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

1862 BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS. 1203
ter a few days' fruitless search, having found his works abandoned, the army
returned and the division again occupied its old quarters. About two weeks
later. the regiment marched to Alexandria, and in company with the Sixtyseventh New York, embarked upon the steamer Daniel Webster for Fortress
Monroe. Upon its arrival it occupied a position on the left of the Williamsburg Road, two miles in advance of the ruined town of Hampton. Early in
April, it moved out to the neighborhood of Lee's Mills, on the Warwick River,
where the column was halted by the enemy's skirmishers, deployed on the
western bank of the stream. Line of battle was formed, the left of the Eightysecond resting on the Warwick Biiver, and company B thrown forward as skirmishers. The line was thus advanced, and the enemy's skirmishers driven
under cover of his works. Separated by the Warwick River, the two armies
looked each other in the face for nearly a month, at the end of which the enemy retired.
The army now followed on to Williamsburg, where the advance had a
severe battle, the Eighty-second not arriving in time to participate, and thence
to the Chickahominy. On the 22d, the brigade, now temporarily in command
of General Abercrombie, crossed the river and encamped a half mile in rear of
Casey's Division, resting at Seven Pines. Here it was employed, with other
troops, in constructing earth-works from Savage Station to White Oak Swamp.
General Casey being in need of reinforcements, the brigade was sent to his
assistance on the 29th of May, the position of the Eighty-second being at
Fair Oaks Station. While in this position, shortly after twelve o'clock on the
31st, the enemy attacked. The men had scarcely finished dinner, when the
firing on the skirmish line, which had been of common occurrence, seemed more
severe than usual, and they hastened to put on their accoutrements and prepare
for battle. The line was quickly formed, fronting the Nine Mile Road, the left
of the regiment resting at Fair Oaks Station, the Sixty-first Pennsylvania on
the right, and the Sixty-seventh New York on the left. The pressure being
heavy on the left, the Eighty-second was sent to its support; but there being
a lull in the firing for a time, it was relieved by the Sixty-first, and returned to
the right, covering the same ground as before, but in advance of the Nine Mile
Road. The left of the regiment was here assailed by the enemy's skirmishers,
and several men were wounded, but no serious attack was made upon it. The
entire force upon the left, where Casey stood, having. been swept away, it became necessary for General Couch, commanding the right wing, to fall back
and take up a new position. The movement was executed in perfect order, and
the new line of battle, a half mile further back, was formed along the road
leading to the Grape Vine Bridge, facing south. Soon the head of Sumner's
Corps arrived, and the General in person, assumed command. He at once
established the Eighty-Second in position, at right angles to that formerly occupied, the left resting on Grape Vine Bridge Road, in open ground immediately in the rear of a clump of woods. On the left of the road, connecting
with the left of the Eighty-second, Kirby's Battery was posted, the Sixty-fifth
New York connecting with it on the left. These dispositions had scarcely been
made, when the enemy was discovered advancing from the direction of Fair
Oaks Station in two columns, of division front. Kirby's guns immediately
opened, but the enemy held his ground with much steadiness. Meanwhile a
third line, advancing through the wood in front of the Eighty-second, approached unperceived until within short range, when he opened a vigorous