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

178 FIFTY-FIFTH REGIMENT. 1864
with sudden and overpowering force. The Fifty-fifth occupied a position near
the extreme left, and felt the full force of the enemy's blows. Again and again
he advanced to the charge. Portions of the line gave way. The Fifty-fifth
stood side by side with the Fourth New Hampshire, and gallantly held its
groumnd, until out-flanked and nearly surrounded, it was in danger of being captured. Colonel White, as a last resort, selected three companies, C, D, and E,
of his own regiment, and charged full upon the head of the advancing column.
But it could not be broken, and the line was forced to yield. The loss in this
engagement was very severe, being in killed, wounded, and prisoners, including those from May 9th, when the fighting commenced, fifteen commissioned
officers, and three hundred enlisted men. The Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, and
Adjutant were among the prisoners, and Lieutenant John H. Barnhart, was
among the killed. The command of the regiment devolved upon Captain John
C. Shearer.
The army now fell back to its intrenched line at Bermuda Hundred, and
the regiment was sibsequently engaged in several minor skirmishes. On the
morning of the 20th of May the enemy attacked the picket line on Foster's
Plantation at daylight. One-half of the Fifty-fifth was in position, and made
a stern resistance, holding its ground until the yielding of the forces, on right
and left, made it necessary for it to fall back to save itself from capture.
Butler having completed his preparations, was upon the point of moving
upon the enemy's lines about Petersburg, when he received orders from Grant
to detach a heavy force under General Baldy Smith, and send it to the support
of the Army of the Potomac. The Fifty-fifth was one of the regiments selected
for this purpose, and was assigned to the First Brigade, General Stannard,
Second Division, General Martindale, Eighteenth Corps. Moving in transports down the James and up the York rivers, the corps debarked at WVest
Point, and marched via White House to Cold Harbor, where, on the 1st of
June, it met the enemy, who was engaging the Sixth Corps. The line of battle
was immediately formed, and charged the enemy's works, capturing a line of
rifle-pits, and taking a large number of prisoners. The contest was continued
during the 1st and 2d, but the principal charge was made on the morning of
the 3d. Stannard's Brigade was selected for the attack, and was formed in
columns of regiments, in which the Fifty-fifth was the third. As it swept forward to the desperate work, the intense fire of the enemy caused the front lines
to waver, and, finally, to fall back in confusion upon the third, which was also
momentarily deranged. Captain Shearer, in command, was wounded, and
scarcely had the next in rank, Captain Nesbitt, assumed it, when he also was
stricken down, and it devolved upon Captain Hill, who soon restored order,
and held his position now in the front line. During the night, breastworks
were thrown up, which were occupied until the night of the 12th, when the
entire army withdrew. The loss, in killed and wounded, was four commissioned
officers, and one hundred and thirty-fonr enlisted men. In conducting this
withdrawal from the enemy's front, the Fifty-fifth was deployed in the front
line of works, while the regiments successively fell back in the stillness of the
night, until all had retired, without casualties or disturbance.
Marching back to White House, the corps again embarked on transports.
and moved, vi the Pamunkey, York, and James rivers, to Point of Rocks on
the Appomattox, where it debarked, and early on the morning of the 15thl
advanced on the enemy's works in front of Petersburg, capturing eighteen gunus