lant conduct the other day. You have gained honor for your country, your state, and the army to which you belong. Through you we won the day, and Williamsburg shall be inscribed on your banner. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done. I trust in you for the future and know that you will sustain the reputation you have won for yourselves. By your actions. and superior discipline you have gained a reputation which 117] shall be known through the Army of the Potomac. Your country owes you its grateful thanks." Leaving Williamsburg on the 9th, they moved forward slowly, encamping on the 13th at Plymouth Landing, on the Pamunky River, thirty-three miles from Richmond.

From this time forward, they were constantly engaged in the various duties that fell to the right of our army, in the celebrated campaign before Richmond. Advancing gradually, and occupied principally in the performance of picket and skirmish duty, in the extreme advance of the army, we find them on the 12th of June, encamped at the distance of six miles from Richmond, on the south bank of the Chickahominy River. On the 26th of June the enemy attacked General Porter's division on the north side of the Chickahominy, which was the commencement of the celebrated Seven Days' Conflict. On the following day, a large part of Smith's division was moved out on the picket lines and batteries, and placed in position, the Fifth acting as support and repulsing the enemy's attempts to capture the guns, and holding the position during the day, with slight loss1. Before daylight on the morning of the 28th, they were withdrawn to camp, commencing preparations to retreat. At nine, tents had been struck, knapsacks packed, and while awaiting the order to march. the enemy opened furiously with shot and shell at long range. Marching a mile to the left, they were formed in line of battle near Fair Oaks, retaining the position until three o'clock on the following morning, when the division moved in the rear of the wagon train, which had been engaged during the night in removing the baggage. The forenoon was spent in reconnoitring and skirmishing as the troops marched slowly down the Chickahominy, between that stream and the railroad. The weather was intolerably hot, and after a short rest in the shade, they moved at two in the afternoon, to Savage Station,

1 Goldings Farm, Va., Action, June 28. 1862. Reports Col. Amasa Cobb. 13 Rebellion Records 475. Brig. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock, 11 Ibid. 466-470,

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where they were again formed in line and assisted in repulsing the night attack of the enemy at that place.

At nine in the evening, the whole force moved out of the woods, taking the road to White Oak Swamp, which they crossed safely before daylight on the morning of the 30th. The trains were kept in motion, Smith's division, at this time the rear guard, being stationed in line, covering the retreat of the rest of the army, and holding the position under a heavy fire, until ten in the evening, when the march was resumed, the men suffering greatly from exhaustion; many of them having been on duty night and day for five days. Arriving at the James River at daylight on the 1st of July, a short rest was allowed, the Fifth marching at noon a mile up the river, where they lay in line of battle until midnight. Marching thence to the main road, they arrived at Harrison's Landing at four in the afternoon of the 2d.

On the 5th they went into camp, resuming guard and picket duty, and remaining until the 16th of August, when they left Harrison's Landing on the march for Fortress Monroe, where 118] they arrived on the 22d and embarked for Alexandria. Landing at the latter place on the 24th, they remained in camp near the city until the 29th, when Franklin's troops were ordered to Centreville for the support of General Pope. Marching at six in the morning, they bivouacked six miles from Alexandria, and resuming the march on the following morning, arrived in the evening at Centreville, too late to render any assistance.

On the 1st of September, commenced the return to Alexandria, where they arrived on the following day, and remained in camp until called upon to take part in the general movement of our army to meet and turn back the rebel invasion under General Lee. Leaving Alexandria on the 6th of September, nothing of importance occurred during their passage through Maryland, until the 14th, when General Slocum's division, to which they were attached, charged the enemy at Crampton's Gap, taking three pieces of artillery and one thousand prisoners. During this action the Fifth was in position with the reserve, and afterwards bivouacked near Sharpsburg. Marching early in the morning of the 17th to the field of Antietam,1 their corps reinforced Generals Hooker and Sumner, then hard pressed by the enemy,

1 Antietam, Md.. Battle Sept. 16-17, 1862. Reports Brig. Gen. W. S. Hancock 27 Rebellion Records 406-7, The Maryland Campaign 27 Ibid. 157-1055.

and took position in line supporting our artillery. During the following day they retained position in line, and after the retreat of the rebels across the Potomac, moved on the 19th to Williamsport, Md., and encamped, remaining until the 23d, when camp was removed to Bakersville. At this place General Pratt took command of the brigade, which had been under command of Colonel Cobb from the 17th, when General Hancock took command of a division, taking the place of General Richardson, who was mortally wounded on the field.

On the 11th of October, they commenced their march northward under orders to intercept Stuart's Cavalry, which was making a “raid” around McClellan's army, arriving at Hagerstown Md., where they encamped on the 13th and lay until the 31st, when they moved to Boonesboro. They arrived at Berlin on the morning of November 3d, and immediately crossed the Potomac into Virginia. The march was continued down the valley by way of Ashby's Gap, White Plains and Chester Gap, to Acquia Creek, which place they reached on the 18th, the whole army lying between the Potomac and Rappahannock, neår Fredericksburg. On the 4th of December, their camp was moved to White Oak Church, near Belle Plaine. Here they remained until the 12th, when they crossed the river in the advance of Burnside's army, and took an active part in the actions of the next three days. The regiment was in Franklin's grand division, Second (Howe's) division of the Sixth army corps, and although thrown to the front, the loss was trifling, only one man being killed and four wounded. On the 15th, the whole army recrossed the river and reoccupied its old camps.

1

A forward movement of the army was again attempted on the 119] 20th of January, 1863. The weather was horrible, a heavy rain having set in, and the snow being melted, rendered the roads almost impassable. After having made fifteen miles, it was found impossible to proceed, and the army was ordered back to its quarters. Notwithstanding the fatigue and heavy roads, the regiment marched into camp with every man in line. During the remainder of the month the regiment was engaged principally in picket duty. Colonel Amasa Cobb having been elected member of congress, his place in the regiment was supplied by the pro

1 Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 11-15, 1862. report, Brig. Gen. Albion P. Howe 31 Ibid. 529-531.

2 Operations in Northern Virginia, Dec. 11-15, 1862, 31 Rebellion Records, 39-688, 60, 141, 531, 934. Report of Col, Hiram Burnham 107 Ibid. 180-184.

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motion of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas S. Allen, of the Second Wisconsin, who assumed the command on the 26th of January.

The regiment was assigned to the "Light Division," organized under General Pratt, on the 2d of February. This organization comprised five regiments and one battery of picked troops, and was intended to act independently in making reconnoissances and forced marches, without the encumbrance of baggage trains. Ammunition and rations were to be carried exclusively on pack mules, of which two hundred and fifty were furnished the division. After its organization, the troops lay in camp during the inonth of February, March and the greater part of April and were reviewed at various times, by the President, General Hooker, and others.

The whole army having been put in motion by order of General Hooker, the "Light Division" moved to the Rappahannock on the 28th of April, and assisted in laying pontoons for the passage of troops. On the 1st of May, the regiment crossed the river and threw out pickets. The next day, a series of lively skirmishes took place along the picket line, and Lieutenant John McMurtry, in command of outposts, was mortally wounded by rebel sharpshooters. In the evening, the several regiments of the "Light Division," advanced their line of skirmishers and drove the rebels back rapidly into their entrenchments. Soon after dark the whole Sixth corps, under General Sedgwick, moved quietly up to the city of Fredericksburg, some six miles above, arriving there at daylight of the 3d. An unfortunate attempt was immediately made by a brigade of the Third division, to storm and capture the celebrated Marye's Heights', which resulted in a disastrous repulse. The "Light Division" was then ordered to renew the assault.

In the celebrated charge which followed, Colonel Allen commanded the right wing of his regiment, deployed as skirmishers about fifty yards in advance of, and covering two other regiments of the division, the left wing being farther to the rear, forming part of the third line of battle. His men were ordered to depend entirely on the bayonet, and thus allow the enemy no time to reload their discharged peices. At the signal, the skirmishers darted forward on the run, and before reaching a stone

1 Marye's Heights, Va., Battle May 3, 1863, report of Maj. Gen. John Sedgwick, 39 Ibid. 557-559, 561, 562. The Chancellorsville Campaign April 27-May 6, 1863, 39 Ibid. 146-1056,

| 7—A. G.

fence, which formed part of the enemy's line of defence, distant about four hundred yards, twenty-six of their number were killed and seventy-three wounded; but our Wisconsin troops did 120] not falter. Clearing the stone fence under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry, they bayoneted such of the enemy as still resisted their advance, rushed forward and captured the heights, taking possession of the riflepits and batteries. Lieutenant Brown, who commanded the famous Washington Battery, surrendered with his men to Colonel Allen in person.

After storming the heights, the regiment, with the division, pushed forward in pursuit of the enemy, until they overtook him, strongly posted in the woods near Salem Church. On the morning of the 4th, General Sedgwick found it impossible to advance farther with his corps alone. During the night, General Lee had sent a large force around to our rear, and taken possession of the heights which had been won the day before at such a cost of human life. Banks' Ford was now the only avenue of escape, surrounded as they were, on three sides, by a vastly superior force. After a severe fight during the whole day, the corps extricated itself, crossed the river at Banks' Ford and joined the main body.

By order of General Sedgwick, the Light Division was disbanded on the 11th, and the regiments distributed among older organizations, the Fifth Wisconsin being assigned to General Russell's brigade, First division, Sixth army corps.

On the 9th of June, the regiment again crossed the Rappahannock at Franklin's Crossing, where they were engaged in picket duty and building entrenchments, while the army, with the exception of the Sixth corps, was farther up the river, watching the movements of General Lee. It having been discovered that the rebels were moving towards Pennsylvania, the corps was put in motion in the same direction on the 13th; crossed the Potomac on the 27th, and reached Gettysburg, Pa., on the 2d of July, averaging twenty miles a day while on the march, and making thirty-seven miles within the last twenty-four hours. Next day they took position on the left of the line, and remained protecting the left flank of the army until after the battle was over. Although the artillery fire was heavy, the Fifth Wisconsin sustained no loss.1

1 The Gettysburg Campaign, June 3-Aug 3, 1863, 43 Rebellion Records 1-775.