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

1862 PENINSULA CAMPAIGN. 361
After a month's delay the rebels withdrew from their fortifications, and in
the pursuit, which immediately commenced, Averill's Cavalry again had the
advance. Considerable skirmishing with Stuart's troopers ensued, and on
the 6th the regiment was engaged in the battle of Williamsburg. Moving on
slowly towards Richmond, by the 22d the advance was within six miles of the
city. The battle of Fair Oaks soon followed, but the Third was not actively
engaged. The ensuing month was spent sweltering in the heat amidst the
unwholesome swamps of the Chickahominy, and many of the command were
stricken down with fever. It was kept actively engaged in picketing and scouting, and often met the enemy in hard skirmish fights, one ofthe most important of which occurred at Jordan's Ford. From Hanover Court House to Malvern Hill, a week of battles, the men were almost constantly in the saddle,
supporting batteries, scouting, picketing and protecting the flanks of the rereating army stretched out upon the march, most of the time under a heavy
fire. At Charles City Cross Roads, on the 30th of June, the regiment was engaged in a dashing hand to hand fight with a North Carolina regiment, in which
the latter was very roughly handled. In the retreat from Malvern Hill, Averill
had the rear. By manoeuvring a part of the cavalry as artillery, he kept up
the appearance of a much larger force than he really had, and successfully
held the enemy in check.
The rest of that sad summer was passed at Harrison's Landing. While
here the enemy attempted to dislodge the army by operating from the opposite bank of the river. On the night of the 31st of July, he opened upon the
closely packed camps, and the first notice of his presence was the bursting of
shells in their midst. Heavy firing was kept up during the entire night, and
on the following day a portion of the cavalry under Averell, consisting of detachments from the different regiments of his command, was thrown across the
river, and with a supporting force of infantry and artillery, put the enemy to
flight. Soon afterwards the whole army was put in motion, and marching
down the peninsula to Fortress Monroe, was shipped to Alexandria.
In the invasion of Maryland, which followed in September, the Third was
actively employed. In the battle of Antietam, it engaged the enemy, supported
batteries, kept open the communications, and was much exposed to the heavy
fire of the enemy. After the battle, while the army was resting along the Potomac, the regiment was kept upon the move, scouting upon the upper waters
of the river, and upon the occasion of the raid made by Stuart it was called to
pursue him; but too late to be of much avail. Its camp during most of this
period was in the vicinity of St. James College. Late in' October the army
again crossed into Virginia, and the cavalry covered the right flank of the advance. Stuart and Hampton were performing a like office for the right flank of
the enemy, and collisions were frequent along the whole march. At TUnionville, Piedmont, Ashby's Gap, Upperville, Corbin7s and Gaines' Cross Roads,
and at Amissville, the enemy stubbornly contested the ground, but was driven
into the fastnesses of the Blue Ridge.
Colonel Averill had previously been promoted to Brigadier General for gallant and meritorious services, and early in November John B. M'Intosh, a
subaltern of the Fifth United States Cavalry, was commissioned Colonel, Edward S. Jones, of Philadelphia, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and 0.
0. G. Robinson, of Allegheny county, to Major. From Warrenton, where
the army first rested, the regiment moved to the neighborhood of Fredericks.