Its official fighting record, as made up by the Adjutant-General of the State, is as follows:
Fredericksburg, Va., Dec. 13 and 14, 1862; Fredericksburg, Va., May 3, 1863; Salem Heights, Va., May 3 and 4, 1863; Franklin's Crossing, Va., June 6 to 14, 1863; Gettysburg, Pa., July 2 and 3, 1863; Fairfield, Pa., July 5, 1863; Funktown, Md., July 10, 1863; Rappahannock Station, Va., Oct. 12, 1863; Rappahannock Station, Va., Nov. 7, 1863; Mine Run, Va., Nov. 30, 1863; Wilderness, Va., May 5 to 7, 1864; Spottsylvania, Va., May 8 to 11, 1864; Spottsylvania C.H., Va., May 12 to 16, 1864; North and South Anna River, May 24, 1864; Hanover C.H., Va., May 29, 1864; Tolopotomy Creek, Va., May 30 and 31, 1864; Cold Harbor, Va., June 1 to 11, 1864; Before Petersburg, Va., June 16 to 22, 1864; Weldon Railroad, Va., June 23, 1864; Snicker's Gap, Va., July 18, 1864; Strasburg, Va., Aug. 15, 1864; Winchester, Va., Aug. 17, 1864; Charlestown, Va., Aug. 21, 1864; Opequan, Va., Sept. 19, 1864; Fisher's Hill, Va., Sept. 21 and 22, 1864; New Market, Va., Sept. 24, 1864; Mount Jackson, Va., Sept. 25, 1864; Cedar Creek and Middletown, Va., Oct. 19, 1864; Hatcher's Run, Va., Feb. 5, 1865; Fort Steedman, Va., March 25, 1865; Capture of Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865; Sailors' Creek, Va., April 6, 1865; Farmville, Va., April 7, 1865; Lee's Surrender, (Appomattox, Va.,) April 9, 1865.
In the operations and battles of a large army or corps, a single regiment is so swallowed up in the general mass; its movements and conduct, under fire and out of range, are so intermingled with those of many others, that, to write the history of one is to write that of the army or corps as a whole. This would take volumes; it cannot be done in these brief notes. It must be assumed that the glowing pages which record the battles of the Rebellion are familiar to all; and surely he is a doubtful patriot who has not followed them with deep and absorbing interest. We can here only glance at the regiment at some of those points in its career at which it was in some way distinguished from the general mass, by position, or by special acts of endurance and courage.
It received its baptism of fire at the disastrous battle of Fredericksburg, December 13th, 1862. On the morning of the 12th, the division crossed the Rappahannock at "Franklin's Crossing," below the town, and advanced over the broad plain toward the high ground beyond, under cover of a dense fog, to "find the enemy," whose position, below the town, could not be seen—the Fifteenth on the right of the line. Just before reaching "Deep Run," the enemy discovered the advance, and opened with their heavy guns from the Heights to the right and front. The long line of a full regiment did not waver in the least, though new to the field of battle, and saluted suddenly, for the first time, with the terrifying explosions of shells from guns of large calibre. Carefully observed, they seemed to be nerved and animated by the presence of danger. Patriotic resolve and high moral courage—which had brought them to the field—mantled to their brows. Their commander then and ever after knew and trusted his command. A few men were wounded, but none killed, as the writer remembers. Arrived at the ravine, it was permitted to remain under its cover during the balance of the day, whilst a large army was getting into position, and plans of attack matured. Before light on the morning of the 13th, it was moved out of the ravine and silently deployed as a skirmish line, under cover of the darkness and fog, so near to the rebel skirmish line as to distinctly hear their conversation. Such close contact, face to face with an armed enemy, gave rise to thoughts and emotions new to them, and the gradual lifting of the darkness and fog was watched with anxious faces; but not a man showed signs of flinching. At the coming of light their sharp and obstinate skirmish fire opened the first battle in which they took part. The memorable conflict of the day swept chiefly to the right and left of their long line, but involved four of the left companies, which participated in the charge at that point with the Fourth and Twenty-third, and suffered serious loss. During the following night the drum-corps carried rations from the trains, several miles away, across the river, and distributed them along the line, replenishing the exhausted haversacks—a hard night's work, and a kind of drumming for which they felt they had not enlisted; but they had new lessons in music yet to learn. In the morning the regiment was relieved from its advanced position by the One Hundred and Twenty-first New York, under a galling fire. The battle was over, however, and the army re-crossed the river.
The regiment went into camp near by, at White Oak Church, and, after participating in the fruitless expedition known as Burnside's "Mud March," spent a dismal winter. Typhoid fever, the enemy which no army can conquer, broke out with distressing virulence, and a considerable number died of disease. In every regiment there is a somewhat uniform number of constitutions which cannot resist the privations, hardships, excitements and exposures of vigorous warfare. These must be eliminated by death and permanent disability. In some cases the process is gradual; in others, sudden and rapid, as was the case with the Fifteenth, owing to its being suddenly taken from civil life and thrust at once into the severest service, sustained by excitements and courage until the campaign was over, and then dropped into a muddy camp in very inclement weather. It was ever afterward free from sickness to a marked degree.
In the May following came the "Chancellorsville" campaign under Hooker. The part assigned to the Sixth Corps was to take the Heights of Fredericksburg, and then strike the enemy in flank and rear, and unite with the main army, which crossed the river at the upper fords. Crossing the river at the same place as before, on the morning of the 3d of May, the Fifteenth was placed on the extreme left of the corps line, to support a battery, and, with the balance of the brigade, to hold in check a large force of the enemy formed on his right, to strike the corps in flank and rear, as it attacked the Heights, which was effectively done by a firm stand, though with considerable loss. The balance of the corps having carried the Heights by a gallant charge, it marched through the town, over the Heights, and up the plank road to Salem Church, a few miles from Chancellorsville. Here it encountered a large part of the rebel army, diverted to its front after a successful checking of Hooker. A determined assault was delivered, but failed to drive them from their well-chosen position. The Fifteenth charged gallantly through a wood, pushed the enemy some distance before them, and held the position until ordered to retire about dark, the general attack having failed of its purpose. The night was spent in caring for and removing the wounded. It is thought the Fifteenth was one of the very few regiments which succeeded in getting off all their wounded, which was mainly due here, as afterward, to one of the most brave and faithful chaplains, who was ever with his men, in battle as in camp, and serving them with sleepless and tireless vigilance. The next day was spent in constant manœuvering before a rapidly concentrating enemy, and during the night the corps was ordered to re-cross the river, at Banks' Ford. After another day spent in drawing the artillery and pontoon trains through the mud to the high ground, it returned to its old camp, after the loss of many of its bravest and best men and officers.
At Gettysburg—the decisive victory of the war—during the pursuit of the flying rebel army through Pennsylvania, Maryland, and down the Katoctin valley, back to the line of the Rappahannock; again on the advance up the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, nearly to its crossing of the Rapidan, (where the Fifteenth reached the farthest point of any regiment); back to Centreville by a rapid retreat parallel with the enemy attempting to turn the Union flank; again forward to the battle of Rappahannock Station, through the futile Mine Run expedition, and back to winter-quarters at Brandy Station—the regiment bore an equal and always honorable part with the other regiments of the corps, doing its share of the fighting, and suffering its share of the loss. Nothing is remembered, however, which distinguished it from the balance of the corps, except, perhaps, that it covered the return from the third crossing at Fredericksburg—(a demonstration made by the First Division in the early part of June, to develop the movement of Lee toward Pennsylvania)—and took up the pontoon bridge in the face of the enemy—a delicate and difficult service, executed without loss, in a driving rain.
The winter of 1863-4, at Brandy Station, was diversified by severe picket and fatigue duty, and embraced an expedition by the brigade to Madison Court House, as a diversion in favor of Kilpatrick's celebrated raid to the fortifications of Richmond. The men, under the lead of the chaplain, built a large and commodious house of logs, in which religious services—never intermitted, when possible to be held—and literary exercises were held. This was a great help to the religious and moral tone of the regiment, as well as conducive to its military effectiveness. A "Church" of one hundred and thirty members was organized, and forty-six men were hopefully converted to the Christian faith. The services were interesting and solemn, and were attended by many even from distant camps. Two-thirds of the members of this little church, doubly militant, afterward fell in action, bravely battling for their country and their God. Who will question the usefulness and value of a zealous religious instructor in the ranks of an army in the field?
On the 4th of May, 1864, the army broke camp for the long and bloody campaign from the Rapidan to Petersburg, and the 5th, 6th, and 7th found the regiment engaged, with the balance of the army, in "the Wilderness," doing its full duty with the regiments which fought by its side. On the 8th, about noon, at the head of the corps, it reached the front of Spottsylvania C.H., after a long night march, by a circuitous route. Warren, whose corps (the Fifth) had moved by a more direct route, and reached the position first, had met with a check. He sent to Sedgwick—the grand old leader of the Sixth—for aid, and the Jersey brigade was sent to his assistance. After some manœuvering, the Fifteenth, with the Third, (then little more than a detachment, and used as a skirmish line,) was selected to make an assault on the enemy, and develop his position and strength. No charge was ever more gallantly delivered. With two armies looking on, it advanced across an open field; when within about three hundred yards of the front of the wood in which the enemy was posted, it fixed bayonets, and with a line of glittering steel as steady as on dress-parade, dashed up to the rebel position, to find them strongly entrenched and in full force. As far as rifle-shot could reach, upon each flank they opened upon the devoted little band. Notwithstanding the deadly fire, it drove the enemy out of the work in its front, captured two prisoners, and, to save annihilation, was ordered by its commander to retire. One hundred and one of its brave officers and men were left upon the field, killed or wounded. It may be doubted if a more perilous "forlorn hope" was ever more daringly executed.
The Sixth Corps took position on the left of the line as it was formed, its lamented commander falling on the same spot at which one of the color-bearers of the Fifteenth had but just fallen; and on the afternoon of the 9th the regiment was detached, with the First, to turn the right flank of the enemy and gain possession of a cross-roads. After wading a deep swamp, and a sharp brush with the rebel skirmishers, the cross-roads was under their guns, and they were separated some distance from the main army. The next morning, being ordered to develop the flank of the enemy's main line, the two regiments advanced, drove the rebel skirmish line before them for about a mile, and finally struck the right of the rebel line, strongly entrenched on the top of a high hill. This was the position afterward known as "the bloody angle." The two regiments attacked vigorously, but were forced back by a heavy musketry and artillery fire. Two more regiments were sent to their assistance, and again they attacked, but with no better success, and they were compelled to be content with holding the position they had gained in an unequal contest. The characteristic orders under which they were acting, issued by an able general officer, afterward killed, and sadly missed, were—"Fight! Fight! —— it, fight!" Two days later, this was found to be the strongest field-work ever attacked by the army.