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

1172 EIGHTY-FIRST REGIMENT, 1864
was killed. At Strawberry Plains, Ream's Station, and Deep Bottom, in each
of which the corps was engaged with varying success, the regiment maintained its character for courage and daring.
The winter was spent in the trenches in front of Petersburg, and when towards the close of March, 1865, active operations opened, the regiment moved
with the corps on its final campaign. It did not suffer serious loss, though
frequently engaged, and worn down with constant and rapid marching, until it
reached Farmville, on the 7th of April, where the main body of Lee's army was
drawn up in a strong position, prepared to offer obstinate resigtance. "HLumphrey found," says Swinton, "the main body of Lee's army intrenched in a
strong position, four or five miles north of Farmville, covering the stage and
plank roads leading to Lynchburg. It proved to be too formidable for a front
attack, the ground being open and sloping up gradually to a crest about a
thousand yards distant, which was covered with intrenchments and batteries.
An attempt was then made to take it in flank, but the Confederate flanks were
found to extend on both flanks, on the right and left, beyond the line of Humphrey's divisions, and it became manifest that all that remained of the Army
of Northern Virginia was present. Barlow's )ivision was then ordered up.
Meanwhile Humphrey, having extended his right the length of one division,
ordered Miles to make an attack with three regiments; but these met a complete repulse, suffering the loss of above six hundred in killed and wounded. It
was too late to renew the operations when Barlow arrived, and, during the
night, Lee again retreated." On the 9th Lee surrendered. In this last desperate but unfortunate assault, the Eighty-first lost heavily, Captains Charles
Wilson and John Bond being among the killed. Its fighting was now over,
and returning with the army to the neighborhood of Washington, it was, on
the 29th of June, mustered out of service. During the four years in which it
followed the fortunes of the Army of the Potomac, sharing its perils and its
glory, scarcely missing a battle, it lost, of the field and staff; four killed, five
wounded, one prisoner, and two who died of disease; of the line, fourteen
officers killed, forty wounded, and two taken prisoners; and of enlisted men,
two hundred and one killed, five hundred and sixteen wounded, one hundred
and fifty-two taken prisoners, and seventy-nine who died of disease.