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

1252 EIGHTY-THIRD REGIMENT. 1862
to support a battery which was in danger of being captured. Here for two
hours the battle raged with great fury, and the men were exposed, without
protection, to a murderous fire. With great gallantry and courage the line
was maintained, and the battery, which had been on the point of moving to
the rear, unlimbered and poured into the enemy's massed lines grape and canister, until the ammunition failed, when the gunners cut the chains from their
horses' harness and hurled them at the foe. Never was the bravery and endurance of the Eighty-third put to a severer test. The loss in the engagement
was about forty killed, and one hundred and ten wounded, of whom a number
afterwards died. Among the wounded was Captain Campbell, in command
of the regiment. On arriving at Harrison's Landing it stacked but about
eighty muskets. On the evening of July 4th, an election to fill the vacancies
occasioned by the death of Colonel M'Lane and Major Naghel was held, at
which Lieutenant Colonel Vincent was chosen Colonel, Captain Campbell,
Lieutenant Colonel, and Adjutant William H. Lamont, Major.
General M'Clellan having been relieved, his lieutenants were ordered to report with their commands to General Pope. At Newport News the regiment
was joined by Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, with about fifty recruits, mostly
from Waterford, Erie county. It moved with the brigade by transports to
Acquia Creek, and thence by rail to Falmouth. After fruitless marchings
and counter-marchings, the corps at length formed a junction with the forces
of Pope, who finally succeeded in massing his forces, and making dispositions
for a general engagement. The position of the Eighty-third was upon the
right centre of the general line of battle. At the word to advance the brigade
moved promptly, and, deploying in line, were soon charging under a heavy
fire of musketry and artillery. Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, in command of
the regiment, fell early in the battle, his leg shattered by a minnie ball. Major Lamont was taken prisoner, and the command devolved on Captain Graham. Exposed to a hot flank fire from the enemy's infantry posted in a
railroad cut, and a heavy artillery fire in front, unable to advance, with any
hope of success, it was finally ordered to fall back. In this battle the regiment lost twenty killed, and between fifty and sixty wounded. Lieutenants
John Herrington and W. J. Wittich were among the killed. The recruits, who:
had been but a few days in the regiment, preserved, under the hottest fire, the
bearing of veterans.
The battle of Antietam was principallyfought by the two wings of the army,
and the Fifth Corps, to which the Eighty-third belonged, holding the centre,
was not much engaged. After the withdrawal of the enemy across the river,
an attempt was made to throw over a force to capture some pieces of artillery
posted on the opposite bank. Two brigades had crossed and were advancing, when a heavy body of the enemy, concealed in a wood near by, suddenly
attacked and drove back our force. As soon as he came in view from the opposite shore, the Eighty-third, which had been ordered into the bed of the canal, now dry, commenced a rapid fire, preventing the enemy from advancing
to the bluff, and protecting our men while re-crossing. Sharp-shooting was
continued across the stream during the whole 1ay, and firing during much of
the following night. Next morning the regiment was relieved. Since the
battle of Bull Run Captain Woodward hadi been in command. On the 30th
of October Colonel Vincent, who since the battle of Gaines' Mill had been
absent, sick, re-joined the. regiment, and resumed command.