, and being found stanneh and in good order, she was sent to Bra- shear city, where she was put to service under the name of Col. Chandler. By aid of the Cavalry, the country was swept through a eireuit of eight or nine miles. During the five days the 162d remained at the Landing. it captured more than 3,000 bales of cotton, a large quantity of sugar, and 110 horses and mules. The cotton and sugar were turned over to Gen. Grover. on his arrival, and the horses and mules, by order, sent to Gen. Banks. On the 20th the 162d was relieved by Gen. Grover's division, and returned to Opelousas.
May 5th, the Army resumed its march for Alexandria, which was reached on the evening of the 11th, and found to be in the possession of our Naval Forces. On the 11th, Col. Bene- dict rejoined the 162d, to the great joy of every man in it. As he came on shore, and was receiving the congratulations of his friends on his return to health and the service, a pass- ing wagon startled the horse of one of the officers, which knocked him down and so injured his leg, that he was obliged to return to the boat and remain on it while it made a trip to Brashear city and back.
The march to Alexandria was supposed to be a ruse on the part of Gen. Banks, to induce the Rebels to think Shreveport was his objective point. On the 17th, however, the Army re- traced its steps to Clomeyville, and thence made a foreed march to Semmesport, on the Atehafalava, about ten miles from the Red River. Hore Col. Benedict overtook the Army and assumed command of the remnant of his Brigade. The troops . moved up to the source of the Atchafalaya, and to the june-
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tion of the Red and Mississippi Rivers, thence down the Mississippi to Morganzia, where the Army crossed by steam to Bayon Sara, 10 miles above Port Hudson. -
On the 23d, orders were received through Gen. Andrews, Chief-of-staff, directing the 162d to proceed to St. Francis- ville, two miles inland, to join Gen. Paine, and thence south- wardly to a point in the rear of Port Hudson, where it was to await the coming of Mack's Battery; the further purpose being to pieket a certain road, to prevent the escape of the enemy. At 1 A. M., the point indicated was reached, and the 162d bivouacked in a church-yard; it raining heavily and the mud knee deep. The battery came up about day- light, and the regiment, under command of Lt .- Col. Blanchard, proceeded to join the 2d Division, to which it was temporarily attached, arriving in the midst of a severe action, in which it participated, and suffered some loss.
The enemy having been driven from his outer line of works. and our own forces being strengthened by the arrival of Weitzel's division, on the 26th, a general assault upon the enemy's works was ordered on the 27th. On this occasion the 162d was in Gen. Grover's line, and assaulted on the right of the enemy's works, crossing Sandy creek and driving the enemy through the woods into their fortifications. The 162d remained three days unrelieved, within a hundred yards of the enemy's works, suffering loss in killed and wounded. The fight on this line begun at 10 A. M., lasting until + P. M., and was severely contested throughout. Gen. Banks greatly eommended the behavior of the troops, and expressed his belief that the post would have been captured but for their limited knowledge of the ground, and the character of the works, which were hidden from observation until the moment of approach. On the Both, the 162d was relieved, marched some miles to the rear, and eneamped for the night.
June 1st, the 162d moved to the extreme left of the lines, and with the 175th N. Y., reported to Gen. Wm. Dwight, who assigned them to the 1st Brig., 2d Div., and at once sent them . to position in front, where they remained some days intrench-
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ing, skirmishing and supporting batteries. Inne 13th, the 162d demonstrated heavily before the enemy, and lost some men. It returned to bivouac, and was transferred to 2d Brig., 2d Div. (Gen. Dwight's), preparatory to the general assault along the entire line of investment, which it had been decided should take place the next day.
This evening Col. Benedict arrived in camp, having been relieved of his command at Hermitage, or Fausse Point, directly opposite Port Hudson, where he had been stationed since the 23d of May, with a regiment of Infantry (110th N. Y.), two companies of Cavalry and a section of the 6th Mass. Artillery, in order to prevent the occupation of that point by the Rebels, egress from the fortifications of Port Hudson, or the receipt of communications or supplies by the garrison within them; and also to keep the country in his rear free from guerrillas or small hostile parties, and obtain information for use at head-quarters.
Immediately upon his arrival, Col. Benedict was put in command of 2d Brig., 2d Div., which consisted of the 162d N. Y., under Lt .- Col. Blanchard, the 175th N. Y., Col. Bryan, the 28th Maine and 4th Mass. At 12, midnight, orders were issued for an assault at daybreak. At 1 A. M., Col. Benedict moved the Brigade still farther to the left, opposite the lower sally-port of the enemy. On information received from a deserter, that there was a straight and plain road to the sally- port, and that the works were quite practicable at that point, the left, under Gen. Dwight, was ordered to assault there. By some miscarriage, orders failed to reach the 28th Maine, and the Brigade went into action with three regiments, num- bering only 552 men.
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