Battle At Williamsburg

Headqcauters Tumi) 1ivisio.n, l Hi'WTfvtwt' Ooms, CiMfcBi&itY, Barkanisville, Va., May TO, Itiüil. ) To HisExeelhmoy, Austin Blair: Sik - Itgivcg me great pfoasure to add.res3 yon, n order to bñngto your immediate notrce the noble and bravo manner with which tlie troops üf your State, in my división, conducted thoinsclves in Uio onaogemcnt beforo Wiüiainsburg, on j the 5th instant. 'J'he Mecoud, uuder ! Cclonel Poe, and tho Kifth, under Cölonel Terry, behaved in tlie most ; aoino marnier. I havo tlie bqnor to transmit, hcrewith, tlio report of the Colonela of these roginjents, togetber witli that of thcir Genera1, General Berry, con.mandhig tho brigade, and also a copy e one pont in by myself to lieadquartêrs. I also tonel you u 5ut of tho killed and wounded. (Joïonel Poe served more immodiately under my oivn conimand, and the gallactry and soldierly cpialrties Ire iHsplayed rsodered him partieularly eonspicuous. Culoncl '!"■ r i y's regiment took a rifle-pit of mucb streogth al'ter u scvere cont j.t, ;w held possefekin uutil the close of tlio actiou. Ycry respeetf ly, Pillfcil' Keabáíi, KKI'ORT OF OEN'. KKA11NEY. lli ■ . ■ T: Hi is-io.v, } C'i M!' BeCBT, Liarkanisvüle. 'ii.. MJ 10, 182. ) SlR - The events which drowded on us after the battle of'the Jtli - its xtonuy nght - tho c:vv. of tliü woundcii - the attention to the i-iaiu - tho collection of the trophios - the moves of the next day, Ijaving prevented my report einbracing the diïjtinguished acts ui' iiitlivida!-, not serving in my áffEaal greience, induced me to reijueat tiui Ihe superior authorily of tlie coïömaa-dtü' of the corps, would be cmpluyoJ to 08, M UTJ o ■ y i) , the top arate report of' thoge, my brigade comnianders, iho so uobly stistained my cffort by their gallantiy : and who aaiply fultilled the high prfistigc which they had won as Colímela of nobla regitnefits. Ths ] i-tst of the troneráis óf bi'i comprises tho names of the foltowiog üftíeers and regimettts : Tlic i-ifii; of niy line ponsisted of tbe hvo regiinüiiíá of ihe Secoud Jtrigatle, General lJirney, and tho Thirty-eiglilli New York Voluriteer.s, Cobmel J. II. Hobart AVard, and the Furtieth Xew York, Colonel Riley ; the Otber two regimants of' the brigade, a mile b.ick from the field, had been detached t) jcrin (general Eifiery. The Thirty- New irork Regitneut, tht, snt for by me, charged down the road, and took tbe 'pits" and abattis by flank. Colonel J. II. Hobart Ward has already been uoticod by me, a ona of the " brive.-it of tlie brave." # Xhis regiment lost 128 men on the 2Sth of July last, at Buil Hun. Tbttl day there weic nino offieers killed and wounded out of nineteen ín this regiment that went into etion. lüled, wounded and missing, cighty-nine. The battle on the i e ft of the line was a series ofassáults by the cnemy, and reïuiLses and onset by ourselvcs, tbe fï 'sh reinforceinents of the euemy continually teuding to outüank us. Ut-n. Ueiry ivaü ever on the ah.rt, and by goc4 arrangemeuts, and personal exuinple, iniluent-cd tlie ardor 01 all around hun. His r;gitoeQtB fought most desperately. It was ono of tbcm, Geloncl Poe's Öecoad. Mi'.-hgan, more direutly under Ji'.y cqntro!, whieh maintuined the key puiut of our position. Two of ita companies led off vrilh tbe firet sueeess cf tliQ day, whiltt oovering the artiller'y. Col. Poe had alrendy wow i} reputatiqn iu Western A'irg'iiiia. lle was a distinguished oflieer of the U. S. anuv before taking eommand of thiá regiment. I espeeially uotiee him f'or advanceiuent. His loss ju killed, wouuded aud missing, is sixty. The pniiüipal loss, on the left, f the two regiments (the iourth of tiio brigade), Third Michigan Volunteers, Coíonel Cliamplin, servina; immediately under the eye oí General Uerry, ivas very severe. The loss w.is 96. Colonel Terry, cp.anpaiidjng the Fifih Michigan, was pr neipally engaged iu carrying riÜe pits (a redoubt), in the woods. H'S Iosb is the highest on the list of killed and wounded, being lüi. This report vould be incomplute, t;i;l I fjiil to.uiüDtiuii the luoritoriuus .■;■■_■ rviee.s of our medical corps. They were ovorywheie uudcr the greatest obstaeles, etiipïently aidiug the wounJed, and e&tablishiug ambulances. Ono of them, Dr. J. II. Baxter, ono of Surgeon General Tripler's staff, assisted me greatly during tlio action carrying orders,. Str, Aiiiitl! irusi that tbti (iivtsiuo Uus duiie it.s iaiy. i liavc ü".1 boffor t" ft ) [■éapet'tfully, l'üil.i col. pöe's report, WlLLUMSgOXO, ra., Jil:j' (j, 1802. Po Capti !d BI ui.s. A. A. A. (:. üioil : SlR - In couformity witlj instructions from división headuarters, I have the honor to subinit the followiRg report of tiie part taken by the iOL-oiid Mlpl Volunteers, in the aeti.ii of Moijduy, the iith ii:st., in front of Williamslmrg. Aftcr an excessi. c!; t';:!iguiii ij i ■ 1 ■ 1 1 , tlio last tlireo miies cf which we uwdi without kmi[)sacks, the regiment reachcd tho sceue of' action about - o'duok r. M. I had . ■'.{ ingti-utius i'rorn ti:o Genral oomi tai [ixi 5 the división as te l':o lüsposition vHulIi i was to make of' the regiment, whieh, without balling .i-i aetion, two oowpauies to tin; right and two coinpauies to the left of the ro;id, sis eompanies being beid in reserve; at 1 ,0 4 v. :.i.. ( 1: more company was throwu from the retcrvo ! lil o-f tho rond, and another ! . it wus at thjs time, aud while giving papt, Morse his In structious, tuat lie 1'eH soverely wounded. At about 5} i-, -5t. the eompanic.5 syhich bad been aeiivcly engagod from the firpt, ifrqw ghori of ammunition, when I ;hrcw fóryard tho four pompantes oí the reserve w !ji(h hjjd. not been engaged - mirs did Bot leave their grouml 'intil iinally ordered to do so. I niu.;t e?preps in lbo highest tenps my satir-l:iciio:i wiih the eonduct of both íifficcr; luid niel). Tliey acted under the ' e}-e of the Cjcneial cominanding tlio pioo, and novcr onco failcd to respondía liia direettoDt. Whoro the eoiiduut of all was so good, t ia perhaps iaridions to nücnipt to diaii auy; yet I fud compolled to Spaak ui Uic eool and daring conduot of Lieutenants tDobsOD (wounded) and Waihuv {l -'Wd), Tiic latter refused tQ i-:tvu t!io gi-Quod alter buing ouco Wüundod, and remuincd, doing exuellett service, u:itil a hall through tha i. ad killed hiu, dciid. Tliere aio plonty otliers wlio dcserve the same MRiiviLlaioii, hut. I only speak of wliat eiinio undaf my qtb notice. I ouglit pe:li:ipu ta speuk of private Allau, wliu wiis a ik!w rccruit, ncver baving La.] a mtpfee muil the ,i,y te. fure ; ba fffta ionnd cfeftd by i dead foe, chcU ttüusiixcd by the otlicr's bayonct. The rcgiuieut tuuk into aetiofi tliree Ibuodred, 'f be loas b ag foilows: killed li ; woui]((.,l 38; missing 6, uppsed tobe pri-n!;er.-: ; total 60. During tlio actioa Lieutenaiit Colouel Williams cjiiiniaiideil upon tbc rifht of tho road, ; Major PlUuKto upon thëloft, wbilo I ex1 creised in perpon general supervisión Oiui' the wliolu line. i ain, Mr, very re?peetfully, Y oor obeuient ervnnt, (Signad) (). M. pofi, Colunel iSeco.nd Mieli. Viiiuiitccra. REPORT OF CO.LO.NEL II. D.'tMIUY. ;i ahí BES 'ín ii ]t.(,!Mt:.VT, Williamsburg, V'a.j May Y, 188á ) C.U'tai.n - 1 liavc the honor tü report to you, (&w thfl cunsideration cf tho Brigade General, a statement (if tlic eugugciuent of yostmlay mar Williamsburg, V"a, With ft portíou ftf tiiü rebel eae.-ny, so far as eame uiider my observatiott, Tbe Fifth Eogimept of Michigan Tnfautry, my eummnnd, arrived at theseeue of actiunat 2J, a'eloek p. m , :uid in pursuanee of the directiun of our General, ve:c at onee ilcjjloyed iu line of battle in thc vood.s tu tlie left of tho road Leading to Williams.burg, tho riglit g a few í'üd.s frojo Uio road. Tho cnciiiy were stroop posted on o.ur fnii'l, willi Bbappshootéifi u-:ing the weajiou kiiown u.-i the Missisgippi íiíle. Tho Fit'tli uiovid in line of battlo until thg epeiuj ivere iu full view, when a bri-ik irü waá opeaed ou the:n by our men, who íired vei y steadilj. Purceivirig hat men were suf.'ering from tho finí of tliir riíl'-.s, a ehargo was ordered, wbiüh bucceeded ia I he retiromout oí' tho ciieiny for a s'aurL diáíanee, heu a ttliarp fire was interehauged, and lio agniu retifcj uuder a eharge to a riilepit in thu ' cjge of the woodSj Leu h-.-, made u deteruiiued stand, and opaned a bi-iík liro wlth .- t. Aaother charg was ordered, and our íuea ím'rched up on doublo-ijuick, ;nid Icaped into the r'tie]!Ít, and cuniéil thu po#tji)Q tnd retained it. Tho cnoiuy ílod in caufnion, lsaving i-ixty-ihree ded ui the tieid. hosidea the Thc wonnded of thc enoiny fottud ou the field were ordered earried. to the hospital to )c e.ire 1 füf i;y the isurgeon.s. Tiiu loas of ti. ó ;i;.,;„eiit in killed and woundtíd lias boen quite segure, an auconnt of whieh rill be i'u'ly stated iu a lic return. It is duo to justioe to stalo 1 1( U3 tha conduct of the olüoer.i ;nd men, iudividu iliy aud e jlleetively, whieh has lía enlírelj satisfactory. Sj lar as I hive obsorved or beon informed, the conduet of caeh and everv oue was auch as to coatrihute to the linal rc.ult. I reraained upan the field during tho en tire time, Yíith thc esoeption of about ten minutes' iibsence, owing to having a büght wound, too unimportaut to moution esoept in this conneottQn. I cauuot submit tbis report without boaring tcstiinony to tho gallant conduct of Licuienaut Colonel 8. E. lïeach and Mujor Fairbanks, during the entire aetion. Lieutenant U. II. Ilutchius, acting Adutant of thc regiment, and E. BniHk, of Üic brigade stuÉf, Vtcrü of niuch assistanoe by their courage mj4 acLivity iu tbc field. Just bofore tlio close of thc enrragement Lioitlenaiit Ueath was severely ( Uut it is beüeved líQt dangerously) wounded bv shot reeeived ii th,e tbigh. Major Fairbanka had bis horse shot under luía. Captain Sherloclf, company A, was wounded in the arm, Captain LoFavour, cDnipanv F, in (he clieek and arm, e.tr! y in (b'q ciigagcinent, ar.d late Lieiiienaüp TUkjUou, companj K, was sevcrcly injured, by a shot in the hand. I am pamod to bc coir.ptüed to state that LíeuteDOiit 8ipeg A (unnir.g, eoi. niiinding cttmpani C, was shot through, thu hert u.nd iuituntly killed, jua't at tilt iU'.iiuerit of vkiory. Vei illy submitt 1Í. ]). TËKRIT, I iinau-üntr. Capt. E. V. Smitb, . A. .