ARMY CORRESPONDENCE.
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From Petersburg-Casualties in the 110th Regt. Penna. Vols.
CAMP NEAR PETERSBURG, Va.,
July 31st, 1864.
Mr. Editor:—Having a few leisure moments I shall employ them in giving you a short account of our few last days proceedings.
On the 26th [of July 1864] we received orders to move, and by five P.M., our corps (2nd) [II/AotP] was in motion, moving rapidly in the direction of Point of Rocks, on the James River. We arrived there by daylight in the morning [of July 27, 1864], crossed to the north side and halted for a short time. Soon the 99th Regt. P[ennsylvania]. V[olunteers]., and ours [110th Pennsylvania] were sent forward and deployed as skirmishers. Shots were exchanged on our extreme right and in a few minutes the firing became general along the entire line.
The enemy were strongly posted in the edge of large woods, with their line running parallel with a road where they had a battery of four 20 pound Parrott guns [1st Rockbridge VA Artillery] posted. On our left they had works thrown up, and just in our front the road was just sunken enough to afford them ample protection from our musketry.
Companies A, B, C, and D, were deployed to the right of the 99th, and there it was that the loss was the heaviest.
I will furnish you a list of the casualties in Company C. Sergt. Ambrose K. Taylor, and George W. Maxwell, killed. Lieut. Chas. Copelin, Sergt. James C. Bell, John N. Davis, Daniel H. Bowman, John Lockman, Jacob Meminger, John Atwell, Geo. Bard, Jonathan Sutton, Samuel H. Smith, and Jos. Irwin, wounded. Companies A and B lost heavily. Company B lost three Sergeants killed. I am unable to furnish a list of all the casualties of this regiment.
On the night of the 28th [of July 1864] we re-crossed the James, and marched back to the front of Petersburg, where we arrived by daylight and lay in the hot sun until evening, when the Third Division (ours) relieved a division in front. Our regiment was posted on Colonel Ohave’s plantation. The rebels shelled us almost all the time during our stay, but luckily no one was hurt belonging to the regiment. On the morning of the 29th [sic, 30th of July 1864], General Burnside’s Corps made a charge to our left. Some of the Fifth Corps (inc.-9th Corps) had undermined one of the rebel forts and it was blown up as a signal for opening the ball. In a few minutes the artillery and mortars were engaged along our entire line.
Toward noon the firing somewhat ceased and by evening everything was as quiet as usual. After dark we were relieved from the front and moved to the rear into our former camp. We expect to be paid in a few days if nothing unforeseen should intervene. We have not had any rain for some time, and the weather is very warm.
SAMUEL B. SCHWARTZ, Co. C, 110th Regt. P[ennsylvania]. V[olunteers].1
SOPO Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Roy Gustrowsky.
Source:
- “Army Correspondence.” The Bedford Inquirer, August 12, 1864, p. 3, col. 2 ↩