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

1863 CHIANCELLORSVILLE AND GETTYSBURG. 251
it bivouacked near the Chancellor House. At five A. M. of the 2d of 3ay, it
moved to the front, three-fourths of a mile south-west of the Chancellor House,
near a pine grove, and took position behind breastworks erected there. The
Fifty-seventh was on the extreme right of the corps, and joined the left of the
Twelfth Corps. At two P. M. Birney's and Whipple's divisions, the First and
Third, were ordered to the front, where some skirmishing ensued, which lasted
until dark, when, suddenly, a tremendous crash of artillery was heard away
to the right and rear, followed up by the mingled roar of musketry. It was
the onset of Jackson upon the Eleventh Corps. Shortly after dark, falling in
quietly, the two divisions marched to the rear, and were halted in an open field
in front of the works occupied in the morning, now in the hands of the enemy.
General Ward's Brigade made a bayonet charge during the night, and drove
the enemy from apart of the line. At daylight of the 3d, the enemy made a
vigorous attack; but not knowing from what direction he would come, the
division was not in line, and when it was delivered the brigade was in column
of regiments. It was immediately moved by the right flank, at double-quick,
and deployed in line of battle near the Chancellor House, to the left of the Plank
Road, and at right angles to it, and charged, driving the enemy, but was in
turn driven back. In this charge the regiment suffered a grievous slaughter.
The brigade steadily fell back, fighting as it went for nearly a mile, when a new
line was formed, which was held until the morning of the 6th, when the army
re-crossed the river, and the regiment returned to its old camping-ground. The
loss was two officers and eleven men killed, three officers and forty-five men
wounded, and twenty-three missing. Among the killed were Captain EdsoD
J. Rice, and Lieutenant Joseph Brady.
On the 11th of June the regiment broke camp, and marched on the Gettysburg campaign, arriving at Emmittsburg, Maryland, on the 1st of July. At
two o'clock in the afternoon, the corps resumed the march, and arrived on the
ground after dark, bivouacking in an open field to the right of the Emmittsburg pike. At daylight of the 2d it moved to the front. Considerable time
elapsed before the line was formed. Graham's Brigade was posted in the open
field facing the pike. At four P. M. the enemy opened with artillery, and for
an hour and a half the solid earth was shaken by his unceasing fire, the regiment being much exposed, and many being wounded by his bursting shells.
As the fire ceased, the brigade moved forward and attacked the enemy's infantry, which was just then advancing from the wood beyond Sherfy's. It was
soon hotly engaged, and for a time checked his advance. The right of the
Fifty-seventh rested on Sherfy's house, in an admirable position, where the men
could fire deliberately and with excellent effect. But the regiments farther to
the left, failing to get into position in time, the enemy broke through, and flanking the position, caused Graham to fall back. A considerable number of the
men had taken cover in an old cellar, and amidst the noise and confusion, did
not receive the order to retire, nor notice the withdrawal of the rest of the
regiment, but still kept up a rapid and most destructive fire. When too late,
they discovered their isolated position, and were nearly all taken prisoners. A
portion of the Sixth Corps came timely to the assistance of the Third, and the
advance of the enemy was stayed. The regiment was re-formed by Captain A.
H. Nelson, and marched three-quarters of a mile to the rear, where it rested
for the night. In the afternoon of the 3d it moved a half mile to the right, and
went to the front, where in the afternoon it was exposed to a severe shelling,