153 Years Ago Today-June 17, 1864

Greg Taylor

Sergeant Major
Joined
Apr 29, 2011
Location
Los Angeles
153 years ago today, on June 17, 1864 Union forces of Major General Ambrose Burnside launched an attack on the strong Confederate entrenchments protecting the city of Petersburg, Virginia. Included in those attacking forces was the Second Pennsylvania Provisional Heavy Artillery commanded by the notoriously incompetent General James H. Ledlie. After some initial successes the regiment was driven from the field suffering hundreds of casualties, loss of their battle flag and most of the regimental records. The very next day, June 18, 1864 my great-great grandfather, Adj. William B. Phillips of the regiment wrote a letter home describing the aftermath of the assault which was published a short time later in the Pittston (Pennsylvania) Gazette.

This letter, which is a part of my personal family collection, appears on my website. Several years ago I read the letter on the History Channel documentary The Civil War in Color. CivilWarTalk member civilwarincolor did much of the colorization done for the production.

This letter can be read in its entirety at: https://wbp2ndpaha.wordpress.com/june-1864/
 
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