Unknown to Robert H. Chilton, March 11, 1862

Camp Gregg, Va., March 11, 1862.

GENERAL:

I send you the report of General Gregg of the battle of Cold Harbor and Colonel MecGowan’s report of the battle of Frazier’s farm. This report of Cold Harbor is the only one that could be found among General Gregg’s papers. Please put them with my report. Respectfully, AS Pons Major-General. Brig. Gen. R. H. CHILTON, Adjutant and Inspector General.

HEADQUARTERS SECOND BRIGADE, LigHT DIVISION, Camp on South Anna River, near Gordonsville, Va., Aug. 6, 1862.

Masor: My report concerning the battles before Richmond has been delayed, first, by the delay in the reports made to me by subordinate commanders, caused by the wounds or sickness under which all of them suffered, and next by movements of the brigade and duties in the field.

After night-fall, on June 25 last, four regiments of the Second Brigade, accompanied by Crenshaw’s battery, followed from the position on the extreme right of the division the march of the other brigades to the left and halted to bivouac on the Meadow Bridge road. The Fourteenth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, under Colonel MeGowan, was left on picket duty on the edge of the Chickahominy Valley, in front of the position vacated by the brigade, to be relieved by troops of another division the same night and to follow the march. By some mischance, however, it was not relieved at all, and had to remain in place the next day and night and until the middle of the following day, when the retreat of the enemy down the opposite side of the river enabled it to cross over and rejoin the brigade in the midst of the battle of Cold Harbor.

When the Light Division, in the afternoon of June 26, crossed the Meadow Bridge and attacked the enemy at Mechanicsville the Second

Brigade, still marching in rear of the division, did not become actively engaged, but was deployed in reserve. It was exposed for some hours to a fire of shot and shell, from which, however, the lines were much sheltered by taking advantage of inequalities in the ground and causing the men to lie down. Only 4 men were wounded.

At one time an erroneous report was brought to me that the enemy were appearing to our left and rear. A detachment from Colonel Marshall’s regiment, thrown out as skirmishers, quickly detected the error.

During the action I sent forward my aide-de-camp, Lieut. Langdon C. Haskell, to learn whether re-enforcements were needed from my brigade; but as he did not meet Major-General Hill, and did not find the State of the battle such as to require my moving forward without waiting for orders, I remained in position. The brigade lay on its arms that night.

Early in the morning of the 27th I received orders from General Hill to take the advance with the Second Brigade and to drive the enemy from their position on Beaver Dam Creek, at Ellison’s Mill. Forming the First Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, Col. D. H. Hamilton commanding, and the Twelfth, Colonel Barnes, in line of battle, with two companies of skirmishers—Captain Cordero’s, of the First, and Captain Miller’s, of the Twelfth—thrown forward, while the Thirteenth Regiment South Carolina Volunteers, Col. O. EK. Edwards, and the First Regiment (Rifles) South Carolina Volunteers, Col. J. Foster Marshall, followed in support, Crenshaw’s battery being in rear. The brigade advanced to theattack. Slight resistance was made here by the enemy, and the passage of the stream, which presented a strong natural obstacle, was gained. Many Confederate soldiers, wounded or killed in a preceding unsuccessful assault, lay in the road toward the crossing of the creek and had to be moved aside to allow the passage of our artillery. A small bridge, broken up by the enemy, had also to be repaired. This was toward 8 o’clock in the morning.

Crossing Beaver Dam Creek the brigade advanced along the road among piles of knapsacks and other property and burning stores abandoned by the enemy, with skirmishers from the First and Twelfth Regiments kept out to the front and left. Coming into the edge of an open field Captain Cordero’s company, First South Carolina Volunteers, deployed as skirmishers, were fired on by artillery in front, and Second Lieut. H. C. Heise and a soldier were wounded. Capt. W. ‘T. Haskell’s company, of the same regiment, advancing in open order, discovered that the forces meeting us in front from the left were those of MajorGeneral Jackson’s, and entered into communication with them, so as to avoid the risk of further mischief.

In the mean time two companies of the Twelfth Regiment (Miller’s and Neville’s), sent out under Lieut. Col. Cadwalader Jones to meet some of the enemy seen on the left, took and brought in some 17 prisoners, belonging chiefly to regiments of Pennsylvania Reserves.

At the intersection of the roads near Walnut Grove Church, where Major-General Hill stopped to confer with Major-General Jackson, I received General Hill’s further instructions, and resumed the advance on the road running near the Chickahominy to Gaines’ Mill, approaching the vicinity of Hogan’s house, where General Lee stopped me by the road-side and gave me further directions for advancing and attacking the enemy. I moved the brigade forward in nearly the same order as at first, the First and Twelfth Regiments leading, with skirmishers in front. In compliance with a request sent to me by Major-General Longstreet, I rode hastily across to Hogan’s house, where I informed

General Longstreet of the route by which my brigade was moving forward, and learned from him [of] the parallel road on my right, by which his troops were to move. In approaching Powhite Creek we passed over extensive deserted camps of the enemy, with great quantities of accouterments and stores abandoned or burning. A large pontoon train was burning in a field to our left.

The enemy made some stand at Gaines’ Mill, and here our skirmishers, Cordero’s and Haskell’s companies of the First and Miller’s of the Twelfth, became sharply engaged. The enemy were sheltered by trees; our riflemen availed themselves of the inequalities of the ground, where they could fire and load lying down. This exchange of fire having continued for some short time, while the First and Twelfth were preparing to advance in line, and judging that a rapid charge of the skirmishers would dislodge the enemy with least loss to our troops, I ordered them forward at the double-quick. At the word of command the riflemen sprang to their feet, and advancing impetuously drove the enemy before them. The First and Twelfth now followed in line of battle, and after the bridges over the creek and mill-race, torn up by the enemy, had been relaid by a working party, under directions of Lieutenants Johnston and Izard of the Engineer Corps, crossed the stream and again formed line of battle on the brow of the hill, to advance, supported as before by the other two regiments. It was now nearly 2 p. m.

The advance across the plain which extends from the valley of the Powhite Creek to that beyond Cold Harbor was made steadily and rapidly under the fire of the enemy’s skirmishers. For a good part of the distance the line advanced at the double-quick. Among the troops driven from the ground the Ninth Massachusetts Regiment was noticed. Descending into the hollow beyond Cold Harbor, the sides of which are wooded and the bottom occupied by a marsh somewhat difficult to cross, the brigade dislodged the enemy and was formed in two lines, the first consisting of the First and Twelfth Regiments, on the farther hill-side, the second, consisting of the First Rifles and Thirteenth, in the low grounds behind. Captain Crenshaw’s guns were placed in battery near the brow of the hill on the Cold Harbor side, from which he commenced firing on the enemy across the valley, who replied from batteries on the hill in our front. In this position, with the fire of artillery passing overhead, the infantry remained at a halt, by General Hill’s orders, from about 2.30 o’clock until 4 o’clock, to await the formation of the line of battle on our right and left, preparatory to a general attack.

When General Hill sent the order to make the attack I directed the First and Twelfth Regiments to advance up the hill-side. The ground, especially in front of the First, was covered by a dense thicket of young pines. As our troops ascended toward the open ground they were met by a continuous fire of small-arms from a much superior number of troops, and at the same time were exposed to a heavy fire of artillery, both direct and oblique. The fire was so destructive that they could not advance farther. Finding that great damage was done by an enfilading fire from a battery established a good way to our right, I directed Colonel Marshall, with his regiment, to charge and take it. Throwing forward two companies in open order, supported by two others, as reserves, in close order, and following with the rest of the regiment formed in column in companies, Colonel Marshall, addressing a few brief and stirring words to his regiment, proceeded upon the execution of this highly perilous service in the handsomest manner.

The two flank companies of Capts. James M. Perrin and Joseph J. Norton were thrown forward as skirmishers, under the command of Captain Perrin. The companies of Captains Miller and Miles M. Norton followed in support. The four leading companies were all under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Ledbetter. The charge was made at the double-quick, the column of six companies being deployed into line after reaching the open ground. A most destructive fire of musketry and artillery in front and in flank did not check the charge, which was continued for several hundred yards across the open giound and into a wood where several regiments of the enemy were posted. The battery, which was the object of the charge, had been withdrawn. The regiment, on reaching the woods, commenced firing on the enemy’s infantry and drove them on, many of the men engaging in hand-tohand conflicts with the bayonet and with clubbed rifles. A strong body of New York Zouaves now made a hot attack on the left wing and flank of the regiment. They were repulsed and brought to a stand by a steady and well-directed fire from a party which, on the spur of the moment and with marked presence of mind and skill, Lieutenant Higgins formed to check them. Colonel Marshall, finding that no support was sent to him from the rest of the brigade, now, too, hard pressed on its own front, ordered his regiment to fall back, and reformed it in the wooded hollow some distance to the right of its original position, where a North Carolina regiment, which just then came up, and aided in holding the ground.

Of 537 men carried into action Colonel Marshall’s regiment lost 81 killed and 234 wounded. Nearly all of this loss occurred in the charge just described.

I refer to Colonel Marshall’s report for the names of the many gallant officers mentioned by him, both those who fell on the field and those who passed safe through.

I have to remark that in the two leading companies deployed in open order the loss was uot so heavy in proportion as in the other companies. I have no doubt that by drawing the fire of the enemy those companies rendered the loss in the whole regiment less than it otherwise would have been.

While the First Rifles were thus engaged the First and Twelfth Regiments, although relieved from the enfilading fire of the battery on the right, had a hard struggle to maintain their ground against the superior forces in their front. The Twelfth was able at one time to gain some distance in advance in the open field, but Colonel Barnes found it necessary to withdraw and reform his line on or near his original ground in the hollow. Two of the companies of this regiment at first MecMeekin’s and Erwin’s, afterward relieved by Bookter’s and Company G, Lieutenant Garvin commanding—had during the halt in the hollow been deployed as skirmishers in advance to watch theenemy. The two last named only resumed their places in line after the return to the hollow, and at this time, in consequence of the difficulty of the ground, the right of the Twelfth got in rear of the left of the First, and there was much danger in such a thicket of the first suffering from the fire of that portion of the Twelfth behind it, until Colonel Hamilton interposed and prevented it. The Twelfth advanced again abreast with the First, and the two regiments fought bravely to maintain the ground, but suffered great loss, and were compelled to fall back with some dis-

. order. In the First Regiment all the members of the color guard were shot down around Colonel Hamilton, who for a part of the time bore the colors himself.

Colonel Barnes, of the Twelfth, received a hurt, which, although he did not leave the field, in a great measure disabled him for the rest of the day.

The Tae of the ground rendered it impracticable to preserve or re-establish regularity in the first line. I, therefore, ordered Colonel Edwards to hold the Thirteenth ready to receive the enemy with a steady fire at short range if they should descend the hill-side through the pine thicket. The Twelfth, not being at the time so heavily pressed as the First, I left to continue the struggle. The First I ordered to reform at some distance in rear of the Thirteenth, retiring around the left of that regiment. The Fourteenth Regiment, Colonel McGowan’s, now arrived on the field at the moment it was so greatly needed.

By General Lee’s order I had sent my aide-de-camp, Capt. Harry Hammond, across the valley of the Chickahominy to relieve this regiment from duty on the post so long occupied by it and to guide it to the brigade. Captain Hammond met at the river Captains Wood and Taggart, sent forward with their companies by Colonel McGowan to endeavor to communicate with me. The bridge at which they met was one constructed by the enemy opposite Dr. Friend’s house, and torn up and burned by the enemy the night before. Leaving his horse at the river, Captain Hammond got across on foot and carried the order to Colonel McGowan, who at once led his regiment across the valley, and hastily repairing the bridge, marched on for the battle-field under a constant fire from one of the enemy’s batteries.

Stopping the fire of Crenshaw’s battery for a short time to allow a passage through the guns, I ordered the Fourteenth forward. Tired as they were, by two days and nights of outpost duty and by a rapid march under a burning sun, they recovered strength at once and advanced with a cheer and at the double-quick. Leading his regiment to the right of the Thirteenth and across the hollow, Colonel McGowan arrived just in time to repulse the advancing enemy and prevent them from establishing a battery at the edge of the open ground on the brow of the hill. The Fourteenth was formed along a fence up the hill, on the other side of the hollow, and maintained its position gallantly to the end of the battle. After it had held it some time alone other troops came up, and in concert with a North Carolina and Georgia regiment the Fourteenth made a charge across the open field for the purpose of taking a battery. In this charge Colonel McGowan was bruised by a grape-shot and for a short time disabled. The distance to the battery being too great, and the fire both direct and cross too heavy, our troops halted and tay down to shelter themselves, then retired, and the Fourteenth resumed its position near the brow of the hill, where after the close of the battle it lay on 1ts arms.

Meanwhile Colonel Edwards held his position with the Thirteenth. The enemy did not venture to charge directly down the hill upon his position, but kept up a constant fire, which caused considerable loss. Colonel Edwards threw forward his right company, deployed as skirmishers, to dislodge the enemy from the pines in front and on the right, and then ordered the rest of the regiment to take a position a little in advance at the foot of the hill beyond the boggy stream. From the difficulty of crossing the bog and the incessant roar of cannon and musketry, his commands not being well heard, a separation of the regiment took place. A part of the left wing effected the movement intended by Colonel Edwards, and maintained the new position until the close of the battle. The right and center companies, supposing the order to be to move in a different direction, marched, under Maj. T. S. Farrow, a short distance to the rear. Desiring to form areserve of this force and the First Regiment for further movements, I directed Major Farrow to march farther to the right and rear, and form near Colonel Hamilton. Two companies of the First, those of Capts. W. T. Haskell and A. P. Butler, not having heard the order to retire, remained engaged in the front, and on the advance of the other troops acted in concert with those nearest to them to the end of the battle. Before I made any other disposition the portions of the First and Thirteenth, under Colonel Hamilton and Major Farrow, were ordered by MajorGeneral Hill to take a position considerably to the right of my brigade, in support of the brigades of Generals Anderson and Field. At the close of the battle, being united with the First Rifles, the whole under the command of Colonel Hamilton, they bivouacked on their ground.

In the progress of the battle, after the wound received by Colonel Barnes, the Twelfth Regiment having suffered heavy loss and being in difficult grounds, became somewhat separated, but portions of the regiment, falling in with other commands, continued the fight to the end. Captain Bookter’s company thus joined and fought in company with Col. James Cantey’s regiment from Alabama.

The part taken in the action by Captain Crenshaw’s battery was important at the beginning, but became more so after the infantry had become so severely engaged and after two regiments and the greater part of the third had been moved to the right, leaving the original position of the brigade to be held by a comparatively small foree of intantry. The fire of the battery was well aimed and rapid, and its position under an exceedingly heavy fire from the enemy was maintained with the greatest gallantry. At one time very heavy bodies of infantry were to be seen in the open fields beyond the ravine and to our right, drawn up in many lines, and apparently preparing for a formidable advance. Captain Crenshaw’s guns directed upon these masses caused them quickly to disappear, sheltering themselves in the long hollow which ran through the fields and rendered the enemy’s position so strong. Ata late hour a large body of troops was to be seen beyond a house in front and on our left. This was the point at which we thought it probable that General Jackson’s troops would emerge from the woods and attack the enemy in flank. But upon watching the body of troops before us for a short time I became satisfied that they belonged to the enemy, and threatened a dangerous assault on our left, where it was weak. I therefore ordered Captain Crenshaw to fire upon them. Very soon a staff officer of Major-General Ewell came up to insist on stopping this fire, as General Ewell believed the troops before us were friends. I caused the fire to be suspended for a few moments, but being fully satisfied by further observation that my first conclusion was right, I directed Captain Crenshaw to resume the fire, which he did with good aim, dispersing the enemy quickly. General Ewell was afterward fully satisfied with the correctness of this course. At one time during the action, and before firin gon the troops just mentioned, Captain Crenshaw, with my approval, withdrew the battery some distance to the rear to rest for three-quarters of an hour. For a part of the time during the action two or three batteries were firing on him at once. At last, two of the brass pieces having been disabled by the breaking of axles and the other two having become too hot to fire and many men and horses killed or disabled, I directed Captain Crenshaw to withdraw his battery from the field, which he did by removing the two disabled pieces by hand and using three horses with most of the other four pieces.

Captain Crenshaw was immediately replaced by Capt. Marmaduke Johnson, whom General Lee ordered forward on my application for another battery. Captain Johnson, who had already at an early hour in the morning at Mechanicsville proved the efficiency of his battery by silencing the artillery of the enemy opposed to him, entered on this second conflict with great vigor. Three batteries opened upon him, and he was exposed to an incessant shower of rifle balls. He silenced one of the enemy’s batteries by the use of round shot and kept up the contest hotly with the others. In a short time, I think about twenty minutes, 20 of his men and 10 horses were killed or wounded and his battery was disabled under this severe fire; his men stood to their guns like veterans till I ordered the battery to be withdrawn, in order to replace it by a section of that of Captain McIntosh, sent forward by General Lee at my request.

Captain McIntosh had hardly taken his position when his horse was killed under him. Like Captain Johnson, Captain McIntosh had already proved the efficiency of his battery at Mechanicsville, having opened the fight and been hotly engaged the evening before, and having resumed it in the morning until all his ammunition was expended and he was obliged to go back for a further supply.

When Captain McIntosh took his position he found the view of the enemy’s position too much obstructed by smoke and dust to allow him to aim at any object. He fired two or three rounds, but no artillery replied to him. He then, by my direction, withdrew his guns some distance to the rear, to remain in readiness for further orders.

It wa8S now toward sunset, and from this time until 8.30 o’clock, when the enemy were driven from the field under the repeated attacks of large bodies of fresh troops, the regiments of my brigade were engaged at different points, as I have stated above.

CAMP GREGG, VA., March 10, 1863. T, A. C. Haskell, certify on honor that the original, of which the foregoing is a copy, was found among General Gregg’s papers. I am well acquainted with General Gregg’s handwriting, and I know the said report to be in his proper handwriting. No further report of the operations around Richmond can be found among General Gregg’s papers.

A. C. HASKELL, Assistant Adjutant-General.