The National tribune., 1910-12-29
THE I'd PA. PROVISIONAL II. A.
Fighting With Grant From the Wilder
ness TO Petersburg. ~

ness to IeterSburS.H ~
Editor National Tribune: Just before
The battles of the Wilderness Gen.
Grant telegraphed to President Lin
coin: IF tHc thing is pressed. I think
we can capture Richmond and end the
war" The dispatch, now historic.
which Abraham Lincoln sent in reply
was: Let the thing be pressed
1t was pressed.
Ny regiment, the I'd Pa. Provisional
II. A. was made up and organized in
March, 1864, from the old l12th Pa.
n. A. This regiment was recruited in
1861. In the Fall of 1863 their time
expired, and recruiting commenced to
fill its ranks. Ply January. 1854. more
men than was necessary to fill its ranks
were recruited, and the surplus men
formed the new provisional regiment.
All commissioned and non-comnission-
ed officers were taken from the old
regiment. These men had experienced
three years service, were proficient,
and well drilled A large proportion Of
the new regiment-the I'd Pa. Provis-
iCnal Fl. A.--were soldiers who had
served their enlistment in various reGi-
ments. had returned home for a time,
and again entered the army.
In April, 1864. my regiment crossed
the Chain Bridge. near Washington,
and on to Alexandria. where we went
into camp.
The first duty assigned us was guard
ing supply trains on the Orange & AL
exandria Railroad out as far as Brandy
Station, about 70 miles. May 3 we
were relieved from this duty, and be-
came part of Gen. Stevensons First Di-
vision of Gen. Burnside's Ninth Corps,
whose rendezvous was at Realton
and Rrandy Stations. Gen Grant tel
egraphed to Gen burnside that his
vast army had crossed the Rapidan
River, and admonished him to make
a night march with the Ninth Corps
and join him.
About 10 a. M. May 4. my regiment
started from Brandy Station, after
drawing so rounds of ammunition and
five days rations. To carry them
we were obliged to burn part of the
contents of our knapsacks. We made
rapid night march over a narrow,
dusty road, and crossed the Rapidan
River, with Gen. Steyenson's Division,
just before daylight. May 8, marching
80 miles. We moved south on the Ger
mania Plank and Orange Plank roads
about 8 p. m. to the Lacey House,
where we went forward under fire in
support of a brass ficldpiece battery,
which was then engaged in shelling
the rebels across the clearing. At this
point we had five men hit with minie
balls. 1t was decidedly strenuous SER
vice up to this time for me-16 years
of age. If some spectre had appeared
before us, and prophesied that in six
months less than 400 of that fine body
of 400 strong-wouId only
be left in the ranks to answer roll call
and tell the story OF the 1854 cam
paign, we could not have believed it.
But such was actually the case,
In the Wilderness
Evening of the 5th we built line of
rife pits Early May 6 we moved south
from Lacy's two miles to the Chewing
Farm. We experienced great difficulty
in moving thru the thick, bewilderinG
maze of briar and scrubby timber BY
the time we reached this clearing our
clothing was torn and our flesh lacer-
ated. non
My company OBJ, Capt. Morris, was
in the lead as a skirmish line. The
two regiments, after march thru the
jungle, were formed in line of battle
in the clearing at Chewning's. At this
point Hancocks Second Corps was nav
ing fierce fight. The angry flashes Of
the musketry and its heavy roar, min
gied with the yells of the combatants
as they sWayed 10 and fro, was an OBJ
iect-lcsson for our new regiment. All
day we were used as support for both
the Second ana Fifth Corps, losing five
men. On the evening OF May my
regiment moved out Of this gloomy
woods.
on May we followed Gen. Grants
vast army on the road to Spotsylvania
@ II. We were posted along the Fred
ericksburg pike to keep it open. On
the 9Th our corps commander had
crossed the Ny River. driving back q
force Of the enemy and finally reaching
4 position within less than two miles