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

1864 ADVANCE UPON THE FORTIFICATIONS OF PETERSBURG. 415
preceding, a beautiful flag* had been presented to the battalion by citizens of
Philadelphia,.
On the morning of the 25th of March, the enemy under General Gordon
made a sudden attack upon, and succeeded in breaking through the lines of
the Ninth Corps. General Grant immediately ordered an advance along the
entire lines, and the Second Division of the Sixth Corps, to which the Sixtyfirst belonged, attacked and carried the outer lines of the enemy's fortifications
in its front. The loss in this assault.was eighteen killed and wounded. On
the night of April 1st, the regiment was ordered to be in readiness to again
assault at daylight. At four o'clock, the word was given for the advance, and
the Sixty-first in the front brigade, moved with intrepidity against the frowning
works, which for many months it had faced, and vainly sought to carry. The
struggle was short but severe, and the enemy was driven in confusion from his
intrenchments. Pursuit was immediately given, and the regiment during the
day captured two rebel colors, a wagon train, fifty-two men, sixteen horses,
and three brass twelve-pounders with caissons. Colonel Crosby, who had lost
an arm from the effects of the wound received at Fort Stevens, near Washington, was killed, and Lieutenant Colonel Orr wounded. On the morning of the
3d, it moved with the army in pursuit of Lee, whose rear guard, Longstreet's
Corps, was brought to bay at Sailor's Creek, where the Sixty-first fired its last
shot at the enemy, who surrendered three days thereafter, April 9th, at Appomattox Court House.
After the surrender the regiment returned with a considerable portion of the
armyto Burkesville Junction, where, on the 17th, it was honored by being chosen
to escort the captured flags of the division to army headquarters. General
Johnston, in command of a rebel army in North Carolina, still held out. Grant
accordingly put his columns in motion to assure its capture should it continue
in hostile attitude. In four days the regiment marched one hundred and sixteen miles, reaching Danville on the 27th, where it was detailed for provost
duty. After remaining here until the 21st of May, Johnston having in the meantime laid down his arms and surrendered to Sherman, it moved by rail to Richmond. Marching through the rebel capital on the 24th, it crossed the Pamunkey
on the 25th, passed Fredericksburg and Marye's Heights on the 29th, Fairfax
June 1st, arriving at Ball's Cross Roads, near Washington, on the 2d. On the
8th the corps was re-viewed in the National Capital, which for four years had
* The regiment received its first colors, an offering from citizens of Pittsburg, before proceeding to the field in 1861. At the battle of Fair Oaks, May 31, 1862, this flag was torn to shreds
by the enemy's fire, and was sent, with the body of Colonel Rippey to Pittsburg, his former
home. The second flag was presented on behalf of the State, and was carried in all the rough
service of the regiment until September, 1864, when having become much torn and mutilated,
it was sent to Harrisburg, and immediately received from the Governor, a new one to supply
its place. This, together with the one presented to the battalion as noted above, was carried
until the close of the war. A cotemporary newspaper, notices the latter as follows: "A number of citizens have had manufactured a magnificent flag for presentation to the new battalion.
It is made of heavy silk; one side contains an elaborate painting of the coat of arms of Pennsylvania, and the reverse a beautiful representation of an American Eagle. The flag contains
the following inscription, "PRESENTED BY THE CITIZENS OF PHIILADELPHIEIA TO THE SIXTYFIRST REGIMErNT PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEERS FOR GALLANT CONDUCT THROUGHOUT THE
WAR." The names of the principal battles in which the regiment took an active part, are inscribed on the flag. Among which are Marye's Heights, Fair Oaks, Washington, D. C., Malvern Hill, Winchester, Antietam, Cedar Creek, and Wilderness. This flag is safe from dishonor
in the hands of the Sixty-first."