The National tribune., 1893-08-24
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
What the 63d Pa. Did on the Night jackson
was KILLED.

What the 63d Pa. Did on the Night jackson
was Killed.
IN your issues of March % and 80, 1893,
Col. Aug. C. Hamlin, in his de-
- scriptioD of Charlottesville, does not
locate my regiment, the 63d Pa, in
the position that corresponds with my recol-
lections.
My regiment was in the advance of
Gen. Sickless movement to the south, pre-
coded by Berdan's Sharpshooters. We
halted on the embankment of a railroad cut,
where the 23d Ga. had surrendered their old
Enfield guns While in this position we
could look to our rear and see the battle
raging in all its fury along the Plank road.
The position we then occupied had been Oc-
cupied previously by rebel battery, and
according to the map, was about the place
where the word Lee" occurs on Map No. 3.
We lay down on our arms here and were in
structed not to return the fire if we were
fred upon.
We were undisturbed, and as it began to
get dark one of Gen. Sicllles's Aids came rid
ing up. / heard him tell Col. Kirkwood to
get his men up as quickly and quietly as
possible, and perhaps we might get out yet.
Well, we got into the woods after little
while, and then came out into the small
field, crossing the rail bridge we had built
that morning. We marched across the field
and entered the woods at the point where
the word Vista is on map No. 2.
On a narrow road toward the Plank road
we passed some guns and caissons and dead
horses. We followed this road until we
came to colurin of infantry lying in line
across the read facing u.s. We fled right
off the road into the woods, and the head
of cur regiment passed their left flank and
halted, and with cur colors about opposite
their left flank, We lay down. Two men
were ordered from each company to 20 TO
the front as pickets. James Whaling from
my company, was one Of them, and he soon
returned and tod the Captain there was no
use standing picket out there, as the woods
were full of men. SeTg't Groscort went back
to the rear, and when he returned he said
it was only five or six rods to the Plank road,
on our right.
While in this position there were some
shots fred over us, and one of them wound
ed man in Co. B. Some of our men fired,
aud without orders the whole regiment be-
gan firing. We fired at aright-oblique over
the men who lay in our front. Our firing
was not returned and we ceased firing. At
the same time horsemau came out the road
in rear of the men in our front and said,
Cease firing; you are firing on our own
men," and he turned and rode back.
Soon after the same officer, or another,
rode up to the same place and called for the
commander of that battalion. No one an
swered. He had the men open files, and he
rode up the road to the left Of our right, and
made the same inquiry. Someone an
swered him, and lie rode back to our front
and made the inquiry again.
Col Kirk wood arose and walked ont IN
the road. The officer said he was going to
send his men through the woods as skirmish-
ers, and for our Colonel to support him.
Soon the word was whispered along the
line TO move by the left flank, keep quiet
and keep off the road. We passed along the
left side of the road for about 200 yards, and
then came into the road and marched back
to the field. The guns ard caissons had been
changed from the road by this time.
When in the field we formed in rear of a
line of men belonging to our division, small
run being about two rods in our rear near
the place where the goth Pa. is shown on
map 3, but not facing the direction they are
As soon as it was daylight Sunday morn
ing the enemy came charging across the
field on US. We checked them in front. but
they passed our right flank in the woods
and compelled us to retire across the run.
We reformed in the field and formed our
lines along the log breastwork which ex-
tended several rods out in the field. The
enemy passed our right flank, and we were
compelled to fall back and cross the Plank
road in the direction of the White House
Capt. Ryan was in command, our Colonel
and Adjutant being killed and our Major
captured.
Col. Hamlin says Sckless men never
reached the Plank road that night. / claim
the 63d Pa. did, as above stated, and the
men who lay across the road must have been
McGowan's. As shown on map, our right
filed right off the dirt road, the right of the
regiment rested on the Plank road and our
left rested on the dirt road, occupying the
space between McGOWan's men and the 37th
&C.
Our men always claimed that our firing
that night wounded Gen. Jackson. The
enemy mistOok US for their men, while we
thought they were our men. If Col. Kirk
wood had not been killed early the next
morning, 60 doubt he could have given an
interesting account of the events of that
night.-SAMUEL DUEHAM, Co. K, 63d Pa,
Sharpsyille, Pa.