CHAPTER XXIII. OUR PETITION. MARCH TO PENNSYLVANIA. HAPPY DAY. BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG. LOSSES OF THE ARMIES. SHORTLY after the defeat of our army at Chancellorville, Governor Curtin became thoroughly convinced that the enemy contemplated an invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania, and although he made strenuous efforts to induce the General Government to adopt measures for defence, he could not prevail upon them to act, until the enemy had crossed the Potomac. His representations and advice were unheeded and many of the newspapers treated with levity his "unnecessary alarm." But at last, after much valuable time had been lost, the authorities awakened to the realization of the fact, and commenced vigorous preparations to repel the invaders. On the 15th, long trains of ambulances, wagons and the reserve artillery from the army on the Rappahannock passed by our camp moving northward. The same day General Hooker and staff passed by, and towards night the Twelfth Army Corps arrived. All were in most excellent spirits and were confident of victory in the coming battle. On the 17th, the main body and the rear guard of the army arrived and resting a night and part of a day moved on. To see the whole army moving to meet the enemy whom we knew were in Pennsylvania threatening our homes and loved ones, and for us to remain behind was rather mortifying, and although we had sent officers to Washington to intercede for marching orders for us, we met with no encouragement. On the 17th, we therefore, addressed the following communication to Colonel McCandless, who forwarded it through the proper channel to Washington, where it materially assisted in producing the desired effect: V. C. } HEADQUARTERS SECOND REGIMENT INFANTRY, P. R. V. C. To Colonel WILLIAM MCCANDLESS, Commanding First Brigade, Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps. COLONEL :--We, the undersigned, officers of the Second Regiment Infantry, Pennsylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps, having learned that our mother State has been invaded by a Confederate force, respectfully ask, that you will, if it be in your power, have us ordered within the borders of our State, for her defence. D Under McCall, Reynolds, Meade, Seymour, Sinclair and yourself, we have more than once met and fought the enemy, when he was at home. We now wish to meet him again where he threatens our homes, our families and our firesides. Could our wish in this behalf be realized, we feel confident that we could do some service to the State that sent us to the field, and not diminish, if we could not increase, the lustre that already attaches to our name. We are, Colonel, Very respectfully, your obedient servants, GEO. A WOODWARD, Lieutenant-colonel Second regiment P. R. V. C, commanding the regiment, P. MCDONOUGH, Major Second regiment, E. M. WOODWARD, Adjutant Second regiment, E. A. JACKSON, Assistant Surgeon Second regiment, ANDREW MCLEAN, Second Lieutenant Company E, JOHN M. CLARK, Captain Company F, ROBERT J. CLARK, First Lieutenant Company F, W. D. REITZEL, Captain Company G, J. L. RHOADS, First Lieutenant Company G, In the mean time Generals Reynolds and Meade had both applied to the War Department to have the Reserves attached to their corps. General Reynolds was offered in lieu a full division, which he declined. General Meade, however, succeeded in having us assigned to his corps, but the day we joined him, he left us to assume the important post of commander of the Army of the Potomac, the proudest position any general in America could aspire to. At last, on the 25th, orders were received to move immediately, and at five that afternoon we left Fairfax Station, and marched in a northwesterly direction through Vienna, near which we bivouacked at eleven o'clock that night. Just as we started it commenced raining, and continued so to do all night. The next morning at four o'clock we resumed our march, continuing in the same direction passing between Drainesville and Leesburg and making Goose creek that night. Through the day the rain was most violent and constant, rendering the roads almost knee-deep in mud, and as we were making forced marches many of the wearied boys fell out, and did not get up with us until daylight the next morning. Rain, however, is preferable to dust. The Third brigade, Colonel J. W. Fisher, joined us in the morning from Alexandria; the Second brigade, Colonel H. G. Sickel, being retained for the defence of Washington. The next morning, at daylight, we resumed our march, passing near a portion of the field of the "Ball's Bluff massacre," and crossing the Potomac at Edwards' Ferry on pontoons. That night we made the mouth of the Monocacy in spite of the heavy roads. Sunday the 28th was a clear and pleasant day, and at daylight we moved off and soon crossed the aqueduct of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal over the Monocacy, and passing through Buckeystown we bivouacked about two niles from Frederick. Here we came up with the main army, and reported to General Sykes, commanding the Fifth Army Corps, to which we were assigned. This corps, until then, had been commanded by General Meade, who had made application to have us sent to him, but the day of our arrival General Hooker was relieved of the command of the army, and he assigned to it. We started the next day at noon, and moving a few miles halted in a lane nearly all the afternoon, and at seven crossed the Monocacy bridge on the Baltimore pike, and turned up the banks of the stream heåding north. Soon after we waded the stream and struck across the fields, and about ten o'clock bivouacked in a wood, having made a tiresome day's march of but ten miles. This slow marching was occasioned by our being the rear guard of the Reserve artillery, which consisted of two hundred and forty-eight guns, supplied with two hundred and fifty rounds of ammunition each, making in all six-two thousand rounds. Before night that day the enemy's cavalry entered Frederick. That night heavy details were made from our regiment for a wagon guard. The next morning we marched early, passing through Liberty, Union Bridge and Union Town, where a pontoon train that accompanied us that day created much wonderment among the rustics, who did not believe we could do much with our "gun boats" up in the mountains. We marched twenty miles and bivouacked near dark two miles beyond Union Town and mustered for pay. The next morning, July 1st, we moved at five o'clock, and ascertaining that the enemy's scouts had been in the neighborhood the day before, each regiment threw out flankers to the right and left, in which way we advanced for several miles, when the country became of such a nature that cavalry could not operate against us, and they were called in. About two we halted within a few hundred yards of the Pennsylvania State line, and rested ourselves. That day was one of the happiest of our lives, and every heart beat warm with the thought, we would soon press the soil of our mother State, in whose defence we were marching. The brigade bands and regimental drum corps poured forth their soul-inspiring airs from morning till night, and light was the tread of our feet to their notes. About three o'clock we were drawn up to hear a patriotic address from General Crawford, after which we marched on, and as we crossed the line, cheer after cheer rang out from the regiments, which rolled over the hills and through the valleys until lost in the far distance. Soon we came to a fine open woods where we halted until night, rolling on the good old soil of Pennsylvania and listening to the sweet airs of the bands. Abundance of rations and sixty rounds of cartridges per man were distributed, the former for ourselves and the latter for our friends the "Graybacks." While lying here, through the branches above, amidst the bright sunshine, a large star was discerned shining over us with all the brilliancy of a heavenly visitant, which was gazed upon by all with great interest, and received as an omen of victory, which, happily, it proved to be. While here all our wagons were sent to Westminster, some twenty-five miles from the battle-field, and the ammunition wagons and ambulances were pushed forward. At dark we again took up our march, and a long weary one it proved. We did not rest until two the next morning, when we laid down in an open woods, having made twenty miles during the day and being awake twenty-two hours. But in one hour's time the drums beat the reveille, and soon after we were again in motion, moving slowly and cautiously along the roads and across the fields, and about noon we struck the pike and soon filed off to the left into a field in the rear of the line of battle. |