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

988 SEVENTY-SEVENTH REGIMENT. 1863
stacked, when at daylight Hardee's Corps broke like a whirlwind upon Johnson's Division. The Seventy-seventh was ready for the onset, and poured in a
destructive fire. Not so the troops upon the right, who were doubled up, and
broken like a leaf in the hand of the destroyer. The battery horses were unhitched, and a part of them were, at that moment, being led away to watering.
The Brigade Battery, Edgarton's, was captured, and turned upon the Union
forces. The right of the division had been driven and dispersed, and now a
heavy column of the enemy made a determined attack upon the right of Davis'
Division, which also gave way. Heavily pressed in front, with both flanks exposed, the Seventy-seventh was forced to retire a short distance, but re-formed
on the right of Davis, on a line at right angles to the original position, facing
to the west, to meet the fresh onset of the enemy on the right flank. Five
hundred yards away was a rebel battery, and a short distance from it were Edgarton's guns. Colonel Housum determined to re-capture them, and ordering
a charge, led his regiment on with unfaltering bravery, swept the enemy before
him, and recovered the lost pieces. Not satisfied with his success, he pushed on
towards the rebel guns; but here he was met by a powerful body of the enemy's supports, and was hurled back, losing all he had gained. In this last
desperate encounter Colonel Housum was killed. His last words, addressed to
his Adjutant, were'4Davis, I am wounded. Stay by the brave boys of the
Seventy-seventh." Again re-forming on the right of Davis' Division, under
command of Captain Thomas E. Rose, the regiment continued the fight until
overborne by weight of numbers, this division, also, was forced back, and took
up a position on the right of the Nashville Turnpike, and just in rear of the
rising ground whereon was massed the artillery which finally checked the rebel
onset, and which has since been selected as the last resting place of the men
who fell on that ever memorable field. During the night, and the following
day until noon, it remained at the front, and was frequently engaged. It then
moved back, and was posted in the position which it occupied on the previous
day, where the brigade was gathered under command of Colonel J. B. Dodge,
of the Thirtieth Indiana. The fighting on the 2d of January, the third day of
the battle, on the left and centre was very severe; but the enemy, broken and
dispirited, was forced to yield, and during the night hastily withdrew from the
field. At M3urfreesboro, on the 20th of March following, when General Rosecrans was reviewing the army, preparatory to his second grand advance against
Bragg, as he came to the Seventy-seventh, in passing along the line, he halted
in its front and said, "Colonel, I see that your regiment is all right. Give my
compliments to the boys, and tell them that I say'It was the banner regiment
at Stone River.' They never broke their ranks."
After the battle, and until the middle of February, the regiment was engaged in guard, scout, and foraging duty. It then went into camp at Murfreesboro, and was employed, until the opening of the summer campaign, in
erecting fortifications. In the meantime Captain Rose was commissioned Colonel, Captain Frederick S. Pyfer, Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Alexander
Phillips, Major, Major Bradford having resigned. On the 24th of June the
regiment broke camp, and moving by the Shelbyville Pike, the whole army
being in motion, encountered Cleburne's Division of the rebel army at Liberty
Gap. Colonel Miller, of the Twenty-ninth Indiana, in command, formed the
brigade on the right of Willick's, which was in advance, and was first engaged.
The enemy occupied a high hill, abrupt of ascent. The Seventy-seventh, in