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

290 FIFTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT. 1864
of the patient endurance of the delay, twenty days additional were given to the
usual furlough. Captains Leiper and Jaclson, and Lieutenant Cotter remained
at the front during their absence, in command of the recruits, and of those
who had not re-enlisted, and were almost constantly engaged on picket and
fatigue duty.
At the expiration of the furlough, the veterans with new recruits returned
to the front, arriving on the 25th of August. The Eighteenth Corps having
been relieved from duty on the south side of the Appomattox, and in front of
Petersburg, was posted in the line of intrenchments from Point of Rocks to the
James River, in front of the rebel Howlett House Battery. The Fifty-eighth
held the high ground in front and to the right of the open field near battery
Number 4, the picket line close up to the enemy's, extending from the James to a
ravine on the right of Fort Wisconsin. While here, the arms of the regiment
were exchanged for new Springfield rifled muskets.
On the evening of September 28th, parts of the Tenth and Eighteenth Corps,
moved across the James on muffled pontoons. The Third Brigade had the advance, and at sunrise skirmishing commenced. As it pressed forward, the
rebels fell back to the forts and defences, which were in full view, extending
from the river north, to the vicinity of White Oak Swamp. The brigade was
immediately ordered up, and the Fifty-eighth, Major Winn, and One Hundred
and Eighty-eighth Pennsylvania, Major Reichardt, regiments were selected to
lead the charge upon Fort Harrison, the principal defence. A public road led
directly to the fort, and the ground in front, over which the charge must be
made, was open, and ascending for about twelve hundred yards. The right of
the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth and the left of the Fifty-eighth, rested on
the road. Fifty yards from the fort the ground rises quite suddenly to the crest,
just in rear of which was the ditch with abatis in front. The fort mounted sixteen guns, two of them one hundred pounders. Forming for the desperate work,
the two regiments moved forward at a regular pace, until within five hundred
yards, when, in the face of a storm of shot and shell that swept their ranks,
they rushed forward as one man until they reached the little ridge in front
of the fort. Here, all, with one accord, dropped upon the ground, under partial
shelter; but only for an instant; for at this moment General Ord came dashing
up, and, inspired by the presence and daring of their chief, the men sprang
forward with wild shouts, passed the abatis and the ditch, and scaling the parapet, drove the enemy in rout and confusion from the fort. The colors of the
Fifty-eighth, which had three times fallen in the desperate onset, were planted
upon the parapet by Captain Cecil Clay, who, with Adjutant Johnson, was.among the first to enter the fort. As Captain Clay, who had just taken the flag.from the hands of the fallen corporal, attempted to raise it upon the fort, he
received two gun-shot wounds in the right arm. The flag itself was completely:riddled, and the staff twice shot off. Of the nine officers and two hundred
and twenty-eight men who advanced, six officers and one hundred and twentyeight men were either killed or wounded. Captains Theodore Blakeley and
Daniel F. Linn were among the killed. The victory was complete, and fort, heavy
guns, small arms, battle-flags, and prisoners, graced the triumph of the victors.
The records of the war ni fish few more daring feats of arms than this.'On the afternoon of the same day, these two regiments were ordered to attack the Star Fort, situated a mile to the left of Fort Harrison, and near the
river. Filled with fiery zeal by their success in the morning, they moved gal