The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-08-20


regiment and took the names of all those
who had followed him through the terrible
path across the bridge. Of five hundred
who were in the ranks in the morning,
scarcely two hundred were on the hill at
night. Most of that fearful deficiency
were killed or wounded.
AT Fredericksburg, when Burnside made
his bold and nobly conceived, but disas-
trous attack in December, Colonel Har-
tranft once more led his regiment into
battle. That there was no child's play
where he fought will be testified by the
Survivors of that terrible fight His regi-
laent alone lost twelve killed and seventy
Iszeur wounded.
: e Tie regiment left Newport News on the
26th of March for central Kentucky, where
they entered on brief campaign
Early in June the corps once more set
out on its travels. 1t left Kentucky by
railroad to Cairo, and thence passed down
the Mississippi on steamers to Sherman's
Landing, opposite Vicksburg, where they
landed on the 18th of June In day or
two they went up the Yazoo river to
Haines' Bluff, and thence across the coun-
try, operating principally in the rear of
Vicksburg to cover Grants seige. The
campaign was brief, but very severe, and
| the marches were frightful.
On the 4th of July, after the glorious
consummation of Grants operations by the
surrender of Pemberton, the movement
against Johnston at Jackson commenced.
That town was captured after eight days
operations, and the campaign in Mississ-
| ippi was at an end.
On the 9th of August the corps left
Vicksburg for Cairo, and came from that
| city to Cincinnati. At the latter place,
Colonel Hartranft received sick leave,
and returned home to recover his shattered
energies. Having partially recovered, he
left again for the field of action In Octo-
Der, and on the 10th of November found
his regiment ia Lenoir, in Tennessee, where
they were just about being attacked by
-Longstreet. He at once, in the absence
of senior officers, took command of the di-
vision, and led it during the whole of the
battles constituting the defense of Knox
vile.
| The skirmish at Leaoir commenced the
campaign. Hartranft was ordered to move
/ forward to CampbelPs Station, and hold
, s,.se roads which cross there. He marched
promptly, in the night, with his division
and some artillery and cavalry, and occu-
pied the important strategic point. Other
troops were hurried up to his support, and
at nine O'Clock In the morning the action
commenced, continuing for two hours, at
the end of which time the discounted
rebels retired with terrible loss. Har
tranft, during the engagement, had four
brigades under him. 1t was battle fought
against terrible odds, for the Union army
numbered only six thousand men, While
Longstreet led at least three times that
number.
Burnside's only effort was to hold out,
and save Knoxville, till reinforcements
could reach him.
| At length, however, about the 7th OF
December, Longstreet gave up the seige
and withdrew.
| Many regiments re-enlisted during the
winter preceding the campaigns of 1864,
and among them Colonel Hartranfts regi-
ment On the 4th of January they were
mustered, and all but few men agreed to
re-enlist. The veterans" received the
usual furlough, and the regiment was Or
| dered home to recruit.
The f1rlough having expired, Colonel
Hartranft's regiment rendezvoused at Har-
risburg, on the 10th of March, and re-
|
they were sent forward to Annapolis
Here the soldiers of Burnside's command
were once more assembling, to embark, as
was supposed on some new expedition to
the South.
Colonel Hartranft was made Acting
Brigadier General and placed in COM
niand of the post The remainder of
March and most of April was spent in or
ganizing, drilling, and disciplining the new
men, embracing not only the new organi-
cations, but the recruits in the old ones
Soon after, Colonel Hartranft received
his long merited promotion as Brigadier of
Volunteers He had fairly earned it at
Antietam. and nothing but his modest de-
termination not to urge his own claims
had prevented him from receiving it long
before He was placed in command of the
First Brigade, Third Division, Ninth Ar
my Corps, consisting of six regiments, the
I'd and 8th Michigan and 51st Pennsyl-
vania, veteran regiments, and the 18th
Michigan, 1O9th Pennsylvania, and 9th
Michigan. His commission as Brigadier
dated from May 10th, 1864.
On the 23d of April, Burnsides force
moved from Annapolis, marching across
the country to Washington and Alexan-
dria, where they encamped on the 25th.
They became portion of Grants army
actually in the field about the 28th.
With Hartranft, active operations began
on the 4th of May, when he broke camp
near Warrenton junction and took up the
line of march, crossing the Rappahannock
and encamping a mile beyond. The fol-
lowing day he crossed the Rapidan at
Germania Ford, and hurried forward with