History of Pennsylvania volunteers, 1861-5; prepared in compliance with acts of the legislature, by Samuel P. Bates.

582 THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT-SECOND RESERVE. 1862
two hundred being taken prisoners. The Reserves were now called out, and
the Second, Colonel M'Candiess, was ordered to the left front. As it was about
to move, the cannoniers of a battery which had that day been assigned to
M'Call's Division having cut the traces to their pieces, came dashing through
the regiment with their horses, tramping several men to the ground, and breaking the line. Recovering from the shock, the Second advanced with loud cheers,
and swept across the field under a murderous fire of round shot and shell,
reaching a point near Nelson's house, where it was ordered to lie down, a perfect storm of missiles passing harmless over head, and the battle raging with
terrific fury. When the enemy, with a fall brigade, had arrived within fifty
yards, Seymour cried out " up and at them," and rising, they poured in a murderous fire that caused the rebel line to stagger. Rushing upon the enemy
with the bayonet, a desperate hand to hand struggle ensued. Already had
Major Woodward, Captains Smith and Neide and Lieutenants Fletcher and
Nightingale fallen. Overpowered and crushed by the masses of the enemy, the
Second was at length swept back, and in retreating across the plain and up
through the wood, it was exposed to a terrific fire of shells and canister. The
heroic Simmons, commanding the brigade, and Adjutant General Biddle received mortal hurts, and Meade was borne bleeding from the field. The loss
was twenty-one killed, nineteen wounded and six taken prisoners, the very
large proportion of killed evincing the terrible ordeal to which the regiment
was subjected.
On the 1st of July the army of the Potomac reached Malvern Hill, where
it was drawn up to receive the enemy's final attack, with the artillery, some
two hundred and fifty pieces, advantageously posted. The Second Regiment
being held with the division in reserve, did not become engaged. The attack,
desperate and determined, was made in the afternoon of that day, with a
recklessness scarcely paralleled; but the enemy received a disastrous repulse,
and his columns were broken and thrown into irredeemable confusion. On
the following day.MClelelan withdrew to Harrison's Landing, where the Second
Regiment encamped in a dense growth of pine.
On the 10th, a new company under Captain William D. Reitzel, recruited in
Lancaster county, joined the command as company G. Colonel M'Candless,
who had led the regimen- through all the battles of this campaign with only
the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, here received his commission as Colonel, to
date from November 1st, 1861. Major G. A. Woodward was promoted to be
Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Horace Neide, of company A, to be Major.
On the 13th of July, Generals M'Ca]I and Reynolds, who had been prisoners in
Richmond, arrived, and the division paraded to receive them. The former, on
account of the state of his health, did not assume command, and subsequently
resigned, General Reynolds succeeding him. General Meade was soon after so
far recovered from his wounds as to resume command of his brigade, now the
First, and General Seymour that of the Second, to which the Second Regiment
now belonged.
M'Clellan was ordered to evacuate the Peninsula and re-inforce Pope, now
confronting Lee upon the Bappahannock. On the 14th the Second Regiment,
with the division, marched to the wharf, and embarking upon steamers proceeded to Acquia Creek, arriving on the 20th, and thence moved by rail to Falmouth. Here the Second Regiment was separated from the division, the latter
being ordered to join the Third Corps, under General M'Dowell, at Kelly's