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

186{ WILDERNESS AND LAUREL HILL. 1257
and 7th the regiment was upon the front line, where was considerable cannonading, and some skirmishing; but it remained behind its entrenchments without being seriously molested.
During the night of the 7th the corps moved on toward Spottsylvania, and
at Laurel Hill, six miles from the Court House, found the enemy across its
path. It was supposed that only cavalry was in front, and that the infantry
had only to show itself to clear the way. The Eighty-third was ordered into
position on the right of the road, the Forty-fourth on the left, and advanced
under cover of two pieces of artillery. The troops were weary, and little enthusiasm in the charge could be excited. At the brow of the hill the rebel
skirmishers were met and driven. It now became apparent that the enemy's
infantry was present in force; but the line moved on, and now at a doublequick, with fixed bayonets. As it approached the wood where the enemy lay, it
received a volley, and here it was discovered that he was protected by a breastwork of logs and rails, prepared to receive an assault. Secure in their position and in largely superior force, the rebels poured in a murderous fire.
Mladdened by this merciless slaughter, the Eighty-third rushed up to the very
works, and a desperate hand to hand conflict ensued, in which bayonet thrusts
were given and parried, several men of the Eighty-third crossing the works
and striving with desperate valor to drive out the foe. For half an hour did
these two small regiments maintain the unequal contest, much of the time at
close quarters; but were finally compelled to retire, having suffered a most
grievous loss. The two lines, scarcely eighty rods apart, were thoroughly
fortified during the night. The regiment had about fifty killed, and over a
hundred wounded and taken prisoners. From its entrance to the Wilderness
fight, to this time, it had lost over three hundred. Captain George Stowe and
Lieutenant Alexander B. Langley were among the killed. *
Unable to drive the enemy from his fortifications, Grant again moved by the
left flank. On the 23d the brigade arrived at the North Anna, and, crossing the
stream at Jericho Ford, two regiments, the Eighty-third and SixteenthMichigan,
were sent to the assistance of Sweitzer's Brigade of Griffin's Division, which was
at'he moment inimminent peril. "In making thisadvance,"saysGreeley, "the
Eighty-third Pennsylvania, Lieutenant Colonel IM'Coy, swept closely past the
flank of Brown's (rebel) column, when M'Coy instantly wheeled his forward
companies into line, and gave a volley, which, delivered at close quarters on
the flank and rear of the rebel column, threw it into utter disorder and rout;
one of M'Coy's men seizing Brown by the collar and dragging him into our
lines, while nearly a thousand of his men were gathered up as prisoners." The
regiment lost but two or three wounded. The position was intrenched. On
* "The colors, on this occasion, were carried by Corporal Vogus, of company G, who had
rescued them when Sergeant Rogers fell at the battle of the Wilderness. While the regiment
was charging up towards the breast-works, he received a severe wound in the side, and fell
with the colors. Corporal John Lillibridge, of the color guard, immediately seized them, and
was about to carry them forward, when Vogus recovered, and, again taking the flag, pressed
forward and planted it on the breast-works of the enemy. In a few moments afterwards he
was shot through the breast. Fearing the colors might be captured, he seized them while in
the act of falling himself, and hurled them to the rear, where they were rescued by Corporal
Dan. Jones, of company F. Dan. was shortly after wounded himself, and while getting off
the field, handed the colors to a soldier of the Forty-fourth, who brought them off safely, and
delivered them to Sergeant KeCk, who returned them to the regiment. This was the nearest
the Eighty-third ever came to losing its colors."-Judson's 1istory of Eighty-third Regiment
P. V., page96-7.
158 voL. n.