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

1863 MINE RUN CAMPAIGN. 799
Federal. By their side was a pile of wounded and dead struggling to escape
each other. The crippled and dead artillery horses lay scattered upon all the
field. Disabled artillery, muskets, canteens, knapsacks, and all the munitions
of war, were strewn thick on every hand. At the spot where the enemy made
his last feeble charge, many were killed. The regiment buried these on the
spot where they fell, and at one end of the huge grave a board was placed
bearing this inscription,'The remains of the Ninth and Seventeenth Virginia,
Regiments. A worthy foe' 7 Generals Hancock, Gibbon, and. Webb, commanding the corps, division, and brigade respectively, were wounded. General
Webb was able to keep the field, and assumed command of the division, Colonel Smith of the brigade. The regiment captured in the battle four stands of
rebel colors. Among them were the Ninth and Nineteenth Virginia.
Satisfied that the offensive could no longer be maintained, Lee withdrew,
and at once began to throw up breast-works along his entire line, in semblance
of holding his position, but as night came on commenced a rapid retreat. The
Union army followed and came up with him near Hagerstown. The Seventyfirst was immediately thrown forward on picket, occupying a position directly
opposite the Saint James College, then held by the enemy. He, however, soon
made good his escape into Virginia, Without again coming to battle. The regiment, now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Kochersperger, participated in
the campaign which followed, and in the retrograde movement of the army, was
engaged at Auburn Mills, and Bristoe Station. In the advance from Centreville, as Meade again assumed the offensive, it had a spirited skirmish at Bull
Run, the fighting becoming general, and extending from Cub Run to the ford.
At Robertson's Tavern the enemy was again met, occupying an important position. The brigade, which held the right of the column, was immediately ordered forward upon a charge, and succeeded after a brief contest in clearing
the ground, which was immediately occupied by Warren's Corps. The regiment was held upon the front line, and skirmishing was kept up until the enemy
retired to his carefully selected line behind Mine Run. Shifting the division
to the extreme left, beyond Hope Ch-Trch, it was ordered to prepare to assault
the enemy's works. The weather was intensely cold, and the work which it
was called to perform seemed even more chilling than the weather. The brigade was ordered to lead the charging column. All the necessary preparations
had been made. The men stood in light marching order, ready to advance,
many of them having made their wills, sent messages to their friends, attached
slips of paper, containing name and description, securely to their clothing,
conscious of the great peril before them, and believing that but few would
ever come back alive. The signal gun was fired, but still the order was not
given to move. Finally to the relief and unspeakable joy of all, word was
brought that offensive operations had been abandoned. The army now retired
to winter-quarters, the regiment occupying a wooded slope near Stevensburg.
The time was given during the winter to the construction of roads, fatigue
duty, drills and reviews, the Seventy-first, by the cleanliness and beauty of its
camp, challenging comparison with that of any other regiment. The only hostile demonstration was a reconnoissance to Morton's Ford, on the Rapidan,
where the advance was led by Captain Seabury of company F. Charging
through the stream he gained a foot-hold, and held the ground until the brigade, led by Colonel Smith, could cross. The enemy was driven back from
his outer line of intrenchments to the more formidable ones in the rear, when,