H5- 
 
BRIG. GEN. GEO. A COBHAM 
 
EXTRACTS 
 
 — FROM — 
 
 Letters of Brig. Gen. Cobham 
 
 ALSO, A complete VINDICATION BY 
 
 GAPT. JAMES M. WELLS, 111th Fs. Yols. 
 
 MIRROR PRINT. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2016 
 
 https://archive.org/details/extractsfromlettOOcobh 
 
LSc.- 
 
 AUTHOR’S PREFACE. 
 
 These extracts from the letters of Bigadier General 
 George Ashworth Cobham, Jr., to his mother, sister and 
 brother are respectfnlly dedicated to his old comrades of 
 the Second Brigade, Second Division, Twelfth Army 
 Corps. Feeling his old comrades wonld be pleased with 
 these reminiscences of the hard fonght fields they have 
 passed over with him, in mntnal confidence and emnla- 
 tion. Thinking also that the observations of a partici- 
 pant in the campaign here narrated would be fully as 
 accurate and intertaining as any history yet published, I 
 make no excuse for giving them to the public, and here 
 wish to acknowledge my obligations to Col. W. J. Alex- 
 ander for his kind assistance and encouragement of my 
 undertaking. The letters to his mother being the most 
 descriptive are mostly selected, but his letters to my- 
 self, if they were not largely foreign to the subject, 
 would show more completely the enate nobility of his 
 character. 
 
 Very Respectfully yours, 
 
 HENRY COBHAM. 
 
 Stonylonesome, 
 
 Warren County, Pa. 
 
3 
 
 Camp Reed, Erie, Pa., Dec. 13, 1861. 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 We are still in Erie, and when we shall leave I do 
 not know. Capt. Sees, an officer of the regular army, 
 arrived in camp yesterday. He was the bearer of dis- 
 patches from the Governor to the Colonel, and compli- 
 mented us very highly on the appearance and drill of 
 our regiment. He says it is the best that has left the 
 state for drill, size of men, and number, the regiment 
 now numbers 983 men. I have had my commission 
 sent to me from the Governor. 
 
 Aquia Creek, Va., March 21, 1862. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The Second Division of the Twelfth Corps, to which 
 we belong, was received yesterday by Maj. Gen. Hooker, 
 Commander-in-Chief of the Army of the Potomac. After 
 the troops had passed in review and were again formed 
 in line all the commanders of regiments were called to 
 the front and centre and introduced to Gen. Hooker. I 
 had the honor of being introduced to him and shaking 
 hands with him, and of being complimented for the 
 good appearance of the regiment, and told us we should 
 have plenty to do before long. 
 
4 
 
 Harpers Ferry, May i, 1862. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Received orders to march to Strasburg by way of 
 Harpers Ferry, to reinforce Gen. Banks, who was de- 
 feated and retreating, pursued by Jackson and Ewell 
 with 20,000 men. In one hour after the receipt of the 
 order we were in march to the railroad. At 6 o’clock 
 next morning we reached Harpers Ferr^’, where our 
 tents and baggage was left. Two cars with sharpshoot- 
 ers left under command of Col. Schlaudecker, the rest 
 of the regiment under my command pushed on to Win- 
 chester. We were the first regiment that arrived, hav- 
 ing got ready nearly a day sooner than any other regi- 
 ment that received orders at the same time. Onr orders 
 were to push on as fast as possible to assist Gen. Banks. 
 After going about fifteen miles, we came up with a large 
 number of stragglers from the fight, mostly cavalry- 
 soldiers, some of them had thrown away their arms and 
 knapsacks, and some of them had their Sharps’ rifles 
 with them. They reported the First Maryland Regiment 
 was cut to pieces, the colonel, major and seven captains 
 killed, and the whole regiment either killed, wounded, 
 or taken prisoners. A short distance on, we were met 
 by two trains containing the First District of Columbia 
 Cavalry, who reported that Banks had retreated back to 
 Martinsburg, and was making a stand, that we were 
 half a day too late too join him, as it was impossible to 
 reach him without attacking the Rebel force. As my 
 orders were to join him, I determined to do so, and gave 
 
5 
 
 orders to the men to load their rifles and move on. 
 When we arrived at the place where the two returning 
 trains of soldiers were, we came up with the colonel. 
 After consulting him, and hearing the stories of the 
 retreating soldiers who were all badly frightened, and 
 no two told the same story, with the exception of the 
 retreat of Banks, he agreed with me to move on with 
 our regiment, but the colonel of the returning regiment 
 flatly refused to go back, and as the engineers of the 
 trains were also afraid to go, we could not get past their 
 trains. Meanwhile the 109th Regiment Penn’a. Vol. 
 had arrived, and we gave the men orders to leave the 
 cars to march; but just then a dispatch came from Gen. 
 Saxton to return immediately to Harpers Ferry. Col. 
 Schlaudecker was sent for, to consult with the com- 
 mander there. Soon the general’s aide came up, gave 
 me a sketch of the roads etc., and gave me orders, to go 
 immediately with the iiith to Bolivar Heights and take 
 a position in line of battle, and place the other regiments 
 in line as they arrived, as an immediate attack was ex- 
 pected. I marched to the place indicated, about three 
 miles, and formed in line of battle on the center of the 
 Heights; our center in an orchard on an estate which 
 was deserted, about equal distance from the Potomac 
 on one side, and the Shenandoah on the other. We 
 were soon followed by the following regiments: 109th 
 Penn’a. Vol., 60th N. Y., ist and 2nd D. C. Vol., 3d and 
 4th N. Y., 3d Md., 3d Del. and 99th Penn’a. Vol., all 
 infantry; one regiment of cavalry and three batteries of 
 artillery, our line extended from river to river. 
 
6 
 
 Headquarters iiith Reg’t. Penn’a. Vol. 
 
 Camp near Kearnsville Va. ) 
 May 7, 1862. / 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 Maj. Gen. Seigel is now in command of this divis- 
 ion, and we are pnshing on as fast as possible to try to 
 overtake the forces of Gens. Jackson and Ewell, they have 
 thirty thousand men, so that when we do overtake them 
 we shall be likely to have a pretty hard fight. I have 
 already been in one, where the iiith Regiment with a 
 few companies of cavalry and two pieces of artiller\’ kept 
 at bay the whole Rebel force from Charleston to 
 Harpers Ferry, and retreated in good order, capturing a 
 large number of their horses and arms, and some pris- 
 oners; our loss was one man killed and eight wounded, 
 and two horses killed. The shells and balls flew pretty 
 thick for awhile, the only wonder to me was so few were 
 hurt. A large number of the Rebels were killed by our 
 fire. We had very heavy cannonading for one night 
 and part of the next day, but the Rebels not having any 
 artillery large enough to cope with the 150 and 200 
 pound Parrot guns mounted on Maryland Heights, they 
 had a large number killed and wounded, so concluded to 
 retreat. Gen. Saxton rode up to our lines and told me 
 to take command of the iiith and march them forsvard 
 to support the batteries, as he had more confidence in it 
 than any of the others. 
 
7 
 
 Camp in the Woods near Winchester, Va., 1 
 
 June 5, 1862. J 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Our regiment has been in one fight since we left, 
 succeeded in holding Harpers Ferry and driving back 
 the Confederate forces, although more than four times 
 our number. The iiith was selected to make the first 
 advance, and we have been in advance most of the time 
 since. On Monday evening last we received orders to 
 march immediately to try to overtake Jackson’s, Ashley’s 
 and Ewell’s forces, who were in full retreat toward Win- 
 chester, and kept on through the worst rain and mud I 
 ever saw until we came to the Rebel camp, where they 
 had encamped with their whole army, we halted, and 
 occupied the same ground. The camp is the ground on 
 which the battle took place last week between Gen. 
 Banks and the Rebels. There are ten regiments of in- 
 fantry, one of cavalry and one artillery. Gen. Seigel is 
 now in command. 
 
 Camp on Cedar Creek, near Strasburg, Va. 1 
 
 June 23, 1862. / 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 I am now in command of the regiment and have 
 been for some time past. I have also the superintend- 
 ence of the new bridge at this place. It was put under 
 the charge of the topographical engineers of the regular 
 army, but after he had fussed about it for some time the 
 
8 
 
 general sent for me and requested as a favor that I would 
 superintend it, as I was the only practical bridge builder 
 in the division. My rank clears me from being detailed 
 for duties of that kind, but I did accept the office. The 
 whole of the forces are now concentrated near this place 
 and I presume they will all be put under the command 
 of Gen. Fremont,as he is the senior general. There are one- 
 hundred and twenty peices of artillery of the best descrip- 
 tion attached to this force. The number of men I do not 
 know they are variously estimated at from forty to sixty 
 thousand, but figures are contraband and attack is ex- 
 pected here soon, but with the exception of the occa- 
 sional shooting of the men on picket duty nothing has 
 taken place yet. The general sent for all the command- 
 ing officers of regiments, battalions and batteries to report 
 at nine this morning, he shook hands with me and ex- 
 pressed himself much pleased with the promptness of 
 my regiment, as we were always the first to obey any 
 order and are invariably the first in line and ready to 
 march and is always selected if any regiment is wanted 
 for any special service. 
 
 Strasburg, Va., July 2, 1862. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We have not had any fighting here yet, there are all 
 kinds of rumors in camp to day from Richmond some 
 stating that it is taken and others that our forces were 
 defeated, it is impossible to tell which is true, but in my 
 opinion we have at least gained nothing and if IMcClellan 
 
9 
 
 is defeated at Richmond in all probability a large part of 
 the Rebel forces will be concentrated to sweep down this 
 valley and try to drive us back to Harpers Ferry and to 
 secure for the Southern army, the large crop of grain 
 now ripe in the valley of Virginia. 
 
 Camp at Gaines Cross Roads, Va. 1 
 July 19, 1862. / 
 
 t)EAR Mother: 
 
 Precisely at four we left camp at Warrentown, our 
 regiment taking the lead and followed by all the rest 
 with a train of baggage wagons two miles in length, 
 after marching three or four hours we heard distant 
 cannonading, which grew louder as we advanced and con- 
 tinued for some time but the cause of it I do not know. 
 
 In this interval Col. Cobham was taken sick with 
 typhoid fever and came near dying, and was absent 
 some months from the army. 
 
 Harpers Ferry, Oct. 23, 1862. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I left Baltimore yesterday morning for this place 
 and procured a horse and rode to London Heights, where 
 the regiment is now stationed and found only ninety 
 men fit for duty out of the thousand I left, from here we 
 could see the tents of the Grand Army, the whole ground 
 covered for many miles and in the distance could plainly 
 see the watch fires of the Confederates and their advanced 
 pickets a short distance from ours which plainly indi- 
 cates that the present quiet state cannot last long. 
 
lO 
 
 Harpers Ferry, Oct. 29 1862. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The division to which the iiith Regiment is now 
 attached was the first to move. We left London Heights 
 yesterday morning and marched np the valley towards 
 Leesburg, accompanied by the First, Second and Third 
 Brigade of Gen. Burnsides’ Corps under the command of 
 Gen. Geary. Our regiment has been assigned to the third 
 Brigade, which is composed of the iiith and 109th 
 Penn’a Regiments and the 78th 137th and 146th New 
 York Regiments and we are attached to Burnsides’ Corps. 
 I have been trying to gather together the scattering men 
 belonging to the 1 1 ith Regiment who are at the different 
 hospitals and think w’e will have about four hundred fit 
 for service. 
 
 Camp on Boli^■ar Heights, 
 
 Nov. I, 1862. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The forward movement of McClellan’s army com- 
 menced yesterday morning about 2 o’clock, and from that 
 time the troops have been passing through the town in 
 one unbroken line, regiment after regiment passing along 
 until it w^as tiresome to see them pass, there were regi- 
 ments from all the loyal states, among the rest one 
 from California. Many of them were new regiments 
 whose bright new uniforms, arms and accounterments 
 formed a great contrast to the remains of the old regi- 
 ment, many of which were reduced down to two or three 
 hundred men. Some of their colors were so full of ball 
 
II 
 
 holes that there was scarcely enough to hold them 
 together. Our regiment left and went one days march 
 with Gen. Burnside, but were recalled to present camp 
 together with the whole of Gen. Geary’s command, I am 
 in command of the regiment. Col. Schlaudecker com- 
 manding the brigade. 
 
 Bolivar Hights, Nov. 6, 1862. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The information you received of my being sick at 
 Baltimore was true, I stayed there for three days and re- 
 ported to the medical director, who gave me some medi- 
 cine and told me to report to Gen. Wood and get order 
 for medical treatment, but as I knew if I reported to him 
 I should be under his orders and perhaps sent to com- 
 mand some convalescent camp which would keep me from 
 joining my regiment for some time I preferred to join it at 
 once. I am now well and in command of the regiment 
 in camp at the fort of Bolivar Heights. I have been busy 
 in reorganizing the regiment, and have at last succeeded 
 in getting an order from Gov. Curtin for five hundred 
 and seventy-one men, from the recruits recently drafted 
 from Pennsylvania which is the number required to fill 
 up the regiment to its original number of one thousand 
 men. I sent Lieut. Wells and two non-commissioned 
 officers to Harrisburg last Monday, to take charge of 
 them, and conduct them to camp. I expect they will 
 be here next week. The army has all moved forward, 
 with the exception of Gen. Geary’s division, to which 
 we are attached; it is left here for the defense of Har- 
 
12 
 
 pers Ferry. For the last few days there has been an 
 incessant cannonading heard in the direction of the 
 army, but the cause or the result I do not know. The 
 pickets of the rebels are in sight of our outposts. Yes- 
 terday I was appointed Division Field Officer of the Day 
 and was not out of the saddle for twenty-four hours. 
 The duty consists in posting the picket guards and out- 
 posts, and visiting them both day and night and in- 
 structing the sentinels. The day before yesterday two 
 of the picket guards were captured; two belonged to the 
 I nth. The orders had been not to fire on the enemy’s 
 pickets, but yesterday when I took charge of the guard, 
 I ordered them to shoot at every Rebel who came within 
 range of their rifles. Just at dusk the Rebels made 
 another dash on the guards stationed at the same 
 pos twhere the men were captured the night before 
 but were received with a salute from the rifles of 
 the guard and scampered off double quick. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a. Vol. 1 
 Boliver Heights, Nov. i6, 1862. / 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Col. Schlaudecker has received his papers for an 
 honorable discharge from the regiment, which was drawn 
 up in line and the command formally delivered to me. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a. Vol. 
 
 Harpers Ferr\’, Nov. 13, 1862. J 
 
 Devr Mother: 
 
 I suppose 3^ou have seen the account of the attack 
 on the Rebels at Charleston by troops from this place. 
 
13 
 
 I was ordered out with regiment at midnight to join the 
 expedition, and when the attack commenced was or- 
 dered up to support the batteries with the iiith. As 
 soon as the batteries opened fire the enemy retreated, 
 leaving the camp with their breakfast cooked behind 
 them. I was sent with my regiment and three others 
 from the same brigade to outflank them, but they being 
 cavalry, did not succeed in doing so. All four regiments 
 were under my command. We took a number of horses 
 and beef cattle and did not lose a man. 
 
 ■ Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vol. ) 
 Harpers Ferry, Dec. 7. 1862. ) 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I have just returned from an expedition to Win- 
 chester and Berrysville. We came up with the enemy’s 
 rear guard near Berrysville and some sharp firing took 
 place. I was ordered to the front with my regiment, 
 to support the batteries. I did not lose a man in our 
 regiment, either killed or wounded. Followed on to 
 Winchester and took possession of the town, which was 
 strongly fortified by the Rebels, who were commanded 
 by Gen. A. P. Hill and Gen. Jackson; they thought 
 best to leave. The weather was very cold; on our return 
 it snowed, making it anything but pleasant to sleep on 
 the ground, with the snow blowing over you, as we had 
 to do for six nights, and eat frozen bread and raw pork. 
 
14 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a. Vols. ) 
 Camp near Fairfax C. H., Dec. 13th, 1862. ) 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Deft Harpers Ferry and arrived at this place after 
 four days more marching. We have about five days 
 more marching to reach Frederickburg. We had ta 
 lay oi;r blankets in the snow two nights, and in the mud 
 the other two. 
 
 Camp in the Woods, Dec. 19th, 1862. 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Our orders came unexpectedly for the whole force 
 to march immediately to the assistance of Gen. Burn- 
 sides, and for the last eleven days we have been on the 
 march, part of the time by night; also the mnd defies 
 description. I never saw anything like it; many fine 
 horses stuck fast, and no effort on the part of the soldiers 
 could extract them and they were left to die where 
 they fell. We crossed Ocoquan river about noon, it is 
 a stream about the size of the Conewango. We had to 
 wade it, which, at this season of the year, is not very 
 pleasant. I was officer of the Grand Guard and had to 
 go the rounds, and bring in all the picket guards from a 
 circle of over five miles, in worse than Egyptian dark- 
 ness and rain. The cannonading at Fredericksburg, 
 which is in our front, is the heaviest I ever heard. Inces- 
 sant discharges of the large seige guns making the ver\- 
 earth shake; there being one hundred and fifty at one 
 time by Burnside and probably as many more on the Rebel 
 side. We were again on the march for the scene of action. 
 
15 
 
 when orders came to retrace our steps to Fairfax Station 
 to protect the military stores at that place. We have 
 marched now eleven days, without anything to eat from 
 5 a. m. to 8 p. m., and then only a small piece of salt 
 pork — sometimes not that. As soon as we had stacked 
 arms and a fire was built, I sat down on a log with the 
 regimental order book to write to you. We came up 
 with the enemy’s rear guard at Berry ville, and some 
 pretty sharp firing took place. I was immediately 
 ordered front with the iiith, to support the batteries. 
 We did not lose a man in our regiment, either killed 
 or wounded. We followed on to Winchester and took 
 possession of the town, strongly fortified. The Rebels 
 under Gen. A. P. Hill and Gen. Jackson, left as we 
 entered; we hurried them by a salute of shell in their 
 rear. 
 
 Camp near Fairfax Station, Jan. ist, 1863. 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 We just returned from another expedition towards 
 Dumfries; we had a fight with some of the Rebel forces 
 on the other side of Ocoquan river, and drove them back. 
 Their loss I do not know, nor do I know the number 
 of killed on our side; those I saw were mostly from the 
 17th P. V. Our regiment had none killed or wounded. 
 We were immediately ordered to the front to support 
 Knapp’s battery, which was then doing all the firing. 
 I had my command of the iiith, and of another 
 regiment, the 109th Penn’a. Vols. also. We started at 
 nine o’clock in the evening of the 28th and marched all 
 
i6 
 
 night and all the next day, and returned to camp yester- 
 day. Our wagons were ordered back to prevent capture 
 by the enemy’s cavalry, and as I had nothing to eat but 
 what was in our regimental wagon, I had the pleasure 
 of going without for two days and a night. 
 
 Aquia Creek Landing, Feb. nth, 1863. 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Received commission as Colonel of the iiith 
 Regiment of Penn’a Vols., to rank as such from Nov. 
 7th, 1862. And I have been mustered into the United 
 States service from the same date. My commission was 
 accompanied by a kind letter from Gov. Curtin to me. 
 My promotion has given very general satisfaction in the 
 regiment. 
 
 Acquia Creek, Va., Mar. 14th, 1863. 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 The Rebels attacked our camp last night and were 
 repulsed. I think we shall have some hard fighting be- 
 fore long, as we are ordered to be in immediate readiness 
 to move. Our regiment has just received quite a com- 
 pliment from the Commander-in-Chief of the army. In 
 General Orders No. 18, Army of the Potomac, he says: 
 “It appearing from the Inspector’s Report that the iiith 
 Penn’a Vols. has earned hign commendation, they are 
 entitled to send one more enlisted man on furlough, for 
 every hundred men reported for duty, and one more 
 commissioned officer than was previously allowed.’’ 
 You may readily believe we are proud of it. 
 
17 
 
 Camp Geary, Va., April 14th, 1863. 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 The whole Army of the Potomac are now on the 
 move, and in all probability before this reaches you, 
 this regiment will have added its feeble mite to the 
 Grand Army of the Potomac, in one of the most desper- 
 ate struggles that has yet taken place. I have never 
 seen so much preparation for wounded men as is being 
 made. What position we take I do not know, but 
 understand it is to be the right of the advance. It is 
 the determination of all the army to be successfiil this 
 time; but the victory will be dearly bought. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 May 8th, 1864. ) 
 
 Dear Sister: 
 
 I have just returned from the battlefield of Chan- 
 cellorsville. The fight commenced on the ist day of 
 May and continued the ist, 2d, 3d and 4th. The iiith 
 Penn’a Vols. was the first to advance. It is said to be 
 the most desperate battle that has yet taken place. We 
 left camp on the 27th and marched to Kellies Ford, on 
 the Rappahannock, which we reached on the morning of 
 the 29th, at five o’clock. The water was very high and 
 we crossed, without any material opposition from the 
 enemy, on a pontoon bridge; from thence we took the 
 direction of Germania, on the Rapidan river. We ar- 
 rived at that place about midnight. The advance of 
 the column surprised and captured the Rebel Pioneer 
 Corps, who were building a bridge. We crossed the 
 
i8 
 
 river at one o’clock a. m., in a severe rain storm, and 
 lay on our anns till daylight, and then after eating a 
 hard cracker soaked with rain for breakfast, we again 
 marched forward. About ten o’clock a. m , the enemy 
 began to open fire on our advancing columns with artil- 
 lery, from different points which commanded the road, 
 but were soon silenced, and we marched on to the junc- 
 tion of the road from Elys Ford, and one from the United 
 States Ford, on the Rappahannock, where we were 
 joined by the 5th Army Corps, who had surprised one 
 brigade of Rebels, who were digging rifle pits, and routed 
 them, taking a number of prisoners. From here we 
 marched to a small place called Chancellorsville, and 
 filing to the right, for the first time since starting, we 
 laid down on the ground and slept soundly. As the 
 night was dry and warm, and the men had marched with 
 eight days’ rations on their back, and sixty rounds of 
 cartridges — we had no wagons or transportation of any 
 kind. The next morning about nine o’clock our scouts 
 reported the enemy to be in force on our front. Our 
 brigade was ordered forward to reconnoitre their position 
 and if possible to ascertain their force. ]\Iy own regi- 
 ment, the I nth, being placed in advance. The whole 
 country was a dense forest, so that no view could be had. 
 We deployed as skirmishers and advanced through the 
 woods for about a mile, when our sharpshooters came up 
 with those of the enemy, when the firing commenced. 
 The Rebels also commenced shelling the woods in our 
 front, from batteries which no one could see. We how- 
 
19 
 
 ever, moved forward and drove them back till we had 
 accomplished our object of finding out the position of 
 their batteries and the number of their troops. I ordered 
 my men to lay down flat, and the shot and shell all 
 passed over our heads without injuring anyone. As soon 
 as the fire ceased orders came from the general to fall 
 back to our former position, as we had but one brigade 
 and the enemy had about 200,000 men in our front. I 
 was ordered to remain and protect the rear with my reg- 
 iment, which I did under a heavy fire. As soon as the 
 other regiment had reached their position I was sent out 
 to bring in a section of Knapps’ battery, which I did 
 with small loss. One ball cut the hair on the left side 
 of my head, but did me no harm. The Rebels now 
 attacked us with all their force and our batteries having 
 got into position and the troops of our division into line, 
 they met with such a reception as they did not except, 
 they advanced in close column with a loud cheer and a 
 heavy fire from their front lines, supported with 
 batteries, we let them come on until within half rifle 
 shot, when the order was given to fire, both infantry 
 and artillery opened upon them, the fire on both sides 
 was terrible, the grape and canister mowed them down 
 by hundreds, bnt still their officers urged them on, and 
 they moved forward to share the fate of their com- 
 rades. At last finding that they had met with a resist- 
 ance they did not expect they slowly withdrew leaving 
 a very large number of killed and wounded behind them. 
 The night was passed in constructing rifle pits, as we 
 
20 
 
 had neither picks nor shovels the men dug up the earth 
 with their bayonets, and threw it up with their tin 
 plates and pieces of wood, which with the help of a few 
 trees cut down made quite a breastwork, which before 
 morning extended eight miles. Saturday morning, the 
 2nd, the enemy again attacked our line, but were again 
 driven back with great loss, retiring under cover of their 
 artillery. During the day they tried our lines in several 
 places but were driven back with loss every time. 
 About 3 o’clock P, M. the iiith was ordered to take a 
 battery in our front; we moved forward, and as I was 
 leading the regiment, I received a shot in my left breast; 
 it passed through my leather pocketbook which was full 
 of bank bills and papers, a number of photographs, a 
 memorandum book, my field notes, and struck my gold 
 watch which it smashed all to pieces, but with the ex- 
 ception of a severe bruise I escaped unhurt. The Rebels 
 finding themselves unable to force our lines at that point 
 retreated, and for a short time all was still save the 
 groans of the wounded. About sunset the firing again 
 commenced on our right and the whole of Gen. Lee’s and 
 Jackson’s army made a simultaneous attack on the nth 
 army corps, — Sigel’s old corps — which broke and fell 
 back, letting the enemy into our center, they came on in 
 one solid colunm into the ver\' center of our position, 
 the artillery was immediately brought to oppose them 
 and some other troops brought forward to assist the i2th 
 corps to drive them back and recover the ground which 
 the Dutch corps had lost. It was now dark, and the 
 
21 
 
 scene that took place is beyond my power to describe, 
 every piece of artillery that was possible to get was put 
 in requisition on both sides, the flashes of the cannon and 
 musketry made it almost as light as day and it seemed 
 as if the very earth was rent assunder by the concussion 
 of the guns, and a perfect tornado of shot and shell, 
 grape, canister, rifle and musket balls filled the air, splint- 
 ering the trees into flagments, tearing up the ground and 
 literaily mowing down everything before it. The Rebels 
 advanced through it with undaunted courage determined 
 to take our batteries, which cut them down by the hun- 
 dred at a time, and the increasing fire of the infantry cut 
 them down as fast as the living could come up to the pile 
 of dead, slowly at last the Rebels gave way and with a 
 cheer our forces drove them over the rifle pits and re- 
 sumed our former position. Can ray dear sister picture 
 to herself such a scene as this battle field presented at 
 this time ? A beautiful, still summer’s night, and nothing 
 to be heard but the low supressed groans of the wounded 
 who covered the ground in thousands, friend and foe to- 
 gether. I have seen many hard sights but I never wish 
 to see such another as this. In the midst of this scene I 
 laid down on the ground and went to sleep. Both armies 
 slept that night on their arms, but a short distance apart. 
 I awoke next morning at daybreak, it was a beautiful 
 Sunday morning, and got up, my sleep you may 
 imagine was anything but refreshing. I left my regi- 
 ment for a minute to go to a small spring to get some 
 water, and while washing myself I heard the sharp crack 
 
22 
 
 of a rifle close by accompanied by the sharp wistle of the 
 ball followed in rapid sucession by others, and on look- 
 ing up I saw that the “Grey Backs” were again advanc- 
 ing on our picket line, and the sharp crack of the rifles 
 began to be heard along the whole line. I immediately 
 rejoined my regiment and in a short time the scene of 
 the previous evening were being again enacted only on a 
 more extensive scale. If you can picture to yourself a 
 rain of bomb shells and bullets it would be something like 
 it. One of my ofiicers w'as struck in the breast with one 
 and instantly killed. Two soldiers standing near me 
 had the top of their heads shot off, spattering their brains 
 in our faces. The fire on the position which our regi- 
 ment new occupied came on us from three sides, front, 
 rear and right flank, we were ordered to fall back, which 
 we did and took position in rear of our artillery, and in 
 connection with the first division of the I2th army corps 
 and again formed line. The whole army fell back to 
 this point, checked the Rebel forces and held the ground, 
 the fighting on this day was desperate on both sides and 
 the loss very great. I received another ball through my 
 coat but it did not hurt me. The fighting here ceased 
 about two o’clock. The day was exceedingly warm, 
 water scarce and to add to the difficulties we had to en- 
 counter the woods which every day caught fire from the 
 shells in all directions. I have, as you know, seen fire 
 in the woods, but this beat all I ever saw, you can im- 
 agine the effect of such stifling heat and smoke on men 
 exhausted with seven days of severe toil; and three of 
 
23 
 
 them fighting, with little rest and seant rations. I for- 
 got to mention that I captured during the fighting this 
 day, the battle flag of the 5th Alabama regiment and the 
 captain who carried it. He surrendered his sword and 
 flag to me and I broiight them safely with me. The 
 captian’s name was Mosely. The flag had the names of 
 eight battles on it. During the night of the 3rd Gen. 
 Kane was compelled to retire, being sick and perfectly 
 exhausted by fatigue and exposure. And I was placed 
 in command of the 2nd Brigade composed of six regi- 
 ments, we moved down a short distance towards the 
 United States Ford and threw up a new set of breast- 
 works and rifle pits near a small stream called Mine 
 river, we remained there that night and the next day un- 
 molested with the exception of one small attack on our 
 right during the night which was repulsed. About three 
 o’clock in the afternoon it commenced raining and the 
 weather changed from warm to very cold and it rained a 
 perfect deluge, we were without tents of any kind but I 
 heard no complaint from any one. We had by this time 
 exhausted our rations, and it being impossible to furnish 
 them by railroad on account of the failure of Gen. Sedg- 
 wick to connect with the army by way of Fredricksburg 
 and the road being so bad that they could not be sup- 
 plied in time, it was determined to recross the Rappa- 
 hannock river and take up our former position on the 
 other side of the river. About ten o’clock at night I 
 received notice the army would cross that night and that 
 my brigade would remain till all the rest of the army had 
 
24 
 
 crossed and then fall back in as good order as possible 
 and cover the rest of the arm^^ Accordingly at four 
 o’clock in the morning, the others all being gone, I put 
 the column into motion and silently in the dark passed 
 on to the river which we reached at daybreak, I remained 
 on the ground till all had passed, drew in the pickets and 
 followed on in company with Gen. Kane, overtook the 
 brigade and got them all safely over the pontoon 
 bridge without the loss of a man. Gen. Kane was sent 
 in an ambulance to Stafford, from there to Philadelphia. 
 Whatever the newspapers say to the contrar)’, I know 
 that we had the advantage in ever}' respect and the re- 
 treat to the river and crossing was rendered necessary 
 merely on account of want of supplies. We lost twenty- 
 .six officers and men killed and wounded in the iiith 
 regiment. I think from what I saw, and I saw the 
 v/hole fight — being the first regiment to enter it and in 
 command of the last brigade to leave the field - that the 
 loss in killed and wounded on our side must be at least 
 nine thousand men killed and wounded and at least 
 double that on the Rebel side, we took between two and 
 three thousand prisoners. The only relic I brought off 
 the field was a small bible which I picked up and put in 
 my pocket as we came off the field. I can say with the 
 Psalmist of old, I have seen a thousand fall beside me 
 and ten thousand at my right hand. But it has pleased 
 the Almighty to bring me out in safefy. I am qxiite well. 
 The I nth behaved nobly; and have received much 
 praise. In fact the whole of the i2th corps have done 
 
25 
 
 all it was possible for men to do. I think Gen. Geary 
 our division commander deserves every praise for his en- 
 ergy, coolness and courage during the whole time his 
 division was engaged. And Major Gen. Slocum, also, 
 the commander of the 1 2th army corps. I am now in 
 command of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Division, 12th Army 
 Corps and am ready to move forward again at any time 
 and will try to do my duty wherever I may be placed 
 and under all circumstances. 
 
 Camp of the iiith Penna. Vols. i 
 May 8th, 1863. J 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I have just returned from the field of battle at 
 Chancellorsville, the fight commenced on the ist of May 
 and continued four days. Our regiment was the first to 
 advance, and the first man killed was one of the iiith. 
 We lost 26 officers and men. We were under fire all the 
 time, and have seen thousands fall around me. It has 
 pleased the Almighty to spare my life. The iiith be- 
 haved nobly. I captured with my own hands the battle 
 flag of the 5th Alabama Regiment with the names of 
 nine battles inscribed on it, and the captain who com- 
 manded the color company surrendered me his sword 
 and flag. I am now in command of Gen. Kane’s brigade. 
 I cannot tell what was our loss, but think it not less 
 than six thousand and the Rebels ten thousand. The 
 regiment has been highly complimented. 
 
26 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, 2d Div., 12th A. C. 1 
 
 May 13th, 1863. / 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We have now rettirned to within one mile of the 
 camp, and think it possible we may remain here a week 
 or two. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, 2d Div., 2d Army Corps, ) 
 Near Aquia Creek, Va., May 22d, 1863. j 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I wrote an account of the late battles, which, al- 
 though not well written, is true, and ma}' give you some 
 idea of the severity of the fighting. Perhaps the letter 
 may yet reach you with regard to the report in Warren 
 about my watch. It is true. I have sent the remains of 
 it home. The photographs, greenbacks, etc., which 
 Capt. Alexander sent to Younsville were some that were 
 in my pocketbook at the time. Capt. Alexander is one 
 of the officers of the iiith and now acting on the 
 brigade staff as aide de camp, and one I esteem very 
 highly. The shot was a loss of two hundred dollars to 
 me. 
 
 Note — The letter giving the account of these battles I think 
 never reached his mother. The shot referred to above was a minie 
 ball, which penetrated his pocketbook full of papers and greenbacks 
 and lodged in his watch. We have no account of the many battles 
 that took place from Chancellorsville to June 21st, 1863. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. 1 
 Leesburg, Va., June 21st, 1863. f 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We left camp at Aquia Creek on the 13th inst. and 
 have been pushing forward as fast as possible ever since. 
 
27 
 
 Some of the time we have marched all night as well as 
 day, the object being to intercept Gen. Gee’s army and 
 if possible cut off the retreat of that portion of it which 
 has gone into Pennsylvania. I wish they would send 
 me with the infantry and artillery now under my com- 
 mand to follow up the Rebel force that has invaded 
 Pennsylvania. My brigade is now camped on an emi- 
 nence overlooking the town of Leesburg, and we are 
 throwing up fortifications and digging rifle pits to resist 
 the advance of Gen. Lee’s army. I have Knapp’s Penn- 
 sylvania battery attached to the brigade. The balance 
 of the 1 2th Army Corps is between us and the Potomac. 
 The people of Harrisburg are a little scared at the few 
 Rebels that have paid them a visit, but they need not be 
 under any -apprehension, as their time in Pennsylvania 
 will be short. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 
 June 24th, 1863. \ 
 
 Dear Mother; 
 
 We are still located at this place. Fort Beauregard, 
 which is a Rebel earthwork, situate on a commanding 
 eminence overlooking the town of Leesburg. Our bri- 
 gade is now stationed here with Knapp’s Pennsylvania 
 battery. We have repaired the works, and by the addi- 
 tion of the rifle pits, it is now a stong position, and if 
 the Rebels attack us here they will meet with a pretty 
 warm reception. I think we can hold the place against 
 three times our force. It is supposed that the Rebel 
 army will try to force its way through Leesburg to 
 
28 
 
 Edward’s Ferry', on the Potomac — which is about three 
 miles from this place — and from there to Washington. 
 The battle field of Ball’s BluS is in sight of this place, 
 about two miles distant. I have been over the ground 
 this morning. It still bears unmistakable evidence of 
 the fight in the bleached bones of horses and the long 
 rows of soldiers graves. It is no wonder to me after see- 
 ing the ground that the Union forces were so terribly 
 cut up. Nothing but the grossest ignorance on the part 
 of the commander of that expedition could have induced 
 him to cross the Potomac and attack such a p'aceas this 
 occupied by a far superior force. The outpost pickets of 
 our brigade w'ere attacked this morning by a small 
 Rebel force, we drove them back without loss on our 
 part. 
 
 Headquarters of 2d Brigade, 
 Barnesville, Md., June 26th, 1863. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I write a few lines in haste to keep you informed of 
 my whereabouts. We left Leesburg this morning at 3 
 o’clock and crossed the Potomac at Edward’s Ferry into 
 Maryland, and marching by way' of Poolsville reached 
 this place this evening. It has been a very tiresome 
 march, as it has rained incessantly all day', and we have 
 pushed forward as fast as possible without halting. This 
 move is made to check the advance of Lee’s army', as he 
 crossed into Maryland near the Point of Rocks yester- 
 day with about 90,000 men, with the Army' of the 
 Potomac after him. I do not have much faith in the 
 
29 
 
 Pennsylvania militia, but hope they will be able to pro- 
 tect Harrisburg. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, 1 
 
 Frederick City, Md., June 28th, 1863. J 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 Yours of the 21st is just received. I am much 
 pleased to hear from you. With regard to the money 
 from father, you need not mind the two last installments. 
 I will send him a receipt for them as soon as I can get a 
 pen and ink to write one. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, | 
 
 Camp near Dittlestown, Pa., July ist, 1863. f 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The Army of the Potomac is now in Pennsylvania. 
 It has been received in its march through Maryland and 
 Pennsylvania with demonstrations of joy. In every 
 town through which we pass the soldiers are treated in 
 the most hospitable manner, the streets lined with ladies 
 and decorated with flags, and quite different from our 
 experience in Virginia. We encountered no opposition 
 until yesterday afternoon. As we entered Dittlestown 
 on the one side the Rebels entered it on the other, a 
 fight of course followed, and the Rebels were driven 
 out and a number of them captured, a few more killed 
 and wounded on each side, I do not know how many. 
 The enemy is in strong force in our front. 
 
30 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, ) 
 
 Battlefield of Gettysburg, Penna., July 4th, 1863. ) 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 We have just concluded the most severe battle of 
 the war, resulting in a complete victory for the Union 
 forces. The fighting for the past two days has been 
 desperate on both sides. Yesterday at 3 o’clock in the 
 morning our brigade was attacked by Jackson’s old 
 troops, and from that time till noon we kept them in 
 check; our men fired two hundred shots each. At noon 
 they charged on us in solid column, and we mowed them 
 down like grass and defeated them entirely. The 
 slaughter has been terrible on both sides; we have not 
 all escaped. You will probably hear of our performance 
 from other sources than myself. It has pleased God to 
 spare me, I was not touched at all. I have, however, to 
 regret the loss of many brave men. All around me as I 
 write the men are burying the dead, the ground is liter- 
 ally covered with them, and the blood is standing in 
 pools all round me, it is truly a sickening sight. I think 
 the Rebels will make another stand before long, between 
 here and the Potomac. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, [ 
 
 Battle Field of Gettysburg, Jtily 5th, 1863. ) 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I write a few lines to let you know that I am quite 
 well. We have had the most severe battle of the war at 
 this place. The fight lasted two days and resulted in a 
 complete victory on our side; I passed through it all 
 
3 ^ 
 
 without a scratch, although much exposed all the time. 
 Our brigade was attacked by Stonewall Jackson’s old 
 division, and the fight lasted with them for seven and a 
 half hours. At the end of that time they charged on us 
 in a solid column and we drove them back in a perfect 
 rout. The loss on our side was not very heavy consid- 
 ering the severity of the fight. Their loss was terrible, 
 over two thousand dead and wounded were left in front 
 of our division alone. Gen. Kane returned in an ambu- 
 lance to his command on the second day of the fight, but 
 requested me to retain command of the brigade, I had 
 command all through the fight, and I think you will 
 hear from other sources that I did my duty. Gen. Kane 
 leaves again in a few days. We have had nineteen days 
 of severe marching through dust, rain and mud, night 
 and day, and marched directly on the battle field and 
 fought for two days and one night without anything to 
 eat, or either sleep or rest. I have not had my clothes 
 off or my boots since we left Leesburg, except once for 
 a few moments to change my shirt and socks. I carried 
 one clean shirt on my horse. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, ) 
 
 Near Warrenton Junction, Va., July 28th, 1863. f 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The account I saw in the Warren Mail of the killed 
 and wounded of the iiith Regt. at the battle of Gettys- 
 burg must have been intended as a burlesque, as I could 
 hardly imagine anything further from the truth than 
 that is. It is acknowledged by all here that this brigade 
 
32 
 
 did as hard fighting as any other, and we had to fight ten 
 times our own force. All the attacks made by Ewell's 
 corps were made on us, and the last desperate charge of 
 his whole force was repulsed by the Second Brigade alone; 
 had that succeeded, all was lost. The artiller}’ fire of 
 the Rebels to cover the advance of their infantr}', was 
 the most terrible I ever saw — and I have seen a great 
 deal of it — hundreds of round shot and shell struck in 
 every direction each minute. They ripped up the earth, 
 exploded in the air, cut down the trees, and in fact de- 
 stroyed everything within their range. If you can im- 
 asfine the shrill screams of hundreds of small steam 
 whistles in the midst of hea\’y thunder and lightning, 
 then you will form a faint picture of the reality, then 
 yon become conscious of the rush of some invisible 
 missle by you, and the man at your side sinks down 
 or is dashed headlong out of the ranks and another steps 
 into his place, perhaps to share the same fate, the next 
 moment. As one sees his former companions and 
 friends fall one after the other he feels a sort of bull dog 
 determination to give as good as he gets, and you can 
 imagine the picture the ground presents after three days 
 of such fighting. Gen. Kane did not remain with the 
 brigade, he came on the second day of the battle and re- 
 turned immediately after. I understand that his resig- 
 nation was not accepted and that he has been assigned 
 to duty as commander of the camp for drafted men at 
 Pittsburg, Pa. 
 
33 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, ) 
 
 Near Williamsport, Md., July 10, 1863. ( 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The 2d Brigade is drawn up in line of battle here 
 awaiting the commencement of the battle, which is ine- 
 vitable, as the Rebels are now shelling us, and I write 
 this with the sound of their cannon ringing in my ears, 
 but they have not got our range yet, and before they do 
 I shall have time to finish this letter. Their force is 
 now massed between us and the Potomac, which is about 
 three miles off. Our forces are gradually surrounding 
 them. The river is so high that they cannot cross, and 
 in my opinion it will require all of Lee’s generalship to 
 save his army. That he will fight, and fight desper- 
 ately, there is no doubt of that, he is now giving us 
 ample proof. I suppose yoi: have seen the accounts of 
 the battle of Gettysburg. The Rebel army was de- 
 feated with the loss of 40,000 men. Our brigade held 
 the center of the line of the 12th Army Corps. I 
 stationed the men so as to be practically under cover of 
 a ledge of rocks and the sharpshooters behind the trees. 
 They attacked the line immediately in our front; when 
 they charged us in solid column it was the grandest 
 sight I ever saw, I gave orders to cease firing and every 
 man load, and when they were within ten rods we 
 poured in such a fire that they broke and ran in con- 
 fusion. The slaughter among them was terrible, two 
 thousand killed and wounded being strewed over the 
 ground in front of our division. Our men in that time. 
 
34 
 
 seven and a half hoars, fired two hundred rounds to the 
 man, the fighting was desperate on all sides; all the army 
 did well. I have not time to wuite more. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, Aug. 3d, 1863. 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The pickets of oiir brigade and the Rebels are now 
 within sight. We advanced to the Rappahannock night 
 before last and laid the pontoon bridge, not, however, 
 without resistance, as our advance was fired on by the 
 Rebels on the opposite bank, they were soon driven 
 back and a part cf our force crossed the same night. A 
 sharp fight took place next morning between the cavalry 
 and the Rebels, w'ho were driven back to within a few 
 miles of Culpeper C. H. with considerable loss. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, Sept. 13th, 1863. 
 Dear Mohter: 
 
 We are now in position at Racoon Ford, on the river 
 Rapidan. We passed through Culpeper yesterday to 
 this place, which is only a short distance from the battle 
 ground of Cedar Mountain. The enemy are in strong 
 force on the opposite side of the river, and opened a 
 brisk fire of artiller)' and musketry on us as we ad\-anced. 
 We now hold the line of the Rapidan and have driven 
 the Rebels over. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. [ 
 Sept. 25th, 1863. ) 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I write a few lines in haste to let you know that I 
 am on the way to Tennessee. The 12th Arm\- Corps is 
 ordered there. 
 
35 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 Murfreesboro, Tenii., Oct. 8th, 1863. f 
 Dear Mother; 
 
 The journey to Tennessee has been a tiresome one, 
 of 1806 miles from Racoon Ford, on the Rapidan river, 
 Virginia. We have passed through the states of Vir- 
 ginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, Ohio, Indiana, 
 Kentucky and Tennessee. On the first part of the journey 
 we were very kindly received, but more particularly so 
 in passing through the state of Ohio. At every station 
 along the road the ladies had gathered together to wel- 
 come the soldiers and supply them with coffee, cakes, 
 pies, biscuits, etc., free of charge, quite a difference from 
 Virginia, where everything of that kind was worth its 
 weight in silver. When you consider that the force that 
 passed through was not less than 20,000 men, you will 
 see it was quite a tax on their generosity. The best re- 
 ception was from the ladies cf Dayton and Xenia, Ohio, 
 both very pretty places. After passing Indianapolis, Ind., 
 all dem-onstrations of this kind ceased, and the smiling 
 faces of the ladies, their “good-byes” and “God bless 
 you” were seen and heard no more. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 Nov. ist, 1863. / 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We have just had another severe engagement with 
 Longstreet’s corps of the Rebel army, in which we were 
 completely successful, driving back the enemy with 
 severe loss and opening communication with the army 
 
36 
 
 at Chattanooga. Our loss was very hea\y, one- 
 fourth of the force engaged in the battle are either killed 
 or wounded. On the evening of Oct. 28th we halted for 
 the night at Wauhatchee, near the base of Lookout 
 Mountain, after three days of severe marching from 
 Bridgeport, Ala., through part of the state of Georgia to 
 this place in Tennessee. My own brigade, two regi- 
 ments of the 3rd Brigade and one battery of artillery 
 composed the whole of our force engaged, and was under 
 the command of Gen. Gear}-. A little before midnight 
 on the 28th the enemy attacked onr picket line in strong 
 force, I was immediately ordered forward with my 
 brigade to check the advance. I had just time to draw 
 up the brigade in line when the Rebels advanced 
 directly on our front, it was dark, but I could hear them 
 advancing, and ordered the men to lie down. As soon 
 as the advancing lines of the enemy could be seen 
 through the darkness I ordered the men to fire. This 
 was something they did not expect, as they supposed us 
 all to be asleep. They immediately halted and returned 
 the fire, and for three hours we were exposed to a terri- 
 ble fire. We opened on them with our battery also with 
 terrible effect, the balls flew about our ears like hail in a 
 hail storm. At one time they sent two regiments to turn 
 the right flank of our brigade, aud at the same time at. 
 tacking the left flank of the 3rd Brigade, but I doubled 
 down part of our line and drove them back. Finding it 
 impossible to drive us back and the slaughter in their 
 own ranks so great they gave up the attack and beat a 
 hasty retreat. 
 
37 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, Nov. 15th, 1863. 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 The fighting still goes on here, and it is seldom 
 a day passes without either a fight or a skirmish. In 
 fact, we have been in so many lately for which we have 
 no name, that we call it all “The Grand Skirmish.” 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 
 Nov. 28th, 1863. f 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Yesterday was Sunday, and I waa sitting in my 
 tent after giving my usual orders, “That everything not 
 absolutely necessary be laid aside, and nothing done that 
 day.” The weather was beautifully fine and air mild, 
 more like our September weather in Pennsylvania, and 
 had just sat down to read a new book — “War Pictures 
 from the South,” by B. Gastway — with the intention of 
 making myself quite comfortable for the day, and had 
 just got thoroughly interested in the author’s fine de- 
 scription of the battle of Manasses, when an orderly rode 
 up and handed me an official letter and immediately 
 galloped of. The letter was from the general, sending 
 his compliments and requesting my immediate presence 
 at headquarters. On my arrival there I saw at once from 
 the number of officers collected there and the orderlies 
 coming and going with dispatches that as they say here, 
 something was up. The general shook hands with me 
 and said: “Colonel, we are called on once more to vic- 
 
 tory and strike a decisive blow, and with the help of 
 Almighty God I trust we shall succeed.” And he gave 
 
38 
 
 me a detailed account of the plan of operations intended 
 and of the part assigned to myself and the troops that 
 would be under my command and ordered to report to 
 me, with the usual caution, “To keep the information to 
 myself.” I could not help contrasting this with similar 
 meetings previous to the battles of Chancellorsville, 
 Gettysburg and other occasions of a similar kind, and 
 wondering whose place would be vacant next time, as 
 all never meet again, some familiar face is always absent. 
 I returned to my quarters, where the shrill notes of the 
 bugle, sounding the officers call, soon assembled my own 
 brigade officers, and every preparation was made to carry 
 out our part of the movement, which was to take place 
 at daylight next morning. Arms were inspected and 
 rations and sixty rounds of ammunition were issued to 
 each man. The regiments moved quickly to their posi- 
 tions, artillery posted and everything in readiness to give 
 the Rebels a grand salute, but at midnight orders came 
 postponing the attack. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig,, 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 Ringold, Ga., Nov. 29th, 1863. f 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I suppose you have already seen in the papers ac- 
 counts of the battles of Lookout IMountain, IMission 
 Ridge and Ringold, and will no doubt be anxious on my 
 account. I take the first opportunity to write and tell 
 you that I have passed through all those fights unhurt 
 and quite well. At the storming of Lookout Mountain 
 my brigade was selected to take the advance and the 
 
39 
 
 right of the front of battle, and it was our brigade which 
 first planted their colors on top. The fighting was des- 
 perate, but we charged bayonets on the enemy and drove 
 them out of their fortifications and took more prisoners 
 than we had men engaged. The defeat of the Rebels 
 was complete, and they lost the most formidable strong- 
 hold in the South. I have seen many mountains, but I 
 never saw such a one as Tookout. Its sides are very 
 steep and rocky and almost impossible to climb at all, 
 and at the top a perpendicular ledge of rock, which we 
 had to climb with scaling ladders. 
 
 On the next morning after the battle of Lookout 
 Mountain General Sherman attacked the Rebels on Mis- 
 sion Ridge, and the result was a general engagement of 
 the - most desperate description along the whole line — 
 Hooker’s force, to which we belong— was immediately 
 put in motion to turn the right flank of Bragg’s army, 
 which we succeeded in doing, and by sundown the 
 whole of the Rebel force was utterly routed. Prisoners 
 were taken by thousands, whole brigades being captured 
 at once, both officers and men. Gen. Breckenridge’s son 
 was captured, he was aide to his father, and the general 
 came very near accompanying his son to Washington. 
 A very large number of cannon were captured also, the 
 ground was covered for a long distance with arms and 
 accourtrements which the Rebels threw away. We 
 camped in the Rebel camp on Mission Ridge that night 
 and the next morning we started again in pursuit and 
 marched until midnight, when the brigade in advance 
 
40 
 
 of me came up with their rear guard, attacked it and 
 captured their battery and a number of prisoners. We 
 then lay down on the ground and waited for day, and 
 started again without breakfast or supper either, as we 
 had only one day’s rations when we started and none 
 could follow us, as the bridges were all destroyed and 
 we had to make foot bridges for the men and swam our 
 horses over. About ten o’clock the next day we got to 
 Ringold, where there is a large chain of mountains, with 
 a gap or pass, through which the railroad to Atlanta 
 passes, here the Rebels made a desperate stand. Their 
 artillery was posted in the gap and their infantry- drawn 
 up on the top of the mountains on each side, and the 
 whole side of the hill, which is covered with a heavy 
 growth of oak timber, was full of sharpshooters. As 
 soon as the head of the column got to the town the 
 enemy opened fire on us with both cannon and rifles. 
 As we marched down the main street of the town the 
 minie balls were flying around in all directions. The 
 women were leaving the few houses that were then in- 
 habited in a hurry, with the comforting reflection that 
 it was their own brothers, fathers and husbands that 
 were firing on them. We paid no attention whatever 
 to the fire, but pushed on till we came to the railroad 
 depot; from here we had to cross a field to reach a slight 
 elevation near the foot of the hill and in front of the 
 enemy’s center, under a most terrible fire of musketr}' 
 and artillery, the whole air was shrieking with balls and 
 shells. I jumped off my horse and ordered the brigade 
 
41 
 
 forward double quick, and took the lead myself in ad- 
 vance of the men, and thus crossed one of the hottest 
 places I have ever seen. I got two balls through my 
 overcoat in the operation, but neither of them touched 
 my body. As soon as we reached the point I ordered 
 the men to lie down under cover of the little rise of 
 ground, and all the fire of the enemy enemy 
 could not dislodge us, as their balls all flew 
 over our heads quite harmless, whilst ours were 
 quite the reverse to them. After three hours’ fight- 
 ing their flank was turned by the ist Brigade, and they 
 took to their heels and we remained in undisturbed pos- 
 session of all the country, from Lookout Mountain to 
 Ringold, 40 miles. Our brigade is now here and one 
 regiment, the iiith, guarding the gap. It is not in- 
 tended to pursue the enemy any further by this route. 
 In fact, our men are tired out and cannot go any further 
 without supplies. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brigade, 2d Div., 12th A. C. \ 
 Bridgeport, Tenn., Dec. 9th, 1863. j 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We are not now annoyed with Rebel pickets and 
 can now sleep all night without any shells coming 
 screaming through the camp. There is not a Rebel 
 within thirty miles of us, and the ground that a few 
 weeks ago was covered with their camps, as far as the 
 eye could reach, is vacant now, not a tent to be seen. 
 The battles of Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge and 
 Ringold have been the most serious reverses the Rebels 
 
42 
 
 have met during- the war, as they have lost very^ heavily 
 in killed, wounded and prisoners and 64 pieces of ar- 
 tillery, including the two celebrated cannon, named 
 Lidia Breckenridge and Lady Buckner, named after the 
 wives of two of their generals. We destroyed the 
 Memphis and Charleston Railroad for many miles. 
 When the order to fall back was given I was in the ad- 
 vanced outpost. War is a stern reality, and none but 
 those who witness it can form an idea of its horrors. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. / 
 Bridgeport, Tenn., Jan. nth, 1864. f 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I write a few lines in haste to inform you of my safe 
 arrival at this place on the 7th inst., the last day of my 
 leave, so that I was back in time. You will, I know, be 
 pleased to hear that I am again coming home, and shall 
 be there almost as soon as this reaches you on another 
 leave of thirty days, so that this time I shall have the 
 pleasure of making you a long visit at Cobham Park. 
 The whole of my brigade have reinlisted and the last 
 regiment of the brigade goes home to Philadelphia in a 
 few days, and myself and staff will accompany it to that 
 city, where brigade headquarters will be located until 
 the return of the regiments. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 Bridgeport, Tenn., Jan. 19th, 1864. ) 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I have the recommendations of Gens. Kane, Geaiy, 
 Slocum and Hooker, which is quite an honor, if I get 
 
43 
 
 nothing more. Gen. Geary has written me a recommen- 
 dation for promotion. Maj. Gen. Hooker also gave me 
 a recommendation to the Secretary of War during my 
 absence. I also received a letter from Maj. Gen. Slocum, 
 commanding I2th Army Corps, a few days ago, saying 
 that he had written a letter of recommendation for my 
 promotion to the Secretary of War. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. [ 
 Bridgeport Tenn., March loth 1864. j 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I arrived at this place yesterday with my regiment, 
 and we have gone into camp here. I was kindly re- 
 ceived by the general and his staff on my arrival, and 
 all of us were warmly welcomed back by the members 
 of our old division. I was immediately reinstated in my 
 former position, and am now in command of the 2d 
 Brigade, to which two more regiments are to be added. 
 How long I shall remain in command I do not kirow, 
 but presume until some new general is appointed. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 April 1 2th, 1864. f 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 On my arrival here I found my things all safe and 
 my two horses also safe, in good condition and looking 
 very well. My old friend. Col. French, had taken charge 
 of them, and I am indebted to him for having taken 
 such good care of my horses and baggage. It is very 
 lonely here, and it will take some time to become accus- 
 tomed to camp life again. I shall be glad when the war 
 
44 
 
 is over, to enjoy once more the comforts of civilized life. 
 There is some prospect of the I2th Army Corps being 
 sent to the Army of the Potomac, which I hope may be 
 the case, we shall not be so far out of the world then as 
 we are now. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. 
 
 April 14th, 1864. ) 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I presume you will have seen by the newspapers 
 that the nth and 12th Army Corps have been consoli- 
 dated and are to form one corps under Gen Hooker, and 
 both the former corps commanders are assigned to other 
 commands. Maj. Gen. Slocum is now ordered to the 
 command of Vicksburg, and will leave immediately for 
 that place. He called on me yesterday to bid me “good 
 bye” and very kindly volunteered his sendees in any 
 way that would lead to my advancement. I have never 
 parted with an officer whose loss I regretted as much as 
 I do that of Gen. Slocum. I have commanded a brigade 
 in his corps during every battle in which the corps has 
 been engaged since the battle of Antietam, and regret 
 not only his loss, but the consolidation of the 12th Corps, 
 with which I have been so long identified. I do not 
 know how the new corps will be organized or who will 
 command divisions or brigades. 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th C. 1 
 Bridgeport, Tenn., April 20th, 1864. / 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I have just seen Gen. Hooker’s official report of the 
 battles of Dookout Mountain, IMission Ridge and 
 
45 
 
 Ringold. It is published in the Cincinnati Co 7 mnercial 
 of April 14th. In some places where my name is men- 
 tioned it is spelled right and in some I am flourishing 
 under the name of Coburn. As the consolidation of the 
 1 2th Corps breaks up my brigade with the rest, I go 
 back to the command of my regiment. I am assigned 
 to duty in the 3d Brig., 2d Div., 20th Army Corps. Al- 
 though the breaking of any organization which has 
 passed together through so many hard marches and des- 
 perate battles, as has been the case with my brigade, 
 must necessarily be attended with much regret by all, 
 still I have the consolation of knowing that I leave com- 
 mand of this brigade to the sincere regret of every mem- 
 ber, both officers and men composing it, and the men 
 who never murmured when ordered into the hottest fire of 
 Gettysburg or L,ookout Mountain, where almost certain 
 death stared them in the face, obey with great reluctance 
 an order which simply assigns them to another brigade 
 commander. For my own part, although I regret to part 
 with many of my old companions in arms, I am deter- 
 mined to do my duty wherever I am placed. I know as 
 well as anyone that it is no compliment to me to be 
 sent back to my regiment after being in command of 
 a brigade for over a year, having joined it in April, 
 1863, and I am proud to say it has won a reputation 
 second to none in the army, but I am the only one who 
 does not complain. 
 
46 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vet. Vol., ) 
 
 Bridgeport, Tenn., April 23, 1864. / 
 
 Dear Sister: 
 
 Letter writing has got to be quite a bore to me, as 
 I have got to answer all the letters of almost even,- man, 
 woman and child who happens to have husband, brother, 
 father, cousin or sweetheart in the army serving under my 
 command. They all think I must he well po.sted in their 
 affairs, and that nobody could have the toothache or 
 nosebleed without my knowing it, and write and inquire 
 how Mr. Jones or Mr. Smith is and where they are. 
 They little imagine the impossibility of finding them, 
 unless rank, regiment and company are stated. In one 
 instance I received a letter from a little girl of eight 
 years old inquiring of me where her dear papa was, as 
 she had not heard of him for a month. After consider- 
 able difficulty I found her father, he was in the general 
 hospital, and found out from him where his little 
 daughter lived, as she had forgotten to tell that in her 
 letter, supposing I knew all about it. I wrote and told 
 her her father was well. I always answer letters of this 
 kind. I was honored with a very fine serenade the last 
 night of my®stay in the capacity of brigade commander. 
 It was a beautiful moonlight night, and I was sitting in 
 my tent writing some letters, when all at once bands 
 struck up in front of my quarters, playing the perhaps 
 appropriate piece, “We Shall IVIeet, but we Shall I^Iiss 
 Him,” a glee club singing the air and the bands playing 
 the accompaniment. In my going out I found almost 
 
47 
 
 all the officers of my old brigade and a number of others 
 from other regiments and the artillery officers of the 
 battery. They had collected the musicians of the dif- 
 ferent regimental bands, and had come to bid me a part- 
 ing serenade. The evening passed very pleasantly, and 
 if I had as large a place as stepfather’s new house to re- 
 ceive them all in I would have had quite a house full. 
 It was about i o’clock when they left, all of them leav- 
 ing with the kindest expressions of regard. This, my 
 dear sister, is one of those pleasant scenes once in a sol- 
 dier’s life, which repays him for many dangers, hardships 
 and privations, and the recollection of which cheer up 
 and enliven one during many dull and lonely hours. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a VoL, 
 
 Near Dalton, Ga.. May 9th, 1864. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I write this to let you know that I am safe and well. 
 We had a hard fight yesterday and there will be another 
 to-day. Our division lost quite heavily in officers and 
 men. We are now four miles from Dalton and advancing 
 rapidly on that place. The enemy is in strong force 
 there. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a VoL, 
 
 Near Dalton, Ga., May 12th, 1864. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 There has been constant fighting for some days, but 
 it has been confined to not more than one division at a 
 time, for the purpose of securing the different gaps in 
 the mountains held by the Rebels. The loss on both 
 
48 
 
 sides has been heavy, but nothing to what it likely will 
 be in the assault that must soon take place. The loss in 
 killed and wounded in this division so far is 359, in- 
 cluding two colonels and a number of other officers. I 
 think there is little doubt of the immediate capture of 
 Dalton. The i6th Army Corps has got possession of 
 the railroad from Dalton to Atlanta and destoyed it, and 
 are now moving up in the rear of the Rebel army at 
 Dalton, whilst we attack them in front. As this railroad 
 is their main line of communication for supplies, the loss 
 of it to the Rebel army is ver}- great. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We had a severe battle yesterday. Dalton is in 
 possession of our troops. The Rebels are falling back 
 on Atlanta. The fighting is still going on and we are 
 pursuing the Rebels, who will no doubt make another 
 stand at some point. I am safe and well so far; I do not 
 know the number of killed and wounded. I have no 
 time to write more, as we go into the fight. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I write again to let you know that I am still safe and 
 quite well. I have passed through the fighting so far 
 unhurt; we have had terrible fighting for the last three 
 days, but we have beaten the Rebels at even,- point. 
 They are falling back on Atlanta and we are in full pur- 
 
 Headqr 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vol., ) 
 Pine Chappie, Ga., May 17th, 1864. j 
 
49 
 
 suit. At the battle of Ressaca, on the 15th, I captured a 
 Rebel battery of four 12-pounders, and brought the guns 
 off with my regiment, in spite of all efforts of the Rebels 
 to prevent it. Our loss was heavy. We took their fort 
 also, it being between our lines and the enemy’s, who 
 made most desperate efforts to save their guns. We had 
 no cover of any kind, as the opening or entrance to the 
 battery faced to and connected with the Rebel works, so 
 I ordered the men to lie down and fire, and no Rebel 
 dared to lift his head above their breastworks, if he did 
 he never lived to tell of it, no man could stay in the bat- 
 tery and live, so at night, having large reinforcements 
 sent me, I set the pioneers to work, under cover of our 
 rifles, and dug away the face of the battery on our side 
 and drew out the guns, four brass 12-pounders, with the 
 limbers, caissons and ammunition. 
 
 I am now in command of a brigade again and have 
 seven regiments, the iiith P. V., 29th P. V., 60th N, 
 Y. V., 78th, I02d, 149th and 137th N. Y. V. The fight- 
 ing lasted three days continuously, and there has been 
 continued skirmishing. We expect to overtake the re- 
 treating Rebel army to-day. We are in advance of the 
 whole army and pushing forward as fast as possible. 
 
 Camp in the Field, near Kingston, Ga., 
 
 May 20th, 1864. j 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 The fighting at the battle of Ressaca lasted three 
 days, and was most desperate on both sides, and resulted 
 in the total rout of the Rebel army. I was selected by 
 
50 
 
 Gen. Hooker to lead the charge on the Rebel batteries, 
 and succeeded in taking the position in the forenoon and 
 holding it until night and brought off the guns of their 
 battery as trophies. After I had charged upon and taken 
 the fort with my own regiment, Gen. Hooker placed me 
 in command of all the troops sent up to hold the posi- 
 tion. I can only describe the fire we received by saying 
 it was terrible. Grape, cannister and rifle balls literally 
 filled the air, I was not touched at all. All, however, 
 were not so fortunate, as blue and gray coats literally 
 covered the ground. How I escaped I do not know, as 
 I had my full uniform on and took the lead. After the 
 battle was over the general requested me not to wear my 
 star bagde, as it was only running an extra risk, so I now 
 wear it on my vest. The Rebels have been driven from 
 every position so far. Tunnel Hill, Buzzard Roost, Mill 
 Creek Gap, Dalton, Ressaca and Kingston. We have 
 had a most severe campaign, constant marching and 
 fighting, day and night, under a sun hot enough to roast 
 eggs. We expeet the Rebels to make a desperate stand 
 at Altoona and again at Atlanta. I have not had my 
 clothes or boots off for the last ten days, except to wash 
 and sleep on the groxind. 
 
 Camp in the Field, near Cassville, Ga., 
 
 May 2 2d, 1864. J 
 
 Dear Mother; 
 
 I believe I told you in my last letter that I was 
 again in command of a brigade, how long I shall con- 
 tinue to do so I do not know. We have had verv hard 
 
51 
 
 fighting, but have been successful so far, and we are fol- 
 lowing the retreating Rebels rapidly. We expect them 
 to make another determined stand near Otowah to-mor- 
 row or next day; it is a strong position, but I think we 
 can take it. The Rebels are about 80,000 strong. 
 
 Camp in the Field, near Dallas, Ga., \ 
 May 24th, 1864. f 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I write you a few lines from the battlefield this 
 evening to let you know that I am safe and quite well. 
 We have had another severe battle here. The fighting 
 lasted two days, commencing at 10 a. m. yesterday and 
 continued until dusk this evening. We have driven the 
 Rebels from their position and back about five miles 
 with severe loss. Our loss was also heavy. My brigade 
 was engaged during both days’ fighting, and has suffered 
 severely in killed and wounded. Every man from 
 Warren in the iiith Regiment, excepting myself, is 
 either killed or wounded. Although I was fully exposed 
 on horseback during the whole fight, I was not touched 
 at all. We are now only 35 miles from Atlanta, and 
 hope to reach that place in three days more, but I think 
 we shall have some hard fighting yet before we reach it. 
 I have seen some desperate and bloody scenes, such as I 
 do not wish to see again. 
 
 On the Battlefield, near Dallas, [ 
 May 29th, 1864. ) 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 As I presume you will be anxious on my account, I 
 sit down to write again, to let you know that I am still 
 
52 
 
 safe and well. The fighting is still going on all around, 
 and the balls, shells and grape shot are flying past 
 thickly as I write this. This makes the fifth day that 
 my brigade has been constantly engaged in fighting 
 without cessation or rest. The battle commenced on 
 the 25th inst. at 10 a. m. and continued on the 26th, 
 27th, 28th and 29th, and up to this time is still going 
 on. Yesterday the enemy made a determined charge on 
 my brigade under cover of a most severe artillery fire, 
 but we repulsed them with heavy loss. We also drove 
 their gunners from their guns and held their battery all 
 day and the sharpshooters of my brigade still hold them, 
 so that no man can load the cannon. The entire battle 
 ground is thick woods and the lines of both armies are 
 now entrenched and are only about 20 rods apart. The 
 Rebel works are strong, but I expect an attempt will be 
 made to carry them by assault in front and in flank at 
 the same time. We occupy the front. Our di\dsion has 
 lost over 1,000 men in killed and wounded in the last 
 two weeks. The iiith, which is in this brigade, has also 
 lost heavily. All in it from Warren are killed or 
 wounded. The Rebels have their whole army here, and 
 oiir strength is about equal. Our army has been suc- 
 cessful thus far. I think the enemy intend to make this 
 their last and most desperate stand. 
 
 Headquarters 3d Brig., 2d Div., 20th A. C. [ 
 Near iVltoona, Ga., June 2d, 1864. ) 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We have just passed through one of the hardest 
 times it has been my fortune to witness since I have 
 
53 
 
 been in the service. Our Corps — the 20th — attacked the 
 enemy on the 25th, and it has been constant fighting 
 from that time until last night. We have been under 
 fire constantly day and night for eight days, and am 
 happy to inform you that I am still spared to fight again, 
 being unhurt and quite well. I have nqt been off duty 
 a minute since I left home. We have been successful 
 thus far and have driven the enemy steadily back, but 
 we shall have hard fighting yet. We are about 30 miles 
 from Atlanta. The iiith has lost 94 killed and 
 woiinded. My brigade loss is 400; the 2d Division 1175. 
 I am sorry to part with so many brave men as we have 
 lost in this campaign. Warren has suffered severely, 
 but their friends will have the consolation of knowing 
 that they fell whilst nobly doing their duty. I got 
 through the kindness of the Hon. Morrow B. Lowery, of 
 Erie, a recommendation to the Secretary of War for pro- 
 motion, signed by nearly all the members of the Penn- 
 sylvania Senate and House of Representatives, but I feel 
 about as proud of my “Old Eagles,” who have been 
 through so much fire, as I should be of a star. Maj. 
 Gen. Hooker paid me a visit yesterday and stayed about 
 an hour. He is well pleased with our progress thus far. 
 This makes thirty-one days we have been constantly on 
 the march or fighting, and during that time I have not 
 had my clothes or boots off, except to wash and sleep on 
 the ground, when I can get time to sleep. 
 
54 
 
 Headquarters 3d Brig., 2d Div., 20th A. C. ) 
 Camp near Kenesaw Mountain, June 4th, 1864. f 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I take advantage of the departure of Capt. Green, 
 late of my brigade staff, who leaves this morning for 
 Philadelphia, to write and let you know that I am still 
 alive and well. There it every prospect of more hard 
 fighting here very soon, as the Rebels hold a very strong 
 position on our front, and from where I am writing I 
 can see them in plain sight on the hills planting their 
 batteries less than half a mile distant. 
 
 Headquarters 3d Brig., 2d Div., 20th A. C. ) 
 Ackworth, Ga., June 5th, 1864. f 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 The fighting is now over for a few days. We have 
 driven the Rebels from all their positions, and they are 
 again falling back. Our troops now hold Altoona, Ack- 
 worth and will occupy Marietta this morning. It is 20 
 miles from Atlanta. I presume the Rebels will make 
 one more stand before reaching Atlanta, perhaps at the 
 river, eight miles from that point. We now have unin- 
 terrupted railroad communication here as soon as the 
 bridge is rebuilt, which will be done in a day or two. 
 
 Camp in the Woods, near Marietta, Ga., [ 
 June 9th, 1864. ) 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I am busy making out my official reports of the late 
 battles and getting my command in readiness for another 
 advance on the enemy, as we are to advance at daybreak 
 in the morning . 
 
55 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a VoL, ) 
 Near Marietta, Ga., June 17th, 1864, 5 a. m. | 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Our Corps — the 20th — has had another severe en- 
 gagement with the Rebels. At noon of the 15th inst. 
 we attacked them and a severe fight took place, which 
 lasted till after dark. We drove them steadily back for 
 near two miles, taking their works as we advanced and 
 driving them into their rear line of works, which was 
 very strong, with sharp stakes driven in front at an 
 angle of 15°, very sharp and difficnlt to pass. We hold 
 the position, planted batteries and built breastworks 
 also, under fire. The fighting continued between our 
 batteries and sharpshooters and those of the enemy all 
 day yesterday and until i a. m. this morning, and by 4 
 o’clock the Johnnie Rebs had made a masterly advance 
 on Atlanta by the rear rank, and I now write sitting on 
 their breastworks to the music of our cannon, which are 
 thundering on their rear, admonishing them to hurry 
 up. They will stand again at the river, if not before. 
 This kind of work is very tiresome, and all feel one day 
 older than we did yesterday at this time, but we intend 
 to follow them np, as they say in Georgia “Right 
 Sharp.” I do not know our exact loss, but think it will 
 not exceed 15 or 20 in the iiith and 125 in the brigade. 
 It has pleased the Almighty to bring me through this 
 fight unhurt and quite well. 
 
56 
 
 tleadquarters iiith Penii’a Vol., ) 
 June 20th, 1864. f 
 
 Dear Mohter; 
 
 I wrote to you on the 17th, immediate!}' after our 
 fighting of the 15th and i6th, and on the morning of the 
 1 8th we again drove the Rebels from their breastworks, 
 and yesterday, the 19th, we again attacked them with 
 same result. Our loss in these last engagements I do 
 not think very large, but when you take it into consid- 
 eration that we have a fight or skirmish ever\- day, it 
 will be easy to see that the members of my regiment are 
 decreasing very fast. I left Bridgeport on the 3d of May 
 with an effective force of 573 officers and men for duty, 
 and at roll call this morning they niimbered all told, 
 officers and men, 250. Of the number lost 130 have 
 been killed or wounded in battle, the rest sent to the 
 rear as sick and worn out. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vol., 
 
 June 23th, 1864. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 I write to let you know we have had another fight, 
 yesterday and this morning. We attacked the Rebel 
 breastworks and drove them out again. Our loss was 
 only two officers and 10 men in the iiith. The Rebel 
 loss was very heavy. We have gained a very important 
 position. I was not hurt, and am as usual, quite well. 
 Please excuse this poor letter, it is the best I can do this 
 time. 
 
57 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a VoL, 
 
 IMillgrove, Ga., July 4th, 1864. 
 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 Yesterday morning before daylight the Rebels again 
 retreated from their breastworks, where they have held 
 out so long, and where there has been so much hard 
 fighting. They had four lines of strong earthworks. I 
 think they are the strongest I ever saw, but at last we 
 outflanked them, and they had to make another hast}’ 
 retreat. I happened to be General Officer of the Day, 
 and in charge of all the pickets and skirmishers of the 
 division, and about midnight I received notice from 
 headquarters that it was expected the enemy would 
 evacuate their works that night, as two corps of our army 
 were then on their left flank, and they would be attacked 
 on that flank. Our position was near the center of their 
 line and so close to it that I could throw a stone into 
 their first line of works. I immediately visited every 
 picket post and ordered onr men to cease firing and not 
 to return the Rebel fire, as I wished to find out if possi- 
 ble if they were moving to the rear. You can readily 
 imagine that this sort of duty is not very pleasant. At 
 the least mistake in going from one post to another, 
 through the woods and in the dark — to carry a light 
 would be certain death— wonld bring you into the 
 enemy’s lines, and a constant fire is kept up on ever}’ 
 thing seen or heard, and the whistle of minie balls 
 is constantly heard. Between i and2 o’clock the fire 
 of the Rebel pickets ceased, and with the exception of 
 
58 
 
 an occasional shot along the line — which extended for 
 several miles — all was still. As soon as daylight came 
 sufficient to see to move, I ordered the whole line of 
 skirmishers forward, going myself in command of them. 
 It was a time of fearful suspense to all of us, the few 
 moments occupied in passing from our own line of 
 works to the first line of the enemy’s, as we did not of 
 course know whether we should occupy the works with- 
 out opposition, or whether we should be fired on and 
 driven dack the Rebels, but we met with no opposi- 
 tion, all was still and we entered their first line of works 
 without difficialty. I immediately sent a dispatch to the 
 general informing him of the fact. When I received 
 orders to push the skirmishers forward and ascertain if 
 possible the movements of the enemy, I moved the line 
 forward at once and passed over three more lines of the 
 strongest kind of breastworks, on the side of the 
 hill, one above the other. The upper one was 
 a work of the stronges kind, with strong redouts 
 for cannon at intervals along the whole line, 
 and sharp pointed stakes driven in the front, so 
 as to render it almost impossible to get into it 
 even when unoccupied. It would have cost us thousands 
 of lives to have taken their works by assault in front. 
 On entering the upper line of works I found every in- 
 dication of a hasty retreat of its former defenders. The 
 works bore strong indications of heavy loss on the part 
 of the Rebels in wounded, and I saw a large number of 
 fresh graves along the line. One Johnnie Reb who had 
 
59 
 
 not been qnick enough with liis breakfast, we captured. 
 From him I learned that the Rebel army commenced 
 moving aboitt midnight on the right, and that all were 
 ordered to fall back as soon as possible, but he did not 
 know where they were^ordered to. I ordered my line of 
 skirmishers forward towards the railroad, four miles dis- 
 tant, and after going rapidly about half a mile I came up 
 with the rear guard of Cheatham’s division of Gen. 
 Aood’s corps, composed mostly of cavalry, who were 
 hurrying up all before them. I immediately fired into 
 them, which compliment they returned and hurried off. 
 We followed up as rapidly as possible in skirmish order, 
 sheltering my men from their fire and firing on them at 
 every opportunity and taking some of them prisoners at 
 almost every step. We annoyed them much the same as a 
 swarm of bees would a mad bull. In this way the fight 
 continued until we reached the railroad, where the Rebels 
 made a stand and brought their artillerj^ to the rear, 
 srtpported by a strong infantry force, and opened a fire of 
 musketry and artillery on us with shell and grape and 
 canister. Being determined not to give it up, I posted 
 my men behind trees, stumps, etc., and returned their 
 fire with impunity, as they were exposed to sight and 
 could not see one of our men. Gen. Geary hearing the 
 artillery, immediately sent one section of Knapp’s bat- 
 tery to our assistance, and as soon as that opened fire the 
 enemy immediately retreated, leaving us in possession 
 of the field. I received orders to withdraw my skirmish- 
 ers, as our division was ordered to Millgrove. In this 
 
6o 
 
 affair we captured 150 Rebel prisoners and brought them 
 back with its. Among those killed was one colonel of 
 a Georgia regiment. The Rebels lost very heavily, whilst 
 our loss was very trifling, none killed and but few 
 wounded. I received the compliments of some Reb in 
 the shape of a minie ball through my coat, on the right 
 side, but it did not touch my body, but made a job for 
 the tailor, instead of the doctor. A large number of 
 prisoners were taken to-day, and I think Sherman will 
 order an attack this evening or in the morning on the 
 Rebel lines, as they are in plain sight of us again. The 
 movements of this army has been very successful, and 
 although the whole army has not been engaged at one 
 time, still the fighting has been as severe for those that 
 were engaged as any there has been in the Army of the 
 Potomac. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vet. Vol., \ 
 Near Curing’s Station, Ga., July 8th, 1864. j 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 Judging from the few newspapers that I see I think 
 you do not hear much of the operations of this army. 
 The movements of the Army of the Potomac has en- 
 grossed the attention of all the Northern and Eastern 
 papers. One reason of this is that Gen. Sherman has 
 banished all regular newspaper correspondents from the 
 army. All of them have to go to Virginia or remain out 
 of employment. The campaign here has presented 
 many difficulties and hardships, of which the Potomac 
 army knows nothing. Sherman’s army numbers to-day 
 
6i 
 
 not far from one hundred and twenty thousand men. 
 There has been no general engagement yet w'here all 
 this force has been engaged at one time, as has been the 
 case with our old comrades in Virginia. The fighting 
 here has generally been confined to a portion of the army 
 at a time, and has in every instance been assaults upon 
 formidable positions strongly fortified. We are now far 
 from our base of supplies — about two hundred and fifty 
 miles — and the whole distance through the enemy’s 
 country. We have been for over two months constantly 
 on the march or fighting, and have driven the enemy 
 and compelled them to leave every position they have 
 taken, extending over one hundred miles. The fortifi- 
 cations from which they have been driven were consid- 
 ered by them as impregnable. They were not works 
 hastily constructed by the soldiers — as was the case 
 with us — but have occupied the labor of thousands of 
 black and white, under the direction and supervision of 
 experienced engineer officers, and have been finished 
 long since in anticipation of a repulse. It is difficult to 
 conceive of stronger positions than some of these we 
 have taken, and we have more of them to take yet. Our 
 corps — the 20th — has certainly done more and harder 
 fighting than any other corps in the army, and Hooker’s 
 men are well known for their fighting qualities. The 
 corps has lost one-half its number since it left Bridge- 
 port on the 3d of May last. I have never seen more des- 
 perate and bloody fighting than I have seen in Georgia. 
 I have seen hundreds, yes thousands fall in but a few 
 
62 
 
 minutes, and yet seen even the least mention of it in the 
 papers, other than Sherman’s laconic dispatches to Sec- 
 retary Stanton of his having made an assault at such a 
 time and place. It is very different with the Anny of 
 the Potomac. There every battle, skirmish or move- 
 ment of any kind is fully described in all the papers, 
 with all the incidents and details, while we look in vain 
 for any account of our movements. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vet. Vols., 1 
 Nickajack Creek, Ga., July 6th, 1864. / 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We have come up with the Rebel army in a strong 
 position, which they have had fortified for some time 
 past ready to fall back to. Our artillery are now shell- 
 ing their works and they will be driven out of them be- 
 fore long. A large number of the Rebels have been 
 taken prisoners in the last few days. It is only nine 
 miles from here to Atlanta, and this morning I had the 
 pleasure of seeing the spires of the churches and some of 
 the buildings in the town for the first time, so }’ou see 
 we are at least in sight of the objective point of this 
 campaign. It may be weeks before we get possession of 
 the place, but it is now only a question of time. I think 
 the result is certain and hope we shall have an oppor- 
 tunity to rest them. 
 
 How soon he was to take a long last rest, 
 
 The rest that he had needed for so long; 
 
 It fell soon, and was it welcome too? 
 
 We have no means to judge, but deem it was 
 
 A life of trouble from the verj- first. 
 
63 
 
 Cared more for others than he did for self, 
 
 Self-sacrifice impress'd on all his deeds; 
 
 We feel his gentle spirit did not blend 
 With the sad scenes of strife in which he mix’d. 
 
 His heart, it was at variance with strife. 
 
 In other things was gentleness itself; 
 
 Forbearent even to the greatest wrong 
 That man can meet with from his fellow men, 
 
 Ingratitude and treachery, ’tis said. 
 
 And truly — as we have the means to know — 
 
 ’Twas only duty call’d him to the field. 
 
 And duty kept him foremost to the last. 
 
 As Nelson, and as other gentle hearts. 
 
 Exemplar of the motto of his race: 
 
 “Spirit is Noble,’’ as it was in him. 
 
 Under which renown has been won before 
 By his progenitors, at Smithfield one. 
 
 In the crusades, as in intestine war 
 ’Twixt rival Roses, one on Basworth field 
 At Paris, with the Duke of Burgundy, 
 
 At Calias, too, one saved the English cause. 
 
 Not one of whom was braver than himself; 
 
 And few there be as pure, as kind, as good. 
 
 And died a hero, in his country’s cause. 
 
 To the regret of comrades of all grades. 
 
 With the respect of all his fellow men; 
 
 The country, too, express’d its gratitude. 
 
 By gift of stars, he had so nobly earn’d, 
 
 In which the House and Senate both concur’d, 
 
 But all too late to gladden his sad life, 
 
 He fell, not knowing all the praise he won. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vet. Vol., 
 Chatteroochie River, Ga., July 13th, 1864. 
 Dear Mother: 
 
 We have had no fighting for the last few days, and 
 I am of the opinion that we shall have an opportunity to 
 
64 
 
 rest for a short time. The enemy have been driven into 
 their works around Atlanta, and our troops are now but 
 a short distance from it. The campaign thus far has 
 
 been a complete success. What the next move will be 
 
 I do not know. All the troops have gone into camp and 
 we are enjoying the first rest we have had for two 
 months. I have sent back for my baggage, and hope 
 soon to have my clothes and writing desk with me again 
 for a short time at least. I have never before been so 
 badly off for all the comforts of life as I have been on 
 this campaign. All the clothes I have been able to carr}- 
 with me was what I could put into the small round 
 valise at the back of my saddle, namely, one shirt, two 
 pairs of socks, which with some soap, a couple of towels 
 and a tooth brush completed my outfit. I think you 
 must be tired of reading the same old stor}’ of fighting, 
 skirmishing, marches, etc., but that has been the order 
 of the day with us, and I see but little else. I shall be 
 very glad when I can write and say that the last battle 
 has been fought and that the war is over. I was visited 
 the other day by two officers who belonged in the Second 
 Brigade of the I2th Army Corps during all the time that 
 I, commanded it — over a year. They handed me a paper 
 and requested me to read it, which I did, and you may 
 imagine I was somewhat surprised to find that it was a 
 request to the Secretaiy^ of War for Col. Cobham to be 
 promoted to the rank of Brigadier General of \"olunteers, 
 and signed by eveiy’ one of the surviving officers of the 
 old brigade. It happened that all the regiments that 
 
65 
 
 formerly composed it were camped near together and 
 the officers of the 29th Penn’a Vols. — which are from 
 Philadelphia — drew np the paper and all the other offi- 
 cers of the regiment signed it, entirely unknown to me. 
 They told me they were going to send it on by one 
 of the officers who was going home after having pre- 
 sented it to some others for signature. Although recom- 
 mendations are no use now-a-days, it is certainly very 
 gratifying to know that those who have served with me 
 so long and who have risked their lives so often under 
 m)’ command, should have such a good opinion of me. 
 I feel much obliged to them for the compliment, but as 
 for the promotion, I care but little about it. I think 
 perhaps it is better to be a good colonel than a poor gen- 
 eral. We have plenty of the latter now'. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vet. Voh, i 
 Near iVtlanta, Ga., July nth, 1864. | 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 I am pleased to hear that you have paid my taxes. 
 They do not amount to as much as I supposed. You 
 will, of course, pay them out of my money. I had ex- 
 pected to have been paid by this time, but there is no 
 prospect of it until this campaign is over. As soon as I 
 receive my pay I will forward the money to you by ex- 
 press. Since I wrote last to yon the enetny have been 
 compelled to retreat again and leave most formidable 
 works. The loss in my regiment w'as small, only two 
 wounded. The Rebels are now in their w’orks round 
 Atlanta, i. e. “The Last Ditch,” and the fighting will no 
 
66 
 
 doubt be desperate, but I think Atlanta will fall, and 
 that will end a campaign unparalled in history, where 
 the locomotive and telegraph have followed an invading 
 army to within gunshot of the enemy’s lines. 
 
 Headquarters iiith Penn’a Vet. Vol., ) 
 Near Atlanta, Ga., July 17th, 1864. j 
 
 Dear Brother: 
 
 I am pleased to hear that you have a prospect of 
 getting a situation with a better salary than }-ou had be- 
 fore, and I hope you may be more successful in getting 
 your pay than I was. I will try to get you a still better 
 situation as soon as I can get time to do anything else 
 but fighting. We heard that the Rebels were near Bal- 
 timore and also in Pennsylvania. There is some talk of 
 our corps being sent to drive them out, but I do not be- 
 lieve the report. I only wish they would send me there. 
 The raid will enable the Copperheads of Pennsylvania 
 to see what manner of men their Southern friends are. 
 They will undoubtedly give all their friends along their 
 line of march abundant opportunities to display their 
 hospitality. I have no fears for Pennsylvania. Another 
 Gettysburg can and wall be fought if necessary. The 
 Johnnies will fail to accomplish their object, which is 
 undoubtedly to draw off a portion of Grant’s army. 
 The reported defeat of Hooker’s Corps, some time since, 
 is not true. It has never been defeated or repulsed yet. 
 I have taken part in every fight it has been engaged in, 
 and I oiight to know. I was in the assault on Kenesaw 
 Mountain, and our corps took and held the position it 
 
6? 
 
 was ordered to take. Sherman did not, however, accom- 
 plish all he expected to accomplish, namely, to drive over 
 85,000 men from a strongly intrenched position, on an 
 almost inaccessible mountain, but the movement com- 
 pelled the enemy to leave it during the night. I do not 
 see the object of such false statements being published. 
 The movements of this army have been very successful 
 so far. 1 have just received orders to move immediately, 
 so must close. I am quite well. Please remember me 
 to all at home, and with kind regards to yourself and 
 family, believe me, ever 
 
 Your affectionate brother. 
 
 Geo. a. Cobham, Jr. 
 
 This was the last letter received from Col. Cobham 
 by any member of his family, and I am dependent on 
 the kindness of many of his comrades for the account of 
 his death, which differ very materially. I accept what 
 I believe the most trustworthy, from an old friend of us 
 both, who was also present at the time and so closely 
 connected with the Colonel that he had better oppor- 
 tunity of knowing the actual state of things. 
 
 It seems that the Rebel Gen. Johnson was super- 
 ceded in command by Gen. Hood, whose first movement 
 was aggressive. On the 20th of July Hood marched out 
 with his whole force in dense column to attack our line, 
 in the center of which was an unoccupied space. When 
 the movement was discovered an order came to Col. 
 Cobham, who was commanding the 3d Brigade, to send 
 
68 
 
 a trusty regiment to complete the line, and immediateh’ 
 another, send the iiith Pennsylvania, which he led 
 himself, and reached the point simultaneously with the 
 enemy, and in the encounter, in which the Rebels were 
 repulsed, the Colonel received his death wound from 
 some sharpshooter of the enemy. He was borne to the 
 rear by his comrades, and his last words were, ‘‘How 
 Goes it With the Boys,” and was satisfied with the news 
 of victory. 
 
 ‘•In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, 
 
 With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; 
 
 As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free, 
 While God is marching on.” 
 
 FROM THE IIITH REGIMENT. 
 
 [Warren Mail.] 
 
 We conclude to publish only so much of the long 
 letter from the iiith Regiment as is of a nature personal 
 to the regiment or its officers, because the main facts 
 have already been anticipated bt'^ the newspaper reports 
 from the army. In describing the taking of a battery or 
 temporary fort on the march toward Resaca, the writer 
 says: 
 
 At 5 o’clock P. ]\I. Col. Cobham received a written 
 order from Gen. Hooker to take command of the troops 
 immediately in front of the Rebel works, comprising 
 parts of the ist, 2d and 3d Brigades of the 2d Division, 
 20th Army Corps, and if possible obtain possession of 
 the guns and remove them from the fort. Immediately 
 afterwards he was notified that Col. Ireland was wounded. 
 
69 
 
 when the command of the 3d Brigade also fell upon him 
 by seniority. He immediately turned over the command 
 of the Tilth to Lieut. Col. Walker, and proceeded to 
 execute the order by detailing 50 men without arms, 
 under Lieut. Col. Kirkpatrick, 5th Ohio, to dig down 
 the front of the fort under cover of sharpshooters; 
 after about three hours severe labor amidst a perfect 
 shower of balls from the Rebel breastworks, the guns 
 were drawn out and removed to division headquarters. 
 Too much praise cannot be accorded to the officers and 
 men engaged in this novel undertaking, for the prompt 
 action and coolness displayed under a most severe fire. 
 Capt. Woeltge, Co. I, was killed, and Capt. Wells, Co. 
 F, severely wounded, at the very mouth of the Rebel 
 guns. 
 
 ^ ^ 
 
 June 6th, march through the town of Ackworth and 
 encamp at Big Shanty, near Lost Mountain. Col. Ireland 
 having recovered from the effects of his wound received 
 at the battle of Resaca, relieves Col. Cobham, who again 
 assumes command of the iiith, having gained fresh 
 laurels and added, if it be possible, to the high estima- 
 tion in which he is held as a brigade commander. The 
 reputation our brigade, and particularly the iiith, has 
 acquired for bravery and coolness in action, can be attri- 
 buted to the confidence of both officers and men in the 
 abilities of Col. Cobham and Lieut. Col. Walker as com- 
 manders. 
 
70 
 
 The letter closes by saying: 
 
 Among the numerous instances of personal valor 
 displayed by the officers and men of this regiment, (want 
 of space alone preventing the possibility of giving them 
 in detail), special mention is due Captains Warner, Alex- 
 ander and Blodgett for the manner in which they per- 
 formed the ardous and dangerous duties assigned them, 
 being together with their comrades detailed on the 
 skirmish line in nearly every engagement and were 
 specially noticed in the official reports. The regiment 
 was also highly complimented by Gen. Hooker for their 
 gallant conduct at the battle of Resaca. G. W. 
 
 [The following was published in the Warren Mail 
 shortly after the death of Col. Cobham, and was also 
 copied and printed in the Retanstall, (Eng.) N^ews] : 
 
 BRIGADIER GENERAL GEORGE A. COBHAM. 
 
 Though foreign born, he was an American in all his 
 stern, strong nature — in his love of that Union, Freedom 
 and National Republicanism for which he sacrificed his 
 life. 
 
 When once in the service, Colonel Cobham rose 
 rapidly in position and respect, and became distinguished 
 for courage, fidelity and practical usefulness. The 
 fixrious but fruitless assaiilt on the fortified heights of 
 Fredericksburg — the terrible struggle at Chancellorsville 
 — the masterly beating back of the Rebel invasion at 
 
Gettysburg — the storming of Lookout Mountain, where, 
 as commander of a brigade, he led the advance in that 
 matchless and memorable “battle above the clouds” — 
 and the triumphant advance and series of battles from 
 Chattanooga to Atlanta — all these show him to have 
 been a worthy descendant of any race, and conclusively 
 attest his lofty courage in the hour of danger, his 
 patriotic fidelity to the Union cause and the land of his 
 adoption, and his inflexible purpose to discharge the 
 duties of a citizen and soldier as a brave man should. 
 
 We have seldom known a man more unselfish. De- 
 spising the petty arts by which so many officers become 
 distinguished on paper, he never allowed his doings to 
 be gazetted by army correspondents. Duty was his 
 guiding star; to it he bent all the powers of a strong 
 body and a stronger will. This took him into the ser- 
 vice. This kept him where danger was thickest, attend- 
 ing to the details of the march and the battle, and per- 
 forming much of the hard work for which others got 
 credit. Knowing no fear, he sometimes exposed himself 
 unnecessarily, and more than once narrowly escaped in 
 former battles. 
 
 In the first year of the war, when men were rallying 
 in this country and looking for a leader, he came to us 
 and said, with a sort of religious earnestness which gave 
 us a new idea of the man: “The government must have 
 
 defenders — the rebellion must be put down with a strong 
 hand — somebody must lead these men— if other and bet- 
 ter men do not, I will try.” And he did try'; and he did 
 
72 
 
 succeed. Though unknown beyond his ovv’u neighbor- 
 hood, he infused his own zeal into the hundreds who 
 answered his call. Consolidating these with part of a 
 regiment at Erie, he went in as Lieutenant Colonel and 
 subsequently became Colonel. For a year or so he com- 
 manded a brigade, was strongly recommended by Gens. 
 Hooker, Meade, Geary and others for a Brigadier Gen- 
 eral’s commission, and would have received it long ago 
 had he been willing to push his own just claims to pro- 
 motion. 
 
 In person Colonel George Cobham was tall, muscular 
 and commanding. In his manners he was gentlemanly, 
 unpretending and always easy. In his affections he was 
 as true, confiding and unsuspicious as a child. Always 
 sober, dignified and serious, he knew little of the vices 
 and frivolites of the camp or society, and was too faithful 
 to his high ideal of life to stoop to them. Always polite, 
 the humblest citizen or soldier received from him the 
 same respecthil consideration as an officer of the highest 
 rank. Hence he was the idol of his men and respected 
 by ever}^ officer who didn’t shirk his duty. Having great 
 firmness, he never faltered and generally excelled in 
 whatever he undertook. In short, he was one of those 
 earnest, nnpretending, true, high-minded men, whom we 
 rarely meet. The service and the world wonld be better 
 with more snch men and such soldiers in it. 
 
 As illnstrative of his devotion to the old flag and his 
 love for the regiment, we quote his respone to a toast at 
 a public dinner given him by the citizens of Warren, 
 
73 
 
 when he was at home on a brief visit last winter. It is 
 a model of its kind, and speaks volumes for his volor and 
 his worth. 
 
 Col. Cobham was loudly called for and arose amid a 
 perfect storm of applause. After silence was restored, 
 he said: “Mr. President and Gentlemen — I appreciate 
 
 the honor of the occasion and am grateful for the kind- 
 ness you have shown me. I recognize in this not only 
 a compliment to my own services, but a just tribute to 
 the bravery of the boys whom I have the honor to com- 
 mand. The I nth Regiment have left their blood on 
 nearly every battle field since they were organized. 
 They have endured long marches without a murmur, 
 have faced the enemy again and again without a sign of 
 fear, and stand to-day with a line of bristling bayonets, 
 which is a barrier to Rebel occupation in East Tennessee. 
 The army are determined that the rebebellion shall be 
 put down. (Applause.) I helped to plant the flag on 
 the rugged top of Lookout Mountain, and if God spares 
 my life I will help to make it float from the Potomac to 
 the Gulf. (Great applause.) I will carry back to the 
 boys in the field the report of this reception, and there 
 is not one but will clench his musket with a firmer grasp 
 and vow never to lay it down again until the rebellion 
 is crushed. (Applause.) I again thank you for the 
 honor conferred upon me. I have no words to express 
 my gratitude.” 
 
 Alas! that he was not spared to see and enjoy the 
 full measure of his faith and his ambition. The bravest 
 
74 
 
 and best die soonest. God knows what is best in this 
 sore affliction for our national sin; and while we weep 
 for the early lost, let us learn to emulate their virtues 
 and trust in Him who doeth all things well.” 
 
75 
 
 TRUTH VINDICATED. 
 
 A Just and T^ue Statement in Correction of the 
 Official Records, by Capt. James M. Wells. 
 
 On July 8, 1863, twenty-five years ago, in the city 
 of Frederick, Md., Colonel George A. Cobham, Jr., then 
 commanding the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, 12th Army 
 Corps and myself held an earnest conversation. Stand- 
 ing in front of me, his hands clasping mine, his lips 
 quivering with emotion, he said to me: “Captain, this is 
 hard to bear. That no wrong may possibly be done, 
 however, I shall be silent.” I answered: “Colonel Cob- 
 ham, the truth shall be made known.” To this he 
 answered: “Not now. At the end of twenty-five years, 
 
 if either or both of us be then living, let the truth be 
 made known.” I promised to obey his wish, and we 
 moved on with the moving column in pursuit of Lee 
 and his beaten army. The time has come for me to keep 
 my promise then and there given. 
 
 A few days after the disastrous battle of Chancel- 
 lorsville, Va., fought May i, 2 and 3, 1863, and lost 
 through the incompetency of General O. O. Howard, 
 
?6 
 
 Commander of the nth Army Corps, Colonel George A. 
 Cobham, iiith Pa. Vols., assumed command of the 2d 
 Brigade, 2d Division, 12th Army Corps, Brigadier Gen- 
 erll Thomas L. Kane, as previous commander, having 
 gone home sick on an indefinite leave of absence. Col- 
 onel Cobham commanded the Brigade from then, l\Iay 9, 
 1863, 6 o’clock a. m., July 2, 1863. At that hour, 
 
 just as the head of the brigade column was turning to 
 the right from the Baltimore pike to take the position 
 assigned to it on Culp’s Hill, Brig. Gen. Kane rode into 
 our midst in an ambulance of the 2d Army Corps and 
 took command of the brigade. Colonel Cobham imme- 
 diately assumed command of his own regiment, the iiith 
 Pa. Vols. Within a few minutes thereafter, while the 
 brigade was still in motion toward the position assigned 
 to it, Lieut. Col. Thomas J. Leiper, of General Kane's 
 staff, came to Colonel Cobham and, in my presence, de- 
 livered an order from General Kane for him. Colonel 
 Cobham, to resume command of the 2d Brigade, as he. 
 General Kane, was too unwell to continue in command. 
 Colonel Cobham went to General Kane for further ex- 
 planation and received from him in my presence, a sec- 
 ond order to resume command of the brigade. Thus 
 ordered. Colonel Cobham turned over the command of 
 his regiment, the iiith Pa. Vols., to Lieut. Col. Thomas 
 M. Walker, and resumed command of his brigade. He 
 lead it forward to the position assigned to it in line of 
 battle, conducted the work of the brigade in the con- 
 struction of breastworks, commanded and personally 
 
11 
 
 superintended ever^' movement of the brigade from a 
 few minutes after 6 o’clock a. m., July 2, 1863, to the 
 close of the battle of Gettysburg. Every order issued to 
 the regimental commanders of the brigade during the 
 battle was given by him. Every change in the line of 
 battle of the brigade was made by his order and under 
 his personal supervision. The fighting of the brigade 
 was done under his eye, under his leadership, in his pres- 
 ence. Its prowess on the field was due to his masterly 
 arrangement of the brigade line, to his personal super- 
 vision of every detail in the movements of the troops, to 
 his inspiring and steadying presence among the men. 
 The character of the fighting done by the brigade, under 
 his leadership at that battle, is attested by the punish- 
 ment inflicted upon the enemy, by their repeated re- 
 pulses, their overthrow and rout. 
 
 General Kane remained with the brigade during 
 the battle, sitting near Colonel Cobham most of the time. 
 He did not command the brigade, he did not issue an 
 order during the battle, he took no part in the move- 
 ment of the troops, he in no way influenced the fighting 
 of the brigade, he was simply an on-looker. 
 
 July 4, 1863, was spent by the members of the 2d 
 Brigade, under orders from Col. Cobham in the burial of 
 the Union and the Rebel dead thickly strewing the field. 
 On July 5 the brigade, under the command of Colonel 
 Cobham, moved from Culp’s Hill, where it had done its 
 duty under his leadership, marched to Eittlestown, Pa., 
 
78 
 
 and encamped. On July 6, Brigadier General Thomas 
 L. Kane wrote and submitted the following report: 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. ) 
 Near Littlestown, Pa., July 6, 1863. f 
 
 Captain: 
 
 I respectfully enclose two of the special reports or- 
 dered of the commanders of regiments of my brigade. 
 The report of the iiith Regiment Pa. Vols. has not yet 
 been received. I assumed command at 6 a. m. on the 
 morning of the 2d inst., communication with the army 
 having been cut off so completely by Stuart’s cavalry 
 that I succeeded with great difficulty in making my way 
 through to their lines in citizen’s dress. 
 
 I have to express my thanks to Colonel Cobham, 
 I nth Pa. Vols., who commanded the brigade in my ab- 
 sence, for the high state of efficiency in which I found 
 it. I have recommended this most deserving officer for 
 promotion. The brigade was ordered forward into line 
 with the rest of the division soon after my arrival, and 
 before sundown threw up a substantial breastwork as 
 directed upon the excellent position assigned them. At 
 twilight we were removed to the batteries on the turn- 
 pike and shortly after ordered to return to our former 
 position. On entering the wood, within two hundred 
 paces of our breastwork, we were met by a sharp fire, 
 which we supposed to come from the First Brigade, mis- 
 led by the darkness. The men were, therefore, ordered 
 not to reply, but withdraw to the turnpike and marched 
 in by another road. We moved directly to the position 
 
79 
 
 of the 3d Brigade (where the noble Greene, by his resist- 
 ance against overwhelming odds, it should be remem- 
 bered, saved the army), and making our way past 
 Greene’s right, were again fired upon, thus discovering 
 that the enemy had entire possession of our works. 
 Their front was then opposite Greene’s right flank, he 
 holding them there. There was nothing to be done but 
 to connect with Greene, fold down to the right along the 
 best ground offering, and strengthen the right flank as 
 much as possible. The attack in force upon us com- 
 menced at 3:30 a. m. July 3d. The Confederate Major 
 General Johnson’s division led, followed by Rhodes’. 
 The statement by our prisoners is that they advanced in 
 three lines, but they appeared to us only as closed in 
 mass. We ceased firing occasionally for a minute or two 
 to induce the enemy to come out of advantageous posi- 
 tions, where they paid for their temerity, but with this 
 exception kept up a fire of unintermitting strength for 
 seven hours, until about 10:30 o’clock, when the enemy 
 made their last determined effort by charging in column 
 of regiments. Their advance was Stuart’s brigade of 
 Johnson’s division. The ist Maryland Battalion (Con- 
 federate States) left most of their dead in line with our 
 own. It can not be denied that they behaved courage- 
 ously. Our own loss was 23 killed and 73 wounded. 
 Twenty men have been missing since we were fired on 
 in the woods on Thursday night. After this repulse the 
 enemy fell back, and, although they kept up a desultory 
 
8o 
 
 fire for some time after, it was plain, as tlie result proved, 
 that the battte was over. 
 
 By the accompanying report of Lieut W. H. WTiite, 
 Co. G. 29th Pa. Vols,, you will see that the number of 
 Enfield rifles left by the enemy on an area of about two 
 acres in front of our second position was 1803. The re- 
 ports of bur}fing parties will probably show that not less 
 than 500 men were left dead there. The whole number 
 of men of my brigade who were in this action was 632. 
 They justified their reputation as marksmen. I have not 
 the name of a single straggler or recreant reported to 
 me. Ever\- ofiBcer and man of my command did his 
 duty, and I must on this account refuse myself the privi- 
 lege of naming particular any of the numerous examples 
 of heroism which I witnessed. I should acknowledge 
 the valuable ser\fices of Lieuts. Thomas J. Leiper and J. 
 Spencer Smith, of my staff. In the absence of Capt. J. 
 P. Green, Asst Adjt. Gen., Lieut. Leiper served as act- 
 ing Asst Adjt. Gen. with unvarying ability. 
 
 The few we had killed were unhappily among our 
 best men. Second Lieut Edward J. Har\ ey, Co. K, 29th 
 Pa Vols., was a man of fine mind and elevated character. 
 Lieut. ;McKeever, Co. A, 29th Pa Vols., an ardent patriot 
 and faithful ofificer; Sergeant Iffajor Charles H. Lefford, 
 29th Pa Vols., a youth of the fairest promise; Color Ser- 
 geant John E. Greenwood, 109th; Sergeants E. F. Allen, 
 iiith, and Anthony E. Thomas, Edward M. Summer- 
 camp and Jacob Lower, 29th; Corporal Louder, 29th; 
 and Privates John Sherman, Moreland Campbell, Charles 
 
8i 
 
 John M. Richardson, iiith; Casper H. Warner, 
 Thos. Acton, Robert Hews, Robert Luckhart, John 
 Applegate, John Watson, Emannel IMcLaughlin; James 
 Morrow, 29th; Thomas Ocks and Delancey Veale, 109th; 
 were all patriotic and brave men, whose loss is seriously 
 to be deplored. Young Veale, often noticed for his 
 singularly handsome and bright countenance, was Adju- 
 tant’s clerk of his regiment, but insisted on going into 
 action with his rifle. 
 
 Ver\- respectfully your obedient seiwant, 
 
 Thomas L. Kane, 
 Brigadier U. S. Volunteers. 
 Capt. Thomas H. Elliott, 
 
 Assistant Adjutant General. 
 
 The conversation July 8, 1863, between myself and 
 Colonel Cobham, was in regard to the foregoing report. 
 I asked him whether he had finished his report of the 
 part taken by his brigade in the battle of Gettysburg. 
 He answered that he had made no report, that Brig. 
 Gen’l Thomas E. Kane had taken that honor upon ’nim- 
 self and had made a report. Realizing the position in 
 which he had been placed by the action of General Kane, 
 keenly alive to what that action brought to him, he 
 spoke as I have VTritten, and added; ^'Captain Wells^ 
 having commanded this brigade throughout the greatest 
 and most hnportant battle in the annals of the ivorld^ I 
 shall not be knozvn in history as having been a partici- 
 pant in the battle. Lieut. Col. Walker reports the part 
 
82 
 
 taken in the battle by the iiith Pa. Vols.., and Brig. 
 GeiHl Thomas L. Kane reports the part enacted by this 
 brigade. Where am I? Where shall I appear? I 
 certainly fought at Gettysburg.'''’ The pathos of these 
 words as they fell from his quivering lips can not be ex- 
 pressed. Other words were spoken by him, personal to 
 myself, which have no place here. The wrong done 
 him, however, unwittingly it may have been, was to be 
 in part repaired, and in a way of which he then had no 
 knowledge. On August 12, 1863, a circular order was 
 issued by the commander of the army. Major General 
 George C. Meade, in compliance with which. Colonel 
 Cobham on August 15, 1863, wrote and submitted the 
 following report: 
 
 Headquarters 2d Brig., 2d Div., 12th A. C. 
 
 Near Ellis’ Ford, Rappahannock River, 
 
 August 15, 1863. 
 
 CaptAin: 
 
 In compliance with circular order from Head- 
 quarters Army of the Potomac, August 12th, 1863, I 
 have the honor to submit the following report of the 
 movements of the brigade from June 28 to July 26: 
 
 At 4 o’clock on the morning of June 29 the brigade 
 broke camp about one mile from Frederick City, Md., 
 marching through Frederick, Walkersville, Woodsbor- 
 ough, Pipeville and Brueville, and encamped for the 
 night, having marched 20 miles. On the 30th, marched 
 to Fittlestown, Pa., 15 miles. July i, marched by the 
 Baltimore turnpike to Two Tavenis, and from there to 
 
83 
 
 within about two miles from Gettysburg, when the 
 brigade was placed in position, by direction of Brigadier 
 General Geary commanding division, on the crest of a 
 bill overlooking part of the battlefield, and in support of 
 a battery stationed on a hill. Here the troops lay on 
 their arms during the night. 
 
 About 6 o’clock on the morning of July 2, Brigadier 
 General Kane arrived on the field in an ambulance of the 
 Second Army Corps, and assumed command of the 
 brigade. I then took command of my own regiment, 
 the I nth Pa. Vols., but in a few minutes General Kane 
 sent me an order by one of his aides, Lieut. Leiper, to 
 resume the command of the brigade. I reported to the 
 General, when he repeated the order to me. I accordingly 
 turned over the command of my regiment to Lieut. Col. 
 Walker and resumed the command. General Kane being 
 too much prostrated to continue it. However, he gal- 
 lantly remained on the field, although too feeble to re- 
 sume the arduous duties of his post. 
 
 Orders were then received to move forward into line 
 with the rest of the division. An excellent position was 
 chosen for us by General Geary, connecting on the left 
 with the 3d Brigade, on a heavy wooded hill, where we 
 threw up a breastwork of logs, stone and earth, running 
 at right angles to those of the 3d Brigade. The position 
 was a strong one, and admirably located to command the 
 approaches by Rock Creek. Here we remained till 
 evening, when we were ordered to the support of the 3d 
 Corps; blit, before marching a mile this order was count- 
 
84 
 
 ermanded, and I was directed to return to onr former 
 position. On the head of the column entering the wood, 
 it was fired upon from behind the stone wall in the rear 
 of our breastworks, which the enemy had taken posses- 
 sion of during our absence. Not being certain whether 
 the fire came from the enemy or our own division (it 
 being dark), I withdrew the brigade to the pike and 
 marched further up the road, and entering the woods in 
 the rear of the 3d Brigade, took a position in line nearly 
 at a right angle with our breastworks, sheltered in a 
 great part of the line by a ledge of rocks, and connect- 
 ing on the left with the 3d Brigade, thus partially enfi- 
 lading the enemy’s position. The 147th Pa. Vols. of 
 the 1st Brigade, which arrived soon after, took position 
 on our right, which position they resolutely held during 
 the heavy attack next morning. At 3 o’clock next 
 morning, July 3, the enemy’s skirmishers commenced 
 firing on us, by 4 o’clock the firing had become general 
 along the whole line on both sides. The regiments re- 
 lieved one another, one at a time, long enough to re- 
 plenish their supply of ammunition and wipe out their 
 rifles. The firing was kept np briskly on both sides 
 with but little intermission till about 10 o’clock a. m., 
 when a desperate charge was made on our lines. The 
 enemy advanced in columns, closed in mass, determined 
 to make one last desperate effort to drive us back at the 
 point of the bayonet. They were, however, driven back 
 with heavy loss, and retired in confusion, retiring beyond 
 the line of breastworks. 
 
85 
 
 The brigade was now relieved for a short time by a 
 brigade of the 6th Army Corps. About 2 p. m. the bri- 
 gade again took possession of the breastworks, relieving 
 the other brigade (Shaler’s). Occasional firing was kept 
 up during the night, and by daylight the enemy with- 
 drew from the front of our lines. The 29th, the 109th 
 and the iiith Regiments, Pennsylvania Volunteers, are 
 deserving of much praise for their courage and good 
 conduct during the severe fire to which they were ex- 
 posed. Col. Rickards, 29 Pa. Vols., Lieut. Col. Walker^ 
 I nth Pa. Vol., and Capt. Gimber, 109th, who com- 
 manded the regiment, also deserve special mention for 
 their gallant conduct on this occasion. Our loss was 23 
 killed, 66 wotinded and 9 missing. On the 4th the 
 brigade remained on the battlefield; burial parties were 
 sent out with every available pick and shovel to bury 
 the dead. Our own, as well as a large number of the 
 enemy’s, were buried, but a very' large number of the 
 Rebel dead were left unburied on the field. 
 
 On the 5th, left the battlefield and marched to 
 Littlestown, 10 miles. 
 
 July 7, left camp, and, marching through Brace- 
 ville, Pipeville, Woodsborough and Walkersville, en- 
 camped for the night; distance 26 miles. 
 
 July 8, started at 4:30 a. m., marched through 
 Frederick and Jefferson; distance 18 miles. 
 
 July 9, broke camp at 5 a. m. marched to Burkes- 
 ville, crossed the Blue Ridge at Crampston Gap, en- 
 camped at Rohrersville; distance 9 miles. 
 
86 
 
 July lo, started at 5 a. m., marched through 
 Keedysville, and took up position in line on right of the 
 ist Brigade, near the edge of a piece of woods. July ii, 
 advanced about 3 miles; took position on the left of 
 line of battle, threw out skirmisners in front and on the 
 left flank. 
 
 July 12, changed position about one mile to the 
 right. July 13, about i a. m. again changed position 
 half a mile to the right, on a rise of ground near Saint 
 James’ College and Marsh Run. Here an excellent and 
 substantial breastwork of rails and earth was constructed 
 under the personal direction and supervision of the Gen- 
 eral commanding the division. July 14, the brigade re- 
 mained in the entrenchments ready to support the troops 
 that advanced on the enemy’s position at 5 a. m. of this 
 day. 
 
 July 15, left entrenchments about 7 a. m., marched 
 through Sharpsburg and past the Antietam Iron Works 
 and encamped near the foot of the IVIaryland Heights, 
 having marched 17 miles. Jul}^ 16, left camp at 5 a. m. 
 and marched by way of Harper’s Ferry to Pleasant Val- 
 ley, where we encamped, and remained until the 19th, to 
 obtain necessary clothing and equippage for the troops; 
 distance, 9 miles. 
 
 July 19, broke camp at 4 a. m.; crossed the Potomac 
 and the Shenandoah at Harper’s Ferr}’, and marched up 
 London Valley to near Hillsborough, Va., distance, 15 
 miles. July 20, left at 4:30 a. m.; marched through 
 Woodgrove and Slabtown and encamped near Snicker's 
 
87 
 
 Gap, remaining until the 23d; distance, about 10 miles; 
 broke camp at 5 a. m. marching through Snickersville to 
 Upperville and Paris, relieving a brigade of the Second 
 Anny Corps stationed at Ashby’s Gap; left at 3:30 p. m. 
 and, marching through Milltown and Forestville, en- 
 campdd for the night near Manassas Gap; distance 
 marched, 23 miles. 
 
 July 24, marched through Manassas Gap to near 
 Front Royal, and returned and encamped for the night 
 near Piedmont; distance, 18 miles. July 25, left camp at 
 5:30 a. m. and marched through White Plains to near 
 Thoroughfare Gap and encamped for the night; distance, 
 16 miles. July 26, marched at 5 a. m. through 
 Thoroughfare Gap, Haymarket, Greenwich and Catlett’s 
 Station, and encamped near Warrenton Junction, dis- 
 tance, 22 miles. 
 
 The distance marched from June 28 to July 26 was 
 25034 miles. 
 
 Very respectfully your obedient servant. 
 
 Geo. a. Cobham, Jr., 
 Colonel Commaning 2d Brigade. 
 Capt. Thomas H. Elliott, 
 
 A. A. A. G. 2d Div., 12 Army Corps. 
 
 Both of the foregoing reports have been taken from 
 the official records of the War Department, Washington, 
 D. C. History, as generally seen and read, records 
 Brigadier General Thomas E. Kane as the commander 
 of the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, 12th Army Corps at the 
 
88 
 
 battle of Gettysburg, Pa. Maps of that battlefield por- 
 traying the positions of the troops there engaged, place 
 Kane's brigade on Culp’s Hill. For twenty-five years 
 citizens of this republic, visiting the scene of that 
 momentous and all-important struggle, have had pointed 
 out to them the ground where “Kane’s brigade so nobly 
 fought.” The name of the hero, Cobham, who did com- 
 mand the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, 12th Anny Corps 
 July 2 and 3, 1863, on that bloody field, has seldom been 
 spoken by guide or visitor on the spot w’here, under his 
 leadership, not Kane’s, Cobhani’s brigade bravely stood 
 and fought and won. Hereafter let the good citizens of 
 Warren, Pa., in whose midst repose the remains of Geo. 
 A. Cobham, Jr., know and speak the truth of histor)- 
 here written. They know full well the modest, manly 
 life he led among them from boyhood to mature man- 
 hood. Let them also know that, from first to last, in 
 camp and field, he lost none of the graces that won their 
 respect; that in the service of his countiy, in sunshine 
 and in storm, in the midst of victory or defeat, every- 
 where^ he retained his self-respect, was always the courte- 
 ous, gentleman, a man of upright, stainless life, generous 
 in his judgments, just in deed and word, loyal in his 
 friendships, wise in counsel, guardful of the interests of 
 his men, self-poised, gallant and able in command, in 
 battle supremely brave. As a regimental commander, he 
 had no superior. As commander of brigade, he had few 
 equals. His modest demeanor, his sterling worth, his 
 blameless life, his cool and steadfast courage and his 
 
89 
 
 ability were recognized and appreciated by leaders such 
 as the dashing Geary, the heroic Hooker, the matchless 
 warrior, George H. Thomas. These men, whose deeds 
 are historic, whose judgment of men was unerring, knew 
 his merits, esteemed and honored him. In his death, 
 they confessed a loss to the service and to the cause for 
 which he died greatly to be deplored. 
 
 The promise I made twenty-five years ago is fulfilled. 
 My duty to my friend is done. In the doing, I find a 
 bounding joy, which only the loyal in heart can feel. 
 His memory, redolent of kindly words, of manly, heroic 
 deeds, I confidently leave in the keeping of my comrades, 
 whom he led and loved, and in who.se midst he fell 
 bravely fighting for his flag, and nobly died. 
 
 James M. Wells, 
 Captain Co. F, iiith Pa. Vols.