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

1863 BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE. 1311
dred and Tenth, to advance and occupy the position just abandoned, were
promptly and gallantly executed. The old lines were re-gained, and held for
about an hour and until all the regiments on the right and left of the Eightyfourth had retired, leaving us in an isolated and exposed position. In the
hope that reinforcements would arrive, I still held the men in place, maintaining a steady and effective fire to the front. It was discovered, however, that
a large force of the enemy had succeeded, by making an extensive detour
under cover of a dense wood, in gaining our rear, where he was supported by
a vigorous enfilading fire from several guns, planted on an eminence to our
front and left. It became obvious that to remain was equivalent to capture
in a body, while to retreat was perilous in the extreme. The latter alternative
was adopted. The retreat was executed in good order, but not without heavy
losses and severe fighting. In numerous instances the men clubbed their muskets in hand-to-hand encounters. Parties who had been overpowered, seizing
opportune moments, took up guns at hand, demanded and obtained the surrender of many of their captors. Lieutenant Farley of company F, who had
been captured in the strife, headed a number of our men, and succeeded in
extricating himself, and in capturing one, Captain, two Lieutenants, and
twenty-five men. These, with five men captured before the retreat began,
made an aggregate of thirty-three rebel prisoners taken by the regiment. Our
own losses were necessarily heavy, from the peculiarity of the situation. Of
three hundred and ninety-one officers and men engaged, two hundred and
nineteen were killed, wounded and missing. Captain Jacob Peterman was
among the killed, and Captain C. G. Jackson, Lieutenants William Hays,
Albert Steinman, John R. Ross, George S. Good, and Assistant Surgeon John
S. Waggoner severely wounded, most of whom fell into the enemy's hands."
The regiment participated in the operations of the brigade, on the new
line taken up on the morning of the 4th, but without further casualties. General Whipple was killed in this engagement and the losses of his division were
so great that it was broken up and the regiments assigned to other commands.
The Eighty-fourth became part of General Carr's Brigade of the Second Corps,
and was separated from the One Hundred and Tenth, with which it had served
from its entrance to duty. On the 11th of June Colonel Bowman was ordered
to special duty, and never afterward re-joined the regiment. In December previous, Major Milton Opp had been promoted to. Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain George Zinn, to Major.
In the Gettysburg campaign, the regiment, upon its arrival at Taneytown,
Maryland, was detailed as guard to the corps train, and immediately proceeded with it to Westminster, where it was employed in forwarding supplies
to the battle-field, a vitally important duty, but one devoid of heroic incident.
Upon the return of the army to Virginia, the regiment was engaged at
Wapping Heights, on the 24th of July, in the neighborhood of Thoroughfare
Gap on the 10th of October, at Freeman's Ford in a sharp skirmish on the 13th,
at Bristoe Station on the 14th and again on the 19th, at Kelly's Ford on the
7th of November, at Jacob's Ford on November 27th, at Locust Grove on the
28th, and at Mine Run on the 30th, losing four men mortally wounded, five
slightly wounded, five missing, and one officer, Lieutenant Good, captured.
At the conclusion of the campaign the regiment returned to the neighborhood
of Brandy Station, where it went into winter-quarters. In January, 1864, a
considerable number of the regiment re-enlisted, and were given a veteran