W. M. McCandless to Pennsyivania Reserves in the recent engagement, December 18, 1862

CAPTAIN:

In compliance with orders from division headquarters, I have the honor to report the following operations of the First Brigade Pennsyivania Reserves in the recent engagement:

On the morning of December 13, this command was drawn up in line of battle on the plain between Dr. Pratt’s house and the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, forming the right brigade of Meade’s division, being joined on the right and parallel with the division of General Gibbon. The Sixth Regiment was deployed as skirmish. ers in front of our artillery, and kept up a heavy fire upon the enemy until about 2 p. m., when the brigade was ordered to advance upon the eneniy, who were stationed in sheltered positions on the west side of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad, and through dense woods directly in our front.

The brigade advanced, with the regiments posted as follows, viz: The Sixth covering the brigade as skirmishers, First Infantry on the right. Second on the left, and the One hundred and twenty-first in the center, The Rifles (Bucktails) had been posted in the rear of Captain Cooper’s battery, and advanced in line with the Third Brigade.

_ The enemy defended his first line of rifle-pits stubbornly, but was forced to retire, with severe loss. Our men pushed forward rapidly, and came upon the second parallel of the enemy in the wood before they had an opportunity to remove a portion of their guns from the order in which they had been stacked. We here captured a large number of prisoners.

_Having advanced about 700 or 800 yards beyond the railroad mentioned, we found our right-flank unprotected, General Gibbon’s division not having advanced parallel with us. Our lines had gained the outer edge of the wood, and the rebel batteries and infantry on our right, not having anything to occupy their attention in front, concentrated on our right flank an enfilading fire that swept us down with murderous accuracy, and compelled us to retire. Owing to the density of the wood, and the unevenness of the ground over which we passed, the regiments became greatly confused. I am confident that had we been called upon to hold the ground we had so dearly won against the force on our front we could have done so.

Our loss was severe, amounting to 22 officers and 496 men killed, wounded, and missing, among whom was our brigade commander, Coloer Sinclair, who was wounded while gallantly leading forward his brigade.

I am unable to enter more fully into detail, not having received all the regimental reports, and not having made the disposition of the brigade in the field.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,