Caldwell’s Farthest Advance on July 2

Tom Elmore

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Brooke’s brigade charged through the woods and up the hill, where it encountered two of Semmes’ regiments at close range and drove them back. Fraser and Kelly secured Stony Hill and maintained pressure on Kershaw’s right, but Kelly met resistance from the 10th Georgia. Caldwell obtained permission from Barnes to advance Sweitzer’s brigade to aid his three brigades engaged beyond the Wheatfield. Confederate regiments along the southern border of Rose woods prepared for a general advance. See map for developments at 6:50 p.m.

It wasn’t long till the Federal infantry in great force advanced to the rim of the bluff and began to pour lead down upon us; but they soon found out that bullets could go uphill … as well as downhill” – Private John Coxe, Company B, 2nd South Carolina.

We fire from big rock into bit of timber dark with smoke” – B. F. Powelson, Company K, 140th Pennsylvania.

I ordered a retreat to the buildings at Rose’s” – Brigadier General Joseph B. Kershaw.

We came suddenly under a very severe fire from the front, most probably another line of battle of the enemy [10th Georgia]” – Lieutenant James J. Smith, 69th New York.

The brigade … reached its most advanced position on the crest of a small hill” – Lieutenant Colonel John Fraser.

We came to a ledge of rocks; here a number of the rebels threw down their arms and surrendered” – Captain John W. Reynolds, 145th Pennsylvania.

The men with much difficulty clambered up the rocky steep, but as they appeared upon the crest of the hill, the enemy, drawn up in readiness just beyond, within pistol range, opened upon them a withering fire” – Lieutenant Winthrop D. Sheldon, Company H, 27th Connecticut.

We charged upon the enemy, driving him before us, capturing some prisoners, and finally carrying the crest of the hill” – Lieutenant Colonel Richards McMichael, 53rd Pennsylvania.

We chased the rebels up the rocks, and mounted after them” – 64th New York, History of Cattaraugus County.

We made for the crest of the bluff in front occupied by the enemy and got there, lying down and firing” – Private George Whipple, Company F, 64th New York.

The regiment … advanced rapidly up the ascent, driving [the enemy] from his position” – Colonel William P. Baily, 2nd Delaware.

General Caldwell rode up in haste and …. asked if I would give him the support of my brigade. … In a few moments General Barnes came and repeated what General Caldwell had said to him and told me to take the brigade in” – Colonel Jacob B. Sweitzer.

Sources:
-The Battle of Gettysburg, John Coxe, Confederate Veteran magazine, vol. 21 (1913), p. 434.
-History of Company K of the 140th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, by B. F. Powelson, Steubenville, OH: 1906.
-Kershaw’s Brigade at Gettysburg, by J. B. Kershaw, Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, 3:337.
-Official Reports of Lt. James J. Smith, Lt. Col. John Fraser (commanding brigade), Capt. John W. Reynolds, Lt. Col. Richards McMichael, Col. William P. Baily.
-“The Twenty Seventh” [Connecticut], A Regimental History, by Winthrop D. Sheldon, New Haven, CT: Morris & Benham, 1866.
-History of Cattaraugus County, New York, comp. by Franklin Ellis, Philadelphia: Press of J. B. Lippincott, 1879.
-George W. Whipple Gettysburg Memories, Private, Co. F, 64th N.Y.V., 8th Georgia Infantry Webpage, http://home.earthlink.net/~larsrbl/whipple.htm, 08/30/2001.
-Supplemental Report of Col. Jacob B. Sweitzer, Supplement to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, ed. by Janet B. Hewitt, Noah A. Trudeau, Bryce A. Suderow, Wilmington, NC: Broadfoot Publishing Company, 1995.
 

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This is a great series of posts! In this map, what happened to the rest of McKean’s brigade? In the last map, they were back at the edge of the wheatfield.
Based on my original research, I show them having fallen back, off the map. But a recent review suggests they may have waited for the rest of the brigade to return first.
 
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I am still impressed how Brooke advanced up that steep hill and was successful. All the Confederates would have had to do is "roll the rocks right down at them." 😁
Private John L. Street of Company A, 145th Pennsylvania wrote to his parents: "The prisoners said they had been in the service two years and had never had their lines broken before."

It must have been particularly sweet for the tiny 27th Connecticut, made that way through the loss of nearly their entire regiment as prisoners at Chancellorsville - by none other than Semmes' brigade, according to LBG Stuart Dempsey.
 
by none other than Semmes' brigade
Although the 27th Connecticut was formally surrendered to Lt C A Bailey (C/10th GA), I believe Wofford's brigade had 'a little' hand in the capture of the 27th CT at Chancellorsville. :wink:

Lafayette McLaws said it this way:
General Wofford threw a portion of his command across the valley between him and the Chancellorsville heights, and thus prevented the escape of a considerable body of the enemy which had been opposed to this brigade [Wofford's], and to his left and front during the morning. I directed a flag of truce to be sent them, and they surrendered. I think General Wofford entitled to the most credit for their capture, although the tenth Georgia, General Semmes and General Wright of Anderson's division, claimed their share equally. [OR, Report of Lafayette McLaws, May 10, 1863]
 
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Although the 27th Connecticut was formally surrendered to Lt A C Bailey (C/10th GA), I believe Wofford's brigade had 'a little' hand in the capture of the 27th CT at Chancellorsville. :wink:

Lafayette McLaws said it this way:
General Wofford threw a portion of his command across the valley between him and the Chancellorsville heights, and thus prevented the escape of a considerable body of the enemy which had been opposed to this brigade [Wofford's], and to his left and front during the morning. I directed a flag of truce to be sent them, and they surrendered. I think General Wofford entitled to the most credit for their capture, although the tenth Georgia, General Semmes and General Wright of Anderson's division, claimed their share equally. [OR, Report of Lafayette McLaws, May 10, 1863]
According to carded records, Lt C A Bailey (C/10th GA) who received the surrender of the 27th CT at Chancellorsville, was mortally wounded at Gettysburg by a 'compound fracture rt thigh middle third' and died Aug 12 (or 24) 1863 at US General Hosp., Camp Letterman, Gettysburg PA.
 
Perhaps some confusion was introduced because the brigade deployed facing the opposite direction, that is, facing away from the enemy. Major Bradley of the 64th New York was quite clear on the alignment in his official report: "On the right of the Fifty-third Pennsylvania Regiment, the left of the Second Delaware Regiment resting on our right." But that is before the 64th along with the rest of the brigade about-faced and made the charge.
 
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