USA > Pennsylvania > History of the One hundred & sixth regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, 2d brigade, 2d division, 2d corps, 1861-1865 > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
199
GETTYSBURG
1863]
imposing and gallant charge of the war was to be seen, Pickett's Division of noble Virginians were to make the final effort of the Confederate commander to pierce our line. No one who witness- ed that grand charge of Pickett's Division will ever forget the grandeur of that sight, and the steadiness of the men.
Companies A and B, of the One Hundred and Sixth Pennsyl- vania, having replenished their ammunition on the night previous, returned to find the Regiment gone, and expecting them to soon return they remained with the Brigade, and on the morning of the 3d, Captain Lynch, by order of General Webb, was placed in command of the Brigade skirmish line, consisting of the detail of the One Hundred and Sixth under Captain Ford, sent out the night before, and the two companies of the Sixty-Ninth and Seventy-Second Regiments, leaving Captain Sperry in command of Companies A and B. As the enemy was seen advancing, Cap- tain Lynch received orders from General Webb "to hold on as long as he could", so as soon as their advance struck his line he opened fire, and as they closed on him, he slowly retreating, load- ing and firing, contesting each foot of ground ; this was well done and their bravery, witnessed by their comrades on the heights in the rear, seemed to inspire all to nobler deeds. Captain Lynch held his men well in hand, and by the directness of their fire, in a measure, checked Garnett's advance and compelled him to halt his command and commence loading and firing, no doubt thinking he had struck our first line; this was only temporary, but it broke the impetus of their charge ; then on they came, that grand division of nearly eighteen thousand men formed in three lines, our shot and shell making terrible gaps through their lines, but as their comrades fell they quickly closed up and the lines con- tinued solidly advancing. Our skirmishers having recrossed the Emmitsburg road were now quickly withdrawn, and the Brigade opened fire, pouring their volleys thick and fast, and Wheeler and Cowan welcoming them with double-shotted canister. Cush- ing's one gun, at his request, had been run down to the line along the fence where the Sixty-Ninth was in position, and still manned by the members of the Seventy-First Pennsylvania and directed by the brave Cushing, who though mortally wounded, assisted Wheeler and Cowan with canister ; and turning to General Webb
200
THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH REGIMENT
[1863
said : "Webb, I will give them one more shot. Good bye", and fell dead at his piece. Yet on they came; soon Armistead with his brigade is up to the fence, and his ringing command is heard : "Boys, give them the cold steel". And over the fence they come, through the opening where Cushing's gun was in position, into the ranks of the Sixty-Ninth and the left wing of the Seventy-First Regiments, many of whom still refused to yield, and a terrible hand-to-hand conflict ensued; but leaping the fence, and led by the brave Armistead, with his hat on his sword, were forcing their way up to the crest. Webb was now sorely pressed, his first line passed, his Brigade almost disappeared ; he had directed their fire, but, though well delivered, did not keep back those steadily advancing columns. He ordered a charge; the Seventy-First was too far to the right to reach, but were doing good service by a flanking fire; those of the Sixty-Ninth that were not killed or wounded, or in the hands of the enemy, had fallen back into the lines of the Seventy-Second, and many joined the detachment of the One Hundred and Sixth, under Captain Sperry. Webb turn- ed to his remaining regiment, the Seventy-Second, and Captain Lynch spoke up and said, "General, the One Hundred and Sixth is with you", and with those of the Sixty-Ninth that had joined them, Captain Sperry advanced, passing the left of the Seventy- Second, now inspired by the personal gallantry of General Webb, who, with sword in hand, called upon them to follow him, and they rushed upon the enemy now advancing towards the crest; from the right, came the Seventy-First, from the front, the Seventy- Second, and from the left the battalion of the One Hundred and Sixth, together, driving them back over the fence. At the same time Colonel Hall, commanding the Third Brigade, came to Webb's relief, with his command, and part of the First Brigade ; and Colonel Stannard, commanding the "Vermont Brigade", the Third of the Third Division of the First Corps still further on our left, advanced two of his regiments on their flanks, and poured into them terrific volleys, as Webb pressed forward. Seeing them waver, Webb cried out "Boys, the enemy is ours", and like an avalanche, our boys fell upon them, in front and on the flank, driving them back in utmost confusion. Hundreds of those brave men and color after color went down under that fierce assault
201
GETTYSBURG
1863]
on front and flank, our men passing over them in their determina- tion to drive the enemy from the field. No effort was made to keep any formation, but each man fighting for himself, clubbing his musket. using his bayonet, until the fence was passed; while the enemy, with their leaders killed, or badly wounded. had no one to give command, and those within our lines surrendered to Webb, the rest flying to the rear in complete disorder, leaving three-fourths of their number, killed, wounded, or prisoners in our hands. The battle was over, and our line, so nearly pierced, was again intact, and crowned with victory, having repulsed one of the grandest charges ever made by either army. And of Pickett's Division, not one in four came out of that fight ; of his three Brigade commanders, Garnett was killed, Armistead and Kemper mortally wounded. The total loss of the enemy in that charge is estimated at sixteen thousand, while our loss was not one-fifth of that number.
While Pickett was making that famous charge, Stuart with his cavalry attempted to pass around our right flank and had occupied a position on an elevated ground that gave him a fine view of all the roads leading to the rear of our army. His force numbered about 7,000 men and Gregg had with his division and Custer's Brigade altogether numbering about 5,000 men to op- pose him, and as Stuart advanced, Gregg sent McIntosh's Bri- gade to meet him, and they checked his advance, but Stuart, de- termined to break through our line, orders a charge of Hampton's and Fitz Hugh Lee's Brigades, and Gregg sends Custer's Brigade to the assistance of McIntosh and there was seen the fiercest cavalry charge and the hottest contested cavalry fight of the war ; they met and sabres flashed as blow followed blow from each side, down went horses and men, soon Stuart was compelled to give way, and our men drove them from the field. Both sides suffered heavy loss.
The result of the battle was a sad blow to General Lee ; speak- ing of it that night to General Imboden he said, "Yes it has been a sad, sad day to us", and of Pickett's charge said, "I never saw troops behave more magnificently than Pickett's Division of Virginians, and if they had been supported as they were to have been, but for some reasons not yet fully explained, they were not,
202
THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH REGIMENT
[1863
we would have held the position they so gloriously won at such fearful loss of noble lives, and the day would have been ours. Too bad, too bad. Oh! too bad".
General Longstreet describes Pickett's charge as follows: "Pickett's Division swept past our artillery in splendid style, and the men marched steadily and compactly down the slope. As they started up the ridge over one hundred guns from the Federal breastworks hurled a rain of canister, grape and shell down upon them ; still they press on, until half way up the slope, when the crest of the hill was lit with a solid sheet of flame as the masses of infantry rose and fired. When the smoke cleared away, Pickett's Division was gone, nearly two-thirds of his men were dead upon the field."
I wish now to correct a mis-statement by General Doubleday. He says: "Then came a splendid charge of two regiments, led by Colonel Hall, which passed completely through Webb's line and engaged the enemy in a hand-to-hand conflict." At no time was Webb's line passed over, or through, by any of our troops, from the time his command was placed in that position by that clump of trees, against which the flower of the rebel army was thrown, until withdrawn, two days after the battle. Webb yielded his position to no one, though the enemy advanced over his first line, yet the crest and that clump of trees, which Longstreet said was their objective point, and pointed out to each of their commanders, were not taken, and with his own Brigade, Webb cleared his own front, though ably assisted by the brave troops on his right and left, who did noble service from their positions; and while that splendid charge of those "two regiments" may have been made, it certain- ly was not made "through Webb's line". And General Hancock, himself, said, when speaking at a banquet on this battle recently, that "in every battle there must be one point on which every side must hinge; it was General Webb's good fortune to be posted at that point, and he held it".
Prof. Jacobs, speaking of this charge, says:
Seeing them waver, General Webb cried out: "Boys, the enemy is ours", and his Brigade rushed upon them and captured 800 prisoners. Stannard's Brigade took as many more, and still others were captured, swelling the number of prisoners to 3.500. Fifteen
203
GETTYSBURG
1863]
stands of colors were taken; so sudden and complete was the slaughter and capture of nearly all of Pickett's men, that one of his officers, who fell wounded amongst the first on the Emmitsburg road, said : "The whole Division had disappeared as if blown away by the wind". In this charge Generals Hancock and Gibbon were wounded, and Kemper and Armistead of the rebels, and Garnett killed.
A rebel general officer, in his account of this battle, writes:
They reached the guns of Gibbon's Division, and in their en- deavor to capture them, were literally blown in fragments from their muzzles, but they still pressed forward over the rifle-pits and into the works, while from the front, the right and the left, every Federal gun that would reach them was turned upon them; and when fairly within the Federal lines, with but a fraction of the gallant brigades that had started left, Webb throw his splendid Brigade against them. (Italics ours.) Garnett was killed, Armi- stead was mortally wounded, and Kemper lay bleeding upon the field, unable to give a command or rally his column that now. shattered and broken by Webb, was making its way to the Confed- erate lines, leaving behind them as trophies of their valor more than one-third of their number dead and wounded, and as prizes to the Federal army fifteen stands of colors, with over thirty-five hundred prisoners.
In this action, Captains Sperry and Ford were both wounded, and the command of the detachment of the One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania devolved upon Captain Lynch, who withdrew his men to the crest, in rear of the Seventy-Second Regiment after the fight had ceased. Shortly afterwards, General Webb came to him and said, "Captain, I consider you and your men a picked band, and should the attack be renewed, and should there be any wavering or giving way of the troops in your front, I want you to throw yourselves into the breach". This little band, that had numbered about one hundred men, that had done so well and lost so heavily, one half of their officers and about one third of their men, now greatly exhausted, slept there among the dead, and rejoined the Regiment when it returned to the Brigade, on the evening of the 5th.
Early on the morning of the 4th, the One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania was advanced, by General Ames, commanding the First Division of the Eleventh Corps, preceded by a line of skirmishers, down into the town of Gettysburg, driving before
204
THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH REGIMENT
[1863
them the enemy's skirmishers, and, continuing through the town by Baltimore and Carlisle streets, was placed in position on a slight eminence on the north of the town. Thus was the One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania the first to enter the town after the First and Eleventh Corps had been driven from there on the night of the first day's fight ; later in the day, was withdrawn to its former position on Cemetery Hill, and the next day, was re- lieved and ordered to rejoin its Brigade.
Our loss in this, the greatest battle fought on American soil, was very heavy, in proportion to the number engaged. Yet, again, the good fortune that seemed to always attend the Regiment, again favored us ; and considering the important part taken by the Regi- ment, its exposed positions, on picket, charging the enemy's line and supporting the artillery, and hard fighting done, our loss was comparatively light. Our reports showed a total of thirty officers and three hundred and thirteen men present for duty, from which must be deducted the non-combatants, viz : Musicians, Ambulance Corps and Medical Department and Teamsters, which would leave us about three hundred officers and men in the fight. Of these our loss was as follows :
Killed : Company A.
Corporal David G. Walton.
Company B.
Lieutenant William H. Smith, Sergeant Samuel T. James, Cor- porals Samuel Fitzinger and Samuel Hayburn, and Private James Binker.
Company G.
Private John O. Kearney, Anthony Starr.
Company H.
Private Isaac H. Rich. Company I.
Private Joshua M. Hider.
One officer and ten men.
Wounded : Adjutant F. M. Pleis. Company A. Captain Sperry. Lieutenants Schwartz and Casey, Sergeants Strohm and Crewe, Corporals Dove and Steinmetz, and Privates Brady, Morris, Murray, John B. Murphy, Ray, Slavin, Thompson, Waldron and Webber.
205
GETTYSBURG
1863]
Company B. Captain Lynch, Sergeants Marshall and Murphy, Corporals Mur- phy and Hallowell, Privates Blanc, Bell, Canning, Devlin, Duncan, Hague, Hanlen, Kelly, George Moore, McGreal. Reynolds and J. Shetzline.
Company C.
Corporal Ward, Privates Clifford, Newell and Rambo.
Company D.
Lieutenants Irwin and Gage, Privates Harlan and Albert Hol- comb.
Company E. Privates Bogan, Dillsneider, Kephart, McPherson and Strauss. Company F.
Corporals Lucke and Hurst, and Privates Focht and George Locke. Company G. Captain Breitenbach, Sergeant Heite, and Privates Lott and Powers.
Company H.
Sergeant Weideman, and Private Spence.
Company I.
Captain Ford. Company K.
Lieutenant May, Private Eva.
Ten officers and fifty men.
Captured. Privates Patrick Moore, of Company B. and Yeakle, of Company F. Two men.
One officer and ten men killed, ten officers and fifty men wound- ed, and two men captured; making a total loss of seventy-two. And in the Brigade, of a total of seventy-four officers and eleven hundred men taken into action, the loss was forty-three officers and five hundred and two men, but forty-seven of them missing.
The following is the official report of General Alexander S. Webb, commanding the Brigade :
HEADQUARTERS 2D BRIGADE, 2D DIVISION, 2D CORPS. Jones' Cross Roads, Md., July 12th, 1863.
Captain :- I would respectfully submit the following report of the operations of this Brigade in the actions of July 2d and 3d.
By command of Brigadier General John Gibbon, commanding Division, this Brigade was put in position at 6.30 A. M. on the 2d on Granite Ridge, on the right of the Division, its right resting on Cushing's Battery (Company A, Fourth United States Artil-
206
[1863
THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH REGIMENT
lery) and its left on Battery B, First Rhode Island Artillery, Lieu- tenant Brown commanding. The Sixty-Ninth Regiment was placed behind a fence a little in advance of the ridge, the remaining three regiments of the Brigade under cover of the hill in rear. Brown's Battery was, in the course of the day, moved to the front of the Sixty-Ninth Regiment. It remained at this point until the assault, at 6.30 P. M. During the day both of the batteries on the flanks of the Brigade engaged those of the enemy. The shelling wounded but few.
In the morning, Captain John J. Sperry, of the One Hundred and Sixth, was sent out with Companies A and I of the Seventy- Second, and A and B of the One Hundred and Sixth, to skirmish and to watch the movements of the enemy. He lost a number of men and had several officers wounded in performing this import- ant duty.
Captains John J. Spery and James C. Lynch of the One Hun- dred and Sixth, and Captains Cook and Suplee of the Seventy- Second, deserve honorable mention for their coolness, intelligence and zeal shown both on the 2d and 3d.
The enemy made the assault of the 2d at about 6.30 P. M. Their line of battle advanced beyond one gun of Brown's Battery, receiv- ing at that point the fire of the Sixty-Ninth Pennsylvania, and that of the Seventy-First Pennsylvania, advanced to the support of the Sixty-Ninth; also that of the One Hundred and Sixth and Seventy-Second Pennsylvania, which had previously been moved to the left by command of General Hancock. Colonel Baxter, Seventy-Second Pennsylvania, at this time was wounded.
They halted, wavered, and fell back, pursued by the One Hun- dred and Sixth, Seventy-Second and part of the Seventy-First. The One Hundred and Sixth and Seventy-Second followed them to the Emmitsburg road, capturing and sending to the rear about 250 prisoners, among whom were one Colonel, five Captains and fifteen Lieutenants. The Seventy-First captured about 20 prisoners at the position previously held by the Rhode Island Battery.
The One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania were ordered back from the Emmitsburg road a little before dark, and ordered to report to General Howard, commanding 11th Army Corps, then near the cemetery. For a report of its operations I refer to in- closed report .of the regimental commander. The Seventy-First Pennsylvania was detached to report at the same place a little after dark. It returned about 12 o'clock without orders. The report of the Colonel, annexed, is important.
OPERATIONS OF JULY 3.
About I P. M. the enemy opened with more than twenty bat- teries upon our line. By 2.45 o'clock had silenced the Rhode
207
GETTYSBURG
1863]
Island Battery and all the guns but one of Cushing's Battery. and had plainly shown by his concentration of fire on this and the Third Brigade that an important assault was to be expected.
I had sent, at 2 P. M., Captain Banes, A. A. G. of the Brigade, for two batteries to replace Cushing's and Brown's. Just before the assault Captain Wheeler's Battery, First New York Artillery, had got in position on the left in the place occupied by the Rhode Island Battery, which had retired with the loss of all its officers but one.
At 3 o'clock the enemy's line of battle left the woods in our front, moved in perfect order across the Emmitsburg road, formed in the hollow in our immediate front several lines of battle, under a fire of spherical case from Wheeler's Battery and Cushing's gun, and advanced for the assault.
The Seventy-First Pennsylvania were advanced to the wall on the right of the Sixty-Ninth. Three of Cushing's guns were run down to the fence carrying with them their canister. The Seventy- Second were held in reserve under the crest of the hill. The enemy advanced steadily to the fence, driving out a portion of the Seventy- First. General Armistead passed over the fence with probably over 100 of his command, and with several battle-flags.
The Seventy-Second were ordered up to hold the crest, and advanced to within forty paces of the enemy's line.
Colonel Smith, commanding the Seventy-First, threw two com- panies of his command behind the stone-wall on the right of Cushing's Battery, fifty paces retired from the point of attack. This disposition of his troops was most important. Colonel Smith showed true military intelligence on the field.
The Sixty-Ninth and most of the Seventy-First, even after the enemy were in their rear, held their position. The Seventy- Second fought steadily and persistently, but the enemy would pro- bably have succeeded in piercing our lines had not Colonel Hall advanced with several of his Regiments to my support.
Defeated, routed, the enemy fled in disorder. General Armi- stead was left mortally wounded within my lines, and forty-two of the enemy who crossed the fence lay dead.
This Brigade captured nearly 1,000 prisoners, 6 battle-flags (4 have been turned in), picked up 1,400 stands of arms, and 903 sets of accoutrements.
The loss of the Brigade on the 2d and 3d was 43 commissioned officers and 482 enlisted men. But 47 enlisted men are missing.
The conduct of this Brigade was most satisfactory. Officers and men did their whole duty.
The Sixty-Ninth Pennsylvania lost all its field officers, but held its ground. The cover in its front was not well built, and it lost
208
THE ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTH REGIMENT
[1863
many men lying on the ground, still, I saw none retire from the fence.
A portion of the One Hundred and Sixth Pennsylvania, left be- hind the previous evening, under Captain Ford, took part in repell- ing the assault.
I lost gallant officers and men. A nominal list has been sent in. They need no tribute from me.
I feel that the General commanding has had abundant proof that as a Brigade, the Second can be relied upon for the performance of any duty which may be required of it.
Lieutenant A. H. Cushing, Fourth United States Artillery, fell mortally wounded at the fence by the side of his guns. Cool, brave, competent, he fought for an hour and a half after he had reported to me that he was wounded in both thighs.
I desire to call attention to the brave conduct of Lieutenant Joseph Milne, Battery B, First Rhode Island Artillery, serving with Lieutenant Cushing.
I. recommend for promotion Sergeants Frederick Fuger and Edward M. Irving of that battery; also Acting Gunner Francis Abraham. This battery was nobly served.
Captain C. H. Banes, Assistant Adjutant General of this Bri- gade, assisted at all points in strengthening the line and encourag- ing the men and officers by his coolness. I recommend him for honorable mention.
I have the honor to be, Captain,
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
ALEXANDER S. WEBB, Brigadier General commanding.
CAPTAIN A. H. EMBLER,
Acting Assistant Adjutant General.
Lieutenant-Colonel Curry, commanding the One Hundred and Sixth, submitted the following as his official report :
HEADQUARTERS 106TH PENNA. REGIMENT.
Camp near Frederick, Md., July 8th, 1863. CAPT. CHAS. H. BANES, Asst. Adj. Gen. 2d Brigade.
Sir :- I beg leave respectfully to report the operations of this Regiment during the battles before Gettysburg from July 2d to 5th, inclusive.
After arriving upon the ground on the morning of the 2d inst., by order of General Webb, the Regiment was placed in position near the front and centre of the line. Two companies, A and B, were deployed as skirmishers in front of the line; they were
209
GETTYSBURG
18631
warmly engaged until the action became general. The coolness and intrepidity with which they were handled kept the enemy at bay, and reflects great credit upon the officers and men of those two companies. Our left having attacked the enemy, were, after a desperate conflict, compelled to retire. At this time the enemy opened upon our line a furious cannonade, wounding one of our officers and several men. Under cover of this fire they advanced their infantry, driving back our first line and forcing the artillery in my immediate front to withdraw. By order of General Webb, I advanced the Regiment by the left flank, and formed in the rear of the second line. Shortly afterwards, orders were received to move forward. I advanced the Regiment to the crest of the hill and opened fire upon the enemy. After several volleys, perceiving that we checked the advance of the enemy, and perceiving their line to waver. I ordered bayonets fixed and a charge to be made, which movement resulted in complete success, the enemy retiring to their original position in the woods. We pursued the flying enemy to the Emmitsburg road, when, perceiving that we were separated . from the line on our left by a space of seventy yards, and having 110 troops on our right except the remnant of the Eighty-Second New York Regiment, I halted the Regiment and sent to the rear for support, having first deployed skirmishers in my front. The officer whom I sent not returning, I left the Regiment in charge of Major Stover, and personally applied to General Webb for support, when I was ordered to withdraw the Regiment to its original position.
In the charge we made. we secured three guns which had been abandoned. I sent them to the rear by hand. We also captured and sent to the rear about two hundred and fifty prisoners, among whom were one Colonel (Gibson, Forty-Eighth Georgia), five Captains, and fifteen Lieutenants. Ten minutes after we returned, the firing not having ceased upon our right, we were ordered to proceed in the direction of the firing and report to Major General O. O. Howard, commanding the Eleventh Corps, who assigned us to the command of General Ames, by whose order we were placed in the front line, on the right of the Gettysburg road near the cemetery. We remained in that position until the morning of July 4th, having been exposed to a very severe and concentrated fire from three batteries. On the morning of the 3d I detailed a body of sharpshooters who, under cover of the houses in the vicinity. kept up a continuous fire upon the enemy's sharpshooters, who were picking off the gunners of our batteries. I have reason to believe that the enemy's sharpshooters suffered considerably from this body of men.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.