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

1863 OHANxCLLORSVAIfLi CAMPAIGN. 219
near its banks, where it remained until the 25th, when the corps moved to
Pratt's Landing, at the mouth of Potomac Creek. Here huts were erected in
the expectation that the encampment was for the winter. But on the 20th of
January, 1863, the command was put in motion, for a second advance, when,
at ten P. M., a severe storm of rain, sleet and snow,'burst upon it, which
caused a general breaking up of the roads, arrested the advance, rendered locomotion impossible, and left the army hopelessly floundering in the mire. The
movement failed of its object, and the command returned to its former camp,
where it remained until the 28th of April. On the 8th of January, Lieutenant
Colonel Hofmann was promoted to Colonel, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the
promotion of Colonel Meredith to Brigadier General. Captain George B. Osborn, of company A, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and on the 12th of
February, upon the resignation of Iajor Smith, Captain John T. Jack, of company H, was promoted to succeed him.
On the 28th of April, the regiment moved on the Chancellorsville campaign,
and bivouacked at night, on the banks of the Bappahannock, near the Fitz Hugh
House. The regiment now numbered twenty-one officers, and two hundred and
eighty-nine enlisted men. General Hooker had succeeded to the command of
the army. Early on the morning of the 29th, an effort was made to lay pontoon bridges across the river at Pollock's Mills. The enemy's sharp-shooters,
posted in rifle-pits, were very annoying, and delayed the work, rendering it impracticable, until they were driven from their shelter. To effect this, a storming
party was sent across in boats, accompanied by General Wadsworth, the division commander, who swam his horse. To cover the crossing of this party,
the Fifty-sixth was deployed as skirmishers on the left bank of the river. Under cover of the fire of the regiment, the party effected a landing, and captured
some prisoners. The river was soon crossed by the corps, the object of which
was to divert the attention of the enemy from the real point of attack, to be made
by crossing a considerable distance above Fredericksburg. Works were erected,
covering the bridge, and the position occupied until ten A. M. of the 2d of May,
when the division moved to United States Ford, and bivouacked for the night.
The loss to the regiment, in this demonstration, was two killed, and seven
wounded. Private Kelly, of company B, who was wounded in the thigh, and
suffered amputation, was taken prisoner, carried to Richmond, afterwards exchanged, and recovered.
At five A. AM. of the 3d, the command formed line of battle on the Ely's
Ford Road, and held it until it was ordered to re-cross the river. After this
it encamped near the Fitz Hugh House, and remained until the 7th of June,
when the regiment was detailed, with the 7th Wisconsin, to support the cavalry
at Brandy Station. loving vie Hartwood and Kelly's Ford, it reached the
point of destination at twelve M. of the 9th. Forming line of battle it held the
position, under the enemy's artillery fire, until two P. M., when it moved to
Beverly Ford by direction of General Buford. Colonel Hofmann formed the
regiment in rear of the crest of hills half a mile west of the ford, and remained
until the cavalry had re-crossed the river. While holding this position, companies A and F, under command of Captain Runkle, were thrown forward to
a stone wall where it repelled a furious charge of the enemy's cavalry.
On the 25th of June the march towards Gettysburg commenced. The command proceeded across the Potomac, on a pontoon bridge, at the mouth of
Goose Creek, through Middletown, and reached Frederick at three P. M. of the