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Report of Col. William Humphreys, Second Michigan Infantry.
HDQRS. SECOND MICHIGAN INFANTRY,
Before Petersburg, Va., August 14, 1864.
CAPT.: I have the honor to submit the following report of the part
taken by the Second Michigan Infantry in the operations of the campaign
up to July 30, during that part of the time the regiment was attached to
the First Brigade, viz, from the crossing of the Rapidan to the evening
of May 12; also from the evening of May 27 to the evening of June 18:
FIRST EPOCH.
The regiment crossed the Rapidan at Germanna Ford at 3 p.m., May 5,
and an hour later rejoined the brigade, from which it had been separated
since the morning of the 4th. At 4 a.m. of the 6th the regiment marched
with the brigade toward the field of the battle of the Wilderness,
reaching the first position assigned it about 7 a.m. Near noon we were
moved to the left of the first position, marched into the woods, and soon
after formed with the rest of the brigade a supporting column for the
Second Division, then about to charge the enemy's lines. As formed the
regiment was the rear of the column, but the attack being repulsed by
the enemy, the part of the column in my front broke and fled to the rear
in disorder, leaving my regiment, so far as I know, the only one that
retained its organization and holding its position. The regiment now
formed the line, and I at once threw out skirmishers that met, checked,
and held the enemy's advance until Gen. Hartranft succeeded in
rallying some of the regiments that had gone to the rear and again
moved them up on to the line. Between 4 and 5 p.m. another advance
was ordered and made, in which the regiment participated. In this
advance, which was made under a very sharp fire from the enemy, I
lost 6 men killed, and 3 officers and 29 men wounded. After dark we
moved to the right a short distance, where we slept on our arms, and in
the morning threw up a line of intrenchments, behind which we laid
until 1 a.m. of the 8th.
SECOND EPOCH.
At 1 a.m. of the 8th moved from the position we had occupied since the
evening of the 6th, taking the road leading across the Chancellorsville
battle-field, passing which we moved on till we
reached the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania road at a point 8 miles
from the former place, where the regiment, in common with the rest of
the brigade, remained until 4 a.m. of the 9th, at which time we took up
our line of march for Spotsylvania Court-House. At 10 a.m. the head of
the column reached the Ny River, the crossing of which was resisted by
the enemy. I was here ordered to move my regiment to the right of the
road and to look well to the approach of the enemy from the direction.
About the middle of the afternoon I was instructed to deploy all of my
men as a picket along the left bank of the Ny, and to send scouts up
well to the right to feel for a connection with the left of the Fifth Corps.
The line was deployed and scouts kept out as directed, but no connection
was made with the Fifth Corps during the day. Soon after noon of the
10th, the Fourth and Tenth United States Infantry reported to me, and
they were at once deployed along the river, their left joining the right
of my own regiment and their right resting on a ford 1 1/2 miles above,
connecting with Mott's division, of the Fifth Corps, at 3 p.m. Later in
the day the Fifty-sixth and Fifty-ninth Massachusetts Infantry also
reported to me, and were placed as reserve for the pickets. During the
11th there was no change in position of the troops under my command.
I kept my connection with left of the Fifth Corps perfect until the
morning of the 12th.
On the 12th, at daylight, I received orders to withdraw all the pickets
on the left bank of the river, direct the regiments then with me to report
to their respective brigade commanders, and, with my own regiment, to
rejoin the First Brigade, then on the right bank of the Ny. But while on
my way to join the brigade I was met by an officer from Gen.
Burnside's staff, who directed me to move out in support of Wright's
battery, then going into position on the Spotsylvania road. He also
directed me to follow this battery in all its moves until further orders.
An hour later this battery withdrew from its position on the road and
moved to a position some distance to the right and more immediately in
connection with the corps. This position was on a narrow ridge or
tongue, lying perpendicular to our line of battle, and running down from
the wooded, higher land just in our front. My men were moved into a
shallow ravine, running down the side of this ridge, and at right angles
to it. To my front, and not to exceed 50 yards, were a dense woods, and
when I had reached this point the skirmish line was between my line and
these woods. I immediately sent out scouts to ascertain if the enemy
occupied these woods. These scouts had hardly entered the thicket of
bushes that skirted the heavier timber when they were fired on, and 1
man killed and 1 wounded. This showed the enemy was there, and it
was evident from movements observed through the timber a little to the
right that he was there in considerable force, probably with the intention
of attempting the capture of the batteries in position near Wright's. Just
at this time a section of the Nineteenth New York Battery was placed a
little to my right. My own men, about 200, were all the supports left for
the four batteries in position near this point, and, in case of attack, no
other infantry force was available for assistance, as all the enemy's
lines. The assault was made by the corps about 2 p.m. Almost at the
same time the enemy charged these batteries from the woods, in two
columns, of a brigade each, the one emerging immediately in front of
the batteries, the other from a point 100 yards to the left.
The section of the Nineteenth New York Battery, being nearest the
woods, was the object of the direct [attack] of the enemy, and it was but
a few moments before nearly every man belonging to this section was
either killed or wounded, and the pieces ceased firing. The enemy was
within 10 paces of the guns, and rapidly advancing; these pieces were
hastily remained by men from the ranks of my regiment. The enemy
was checked, and, after a short and severe contest, the first column was
repulsed with a considerable loss to the enemy. The guns were then
turned on the column approaching from the left, which was also hastily
repulsed. The loss of the regiment for this day was very light, being but
2 killed and 10 wounded. I should add here that just before the enemy
charged on these batteries, I was ordered by Gen. Willcox,
commanding the division, to take command of the Second Brigade. On
the receipt of this order, I immediately turned the command of the
regiment over to Capt. James Farrand, who was killed soon after
while bravely directing the firing of the pieces he had so hastily
manned. The command of killed on the 30th ultimo while leading the
regiment in a charge on the enemy's works in front of Petersburg. I
have therefore completed the report of the regiment for the half day I
was not with it from the best data in my reach. You will pardon me for
calling attention to the conduct of the officers and men of the regiment
on this occasion. Attacked by a force vastly superior, they not only
maintained their ground, but so severely repulsed the enemy that he was
unable to take advantage of a serious repulse of a part of our own lines
at about the same time. The value of the service performed at this time
may be seen from the fact that had the few men forming given way,
these batteries would have been lost, our left completely turned, and the
most serious consequences to the army would have followed. On the
morning of the 13th the regiment was transferred to the Second Brigade,
where it served till the commencement of the--
FOURTH EPOCH.
May 27, the regiment was again assigned to the First Brigade just after
leaving Ox Ford, on the North Anna River. Two days of severe
marching brought us to Hanovertown, on the right bank of the
Pamunkey. On the morning of the 29th moved out to the left of Haw's
Shop. On the 30th crossed the Totopotomoy, formed in line, and threw
up intrenchments during the fore part of the night.
On the morning of the 31st we advanced our line nearly half a mile to
a position covering the Shady Grove road, and in the evening threw up
light works. There was no change in our position June 1, but a warm
skirmish was kept up along our lines during the day. At 2 p.m. of the
2d the line was withdrawn, and we moved to the left as far as Bethesda
Church, were at once put into position, and threw up intrenchments,
behind which we remained during the night. At 6 a.m. of the 3d the
regiment moved with the brigade in its attack on the enemy, in which
it succeeded in driving him form he pits he had captured and occupied
during the night previous, driving him into another line of pits some
distance to the rear of the first. This second line was abandoned during
the night following. Soon after dark we returned to the position from
which we moved in the morning, where we remained until 4 p.m. of the
4th, when we moved for Cold Harbor. While around Cold Harbor we
were behind intrenchments that were thrown up by other troops, who
had occupied this part of the line, while we were at Bethesda Church.
During the time the regiment was around Cold Harbor it was not
engaged beyond some slight skirmishing on its picket-line.*
I remain, captain, your obedient servant,
WM. HUMPHREYS,
Col., Cmdg. Brigade.
Capt. JOHN D. BERTOLETTE,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., 1st Brig., 3d Div., 9th Army Corps.
Source: Official Records
PAGE 953-67 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N. C. [CHAP. XLVIII.
[Series I. Vol. 36. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 67.]
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Report of Col. William Humphrey, Second Michigan
Infantry, of operations June 12-19.
HDQRS. SECOND MICHIGAN INFANTRY,
Before Petersburg, Va., August 14, 1864.
CAPT.:+
FIFTH EPOCH.
At 10 p.m. of the 12th [June] the regiment, with the brigade, withdrew
from its position about Cold Harbor and took up its line of march for
the James River, going via Tunstall's Station and crossing the
Chickahominy at Jones' Bridge, reaching Wilcox's Landing, on the
James, about 5 p.m. of the 14th. On the evening of the 15th crossed the
river and moved direct for Petersburg, before which place we arrived
about 3 p.m. of the 16th. After dark we moved to a position
just in rear of the left of the Second Corps, where we remained until 10
a.m. of the 17th, when we were moved to the left and front preparatory
to a charge on the enemy's second line of works. This charge did not
succeed. By some error the lines were not formed correctly, but so
formed that when the advance was ordered and the column moved
forward it moved not toward the enemy's line it was intended to carry
but along his front in a direction parallel to this line. The men suffered
severely during this charge and my loss in killed and wounded was
heavy. The regiment moved along the front of the enemy's pits for some
200 yards exposed to a sharp fire on their flank, then sought the
protection of the works of the Second Corps. It was now about 4 p.m.
Another charge was to be made, and the regiment was moved into line
with the rest of the brigade as a support for the First Division, which
was to make the assault. When the First Division advanced I moved
forward to a pit some thirty yards in front of the line on which my
instructions, but the remainder of the brigade did not move, and I halted
my regiment in the pit, where I remained till the morning of the 18th.
At 6 a.m. of the 18th another advance was ordered. In this advance my
regiment formed part of the first line. The order under which we moved
was to go forward to the Norfolk railroad and drive the enemy from the
shelter afforded his troops by its cuts and embankments. By 10 a.m. we
occupied the road. A farther advance was ordered in the afternoon, and
was attempted, but was attended with only partial success. We,
however, succeeded so far as to establish our pickets on the line now
occupied as our advance work. At 1 a.m. of the 19th the regiment was
moved to the rear and bivouacked with the rest of the brigade in the
pine woods, and soon after was transferred to the Second Brigade.
My losses during these two days (17th and 18th) were excessively
severe. On the morning of the 17th the regiment numbered 310 men
present for duty. I lost in killed, 19; wounded, 156; missing, 13; giving
a total of 188, or over 60 per cent. of the number engaged.
The above hastily prepared report of the part taken by my regiment in
the operations of this army for the part of the time it was attached to the
First Brigade, together with the attached report of casualties for the
same time, is most respectfully submitted.
I remain, captain, your obedient servant,
WM. HUMPHREY,
Col., Cmdg. Brigade.
Capt. JOHN D. BERTOLETTE,
Asst. Adjt. Gen., 1st Brig., 3d Div., 9th Army Corps.
Source: Official Records
PAGE 587-80 OPERATIONS IN SE. VA. AND N. C. [CHAP. LII.
[Series I. Vol. 40. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 80.]
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