On the morning of May 6th our corps was ordered to begin the attack at 5 o'clock. We at once moved out the plank road and soon attacked the enemy, this time on the left of the road. The fighting for a while was all in our favor and we drove the enemy (Hill's corps) back for over a mile and were just about entering the open fields around the Widow Tapp's house, when Longstreet's fresh corps arrived and reenforced Hill, whose corps was in great confusion. Owing to the density of the woods through which we had been chasing the enemy, our lines had become much disordered, and before that could be rectified, Longstreet attacked with his usual vigor and we were in turn forced back. We retired fighting until we reached the Brock road, where we took a position on the left of the plank road in rear of the entrenchments that had been thrown up along the Brock road. Here about 4:15 p. m. the enemy charged the works and drove back the first line, when we advanced and retook them, capturing a number of prisoners.
On the morning of the 7th we made a reconnaissance, crossing over to the right of the plank road and advancing over three-fourths of a mile, when we found the enemy entrenched behind strong works. We had a sharp fight, and were then withdrawn, and again took position on the Brock road.
According to the monthly report of the regiment, dated April 30, 1864, we had present for duty 18 officers and 357 men. As this was but a few days before the battle, it will give a nearly correct estimate of the number of men the regiment took into the field on May 5th, on which day our greatest losses occurred. During the three days' fighting our losses were 22 enlisted men killed; 4 officers and 128 enlisted men wounded and 3 enlisted men missing. Of those killed none was more deeply mourned than First Sergeant Duke Miller, of Company E. He was one of the bravest and best men in the regiment, and his social and intellectual qualities were admired by all who knew him. Colonel Sides and Lieut. F. V. Shaw were among the wounded.
Senior Captain A. H. Nelson had command of the regiment as Colonel Side's successor until the last week in June, when Major Neeper, who had been captured at Gettysburg, returned and took command.
Gen. Alexander Hays, commander of our brigade, was killed in the battle fought on the afternoon of the 5th. He was one of the bravest men that ever lived, and an accomplished soldier. With the exception of a short time when he served in the 2d corps, in 1863, he had been identified with the old 1st division of the 3d corps since the Army of the Potomac was organized. He was a native of Venango county, Pa., and was a graduate of West Point and had served with honor in the Mexican war. He entered the war for the Union as colonel of the 63d Pennsylvania Volunteers. At Gettysburg he commanded a division in Hancock's corps. His reputation as a fighter was well known in both the Union and Confederate armies.
The writer was wounded on the morning of May 6th, and went to the rear in company with the color sergeant, Cyrus P. Slaven, also wounded. On our way to the rear we turned into the woods along the plank road where we had fought the afternoon before. The wounded and killed had all been removed, but the trees were witnesses of the terrible musketry fire that had raged here. Not a tree or a bush but bore marks of being hit by a bullet. How any of us got out of there without being hit is a mystery.
CHAPTER X.
BY R. G. MADGE AND M. C. ZAHNIZER.
The Movement to Spottsylvania Court House—General Sedgwick Killed—Hancock's Grand Charge of May 12th—Great Capture of Prisoners, Guns and Colors—The Famous Oak Tree—Ewell's Effort to Capture Our Wagon Train—Losses in the Fifty-Seventh at Spottsylvania—Movement to North Anna River—Fight at Chesterfield Ford—We Cross the Pamunkey—Skirmish at Haw's Shop and Totopotomoy Creek—Battle of Cold Harbor—Our Colors Struck and Badly Torn by a Piece of Shell—Flank Movement to the James River—March to Petersburg—Severe Fighting at Hare's Hill—Battle of June 22d—Losses in the Fifty-Seventh—Fort Alex. Hays—Petersburg—We Move to the North Side of the James—Strawberry Plains—Return to Petersburg—The "Burnside Mine"—General Mott in Command of Our Division—Deep Bottom—Other Marching and Fighting Around Petersburg.
Many of the men in the Army of the Potomac, after the battle of the Wilderness had ended, were heard to say: "We have had the usual three days' fighting on this side of the river, and by about tomorrow night we will be back in our old camps." That had too often been the case before, but there was one at the head of the army now whose motto was "forward," and "Grant is making another movement by the left flank," soon became a common saying.