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

1863:ANTIETAM AND FREDERICKSBURG..919
moved to the Potomac, and thence to the neighborhood of Warrenton, the
Bucktails, upon the march, having the advance. On the 10th of December,
preparations were made to cross the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg,
and attack the enemy. During the following day, pontoons were thrown across,
and on the 12th, the Reserves crossed to the right bank. Late in-the afternoon
the Bucktails moved down the bank of the river, until they found the enemy's
pickets posted in the edge of a wood, and across a road running parallel with
the river. Remaining on picket during the night, firing opened early on their
front, and during the morning the Bucktails remained in support of artillery,
and in the formation for the attack, they occupied the extreme left of the
line.:The enemy was posted in the edge of a wood, and as the Bucktails
moved forward were obliged to cross an open field, under a very heavy fire of
musketry and artillery. Upon the order to advance, they rushed forward and
soon reached the railroad, where was a cut of a few feet, which, for a short
time, was used as a breast work, affording some protection. Again the order
to advance was given, and leaping upon the bank, they moved on in the face
of the enemy, pushing him from his sheltered position, and gaining, at a fearful cost, a signal advantage. But supports failing to come, it was deemed imprudent to push the advantage further, and the division fell back, suffering severely while executing the movement. - The loss was nineteen killed, and one
hundred and thirteen wounded and missing. Lieutenant W. B. Jenkins was
among the killed, and Colonel Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel Irvin, and Lieutenants O. D. Jenkins, D. G. M'Naughton, Thomas B. Winslow and R. F. Ward,
were of -the wounded.
On the 6th of February, 1863, the Reserves were ordered to the defences of
Washington, to rest and recruit, being transferred from the First to the Twenty-second Corps. The Bucktails, with the First Brigade, were ordered to Fairfax Court House, where a permanent camp was established. Here Lieutenant
Colonel Irvin, on account of his wounds, resigned, and Major Niles was promoted to fill the vacancy. Adjutant WVm. R. Hartshorn was commissioned
Major, and Sergeant-Major Roger Sherman, Adjutant. A large number of men
who had been absent, sick or wounded returned to the ranks, and Colonel Taylor applied himself with tireless energy to the work of drilling and disciplining
his command. The First Brigade, to which the regiment was attached, was commanded by Colonel William MICandless, and the division by Brigadier General S. W. Crawford. On the 25th of June, the First and Third Brigades were
ordered to rejoin the Fifth Corps, now on its march to meet an invading army in
Pennsylvania. At noon on the 2d of July, the regiment reached the neighborhood of Gettysburg, where a great battle was inprogress. After a short rest,
the roll was called, and, to the great satisfaction of its commander, every man was
found in his place-a force of five hundred strong. At four P. M. the division
was ordered to the front, and moved over in the direction of Little Round Top,
where the Union lines were being hard pressed, the artillerists ready to spike
their guns. Colonel M'Candless hastily formed bis brigade in two lines, the
Bucktails on the left of the second line, and charged down the slope in the face
of a heavy fire. At the foot of the hill was a deep swamp, thirty or forty yards
in width, and upon reaching it, the second line deployed to the left, and wading
across, drove the enemy into the woods beyond the stone wall which skirted
it. The left, with Colonel Taylor at its head, continued the pursuit through
the woods to a wheat field beyond, where in the act of steadying his men, he