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

1258 EIGHTY-THIRD REGIMENT. 1864
the 25th the regiment moved towards the enemy's works at Noel's Station
where breast-works were thrown up, and, while lying behind them, it had several men wounded, among them Lieutenant William J. Gleason, of company
F, a brave young officer, mortally.
After crossing the Tolopotomy the enemy was again found moving on parallel lines, and constantly covering Richmond. The Eighty-third, with other
regiments of the corps, was engaged in throwing up breast-works, and holding the enemy at bay while the balance of the army passed. by. At Bethesda
Church it was under a heavy fire, but was held in reserve, and moved to the
support of menaced parts of the lines, losing several in killed and wounded.
On the 16th of June it crossed the James, and joined in the siege of Petersburg. The brigade, together with those of Sweitzer and Chamberlain, moved
across the Norfolk Railroad, close up to the enemy's works, and unobserved
threw up a heavy line of breast-works. As soon as it was discovered a brisk
fire was opened, and a constant fusilade was kept up by his sharp-shooters,
the regiment losing on the 19th one killed and three wounded, and on the 20th,
two killed and five wounded. The position which it here occupied was nearest to the enemy of any part of the Union line. For weeks and months afterwards a never ceasing rattle of musketry was to be heard at this spot, by day
and by night, even after peace had been declared in every other part of the
lines.
On the night of the 20th the Fifth was relieved by the Ninth Corps, and
moving round upon the Jerusalem Plank Road, pushed up within five hundred
yards of the rebel front, and commenced fortifying. The regiment lost several, in this position, while on the skirmish line. On the 16th of August the
Fifth was again relieved from the position which it. had elaborately fortified,
and was led to the Weldon Railroad, holding it at the Yellow House. Heavy
fighting for its possession ensued, but the Eighty-third was not engaged. On
the 18th of September the original term of service of the regiment expired. It
then numbered about three hundred and fifty effective men. Of these about
one hundred were mustered out, and the balance, composed of veterans and
recruits, was organized in six companies, and known as the battalion of the
Eighty-third, the command devolving on Captain C. P. Rogers, Captain Israel
Thickstun being at the time on duty in the Signal Corps, and Captain John
H. Borden at the camp for rebel prisoners at Elmira, New York. On the 30th
of September the battalion was engaged at Poplar Grove Church, and carried,
by assault, Fort M'Rea. In the evening of the same day it held the right of
the line at Peeble's Farm, where the loss was very severe. During October
and November it remained inactive in camp, in December it participated in
the raid upon the Weldon Railroad-a week of hard marching and exhausting
labor-after which it returned and went into winter-quarters on the Jerusalem
Plank Road, eight miles from Petersburg. Captain Rogers was promoted to
Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain William 0. Colt to Major. In the engagement at Hatcher's Run, on the 6th of February, the battalion was in the thickest of the fight, and suffered severely. Captain Benjamin A. Smith and Sergeant Jason Winans were killed. After the battle it went into camp at Hampton Station, where it remained until the opening of the spring campaign. In
the mean time four full companies had been assigned to it, which with recruits
brought it up to the maximum strength of a regiment. Lieutenant Colonel
Rogers was promoted to Colonel, and Major Colt to Lieutenant Colonel.