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

138 FIFTY-FOURTH REGIMENT. 1863
ments, hastily fell back. Colonel Campbell pushed out his pickets again to
the bridge, where they arrived before the ruins had been extinguished.
After the battle of Antietam, General MGClellan, unaware of the presence of
any Union troops south of the Potomac, sent a cavalry force to picket the
Maryland shore. Seeing soldiers in blue across the river, they regarded Colonel Campbell's men as rebels in disguise, and it was with difficulty that they
could be undeceived. Upon the surrender of Miles, the brigade to which
the regiment belonged, had disappeared. A report of its position to the General-in-Chief soon brought an order attaching it to General Franklin's command.
At daylight on the 4th of October, the rebel General Imboden, with a force of
infantry and cavalry, seven hundred strong, attacked company K, Captain
Newhard, at Little Cacapon. The men were at roll-call when the enemy, under
cover of a dense fog, rushed into their camp, and the first intimation that they
had of his presence was a volley fired from their own rifle-pits. They immediately seized their arms, and attempted to drive out the hostile force; but the
odds were too great, and they were forced to yield. Thirty-five of the company
escaped; but Captain Newhard, and fifty of his men were captured. Seven of
the company were wounded. The enemy had two killed and eight wounded.
Moving rapidly to Paw Paw, where Captain Hite was stationed with company
B, Imboden divided his brigade, and, with one column keeping the Captain
amused in front, sent the other to the rear, and before the latter was aware of
his situation, he was fast between the two. Bringing up two small guns within
easy range of Hite's position, Imboden demanded his surrender. As resistance
was sure to entail a useless slaughter, the company yielded. Learning the fate
of two of his companies, Colonel Campbell quickly concentrated his force at
Sir John's Rtun. Imboden approached within six miles, and after reconnoitring
the position for a day, unwilling to attack, withdrew to Winchester, and the
remaining companies of the Fifty-fourth were returned to their old posts.
Soon afterwards the regiment was attached to the command of General
Morrell, left for the defence of the Upper Potomac, and subsequently, upon the
organization of the Eighth Army Corps, it was assigned to the Third Brigade,
of the Second Division, commanded by General Kelly. In December, companies B and K, having been exchanged, returned to the regiment, and the order,
relieving it from the onerous and trying duty upon the railroad, which had been
earnestlylonged for, was received. Concentrating at North Mountain, it moved,
on the 6th of January, 1863, to Romney, where, after a fruitless pursuit of
Imboden, it remained until the opening of the spring campaign. On the 29th
of January, Lieutenant Colonel M'Dermit resigned, and Major Linton succeeded
him, Captain Enoch D. Yutzy, of company C, being promoted to Major.
The Fifty-fourth was now attached to the Fourth Brigade of the First Division, Department of West Virginia, Colonel Campbell in command of the
brigade, and Lieutenant Colonel Linton of the regiment. On the 3d of April,
the enemy having attacked a forage train above Burlington, the Fifty-fourth,
with a battalion of cavalry, was sent in pursuit. At Purgitsville the rebel
cavalry was encountered and driven, and some prisoners taken. The regiment
continued here, scouting the country and capturing guerrillas who infested the
region, until the 30th of June, when it moved to New, Creek in anticipation of
an attack upon Grafton. On the 6th of July, General Kelly moved his command, by forced marches, to co-operate with the Army of the Potomac, now
driving the enemy from the field of Gettysburg. On the 10th he came upon