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

830 SEVENTY-SECOND REGIMENT. 1862
the right of the First Brigade, the Seventy-second on the right of the Seventyfirst Pennsylvania. As no hostile force appeared, the' brigade was moved by
the flank and changed front, which brought it upon the enemy's flank, and
forced him to fall back from his.position in the cleared field into the woods.
Ricketts7 Battery was now advanced, and the regiment was posted to repel attack. The enemy charged the position, but was repulsed, and the ground successfully held. The loss here was five killed and four severely wounded.
After the battle the lines were advanced and fortified, stretching from the
Chickahominy away towards White Oak Swamp. For a mouth the regiment
remained upon this line, the enemy in front, and his sharpshooters keeping up
a constant fusilade.
On the 29th of June, the fourth after the opening of the Seven Days' Battles,
M'Clellan having put his whole army in motion towards the James, Sumner's
Corps quietly withdrew from the trenches and acted as rear guard on the march.
The enemy under Magruder, who had been holding the approaches to Richmond, as soon as he discovered that his front was clear, quickly followed up,
and pressing on past Peach Orchard, where he skirmished lightly, approached
Savage Station. Here the rebel leader attacked with his usual recklessness
and daring. The force of his blow fell principally on thePhiladelphia Brigade.
Says one who accompanied the column, " Gallant Burns was first to feel the
shock. One of his favorite regiments-Baxter's Philadelphia Fire Zouaveshad been assigned to support a battery. As the enemy advanced it opened
hotly upon them, but undismayed they pressed to the charge. Burns held
firmly his men until the enemy seemed almost ready to plunge upon the guns.
Then waving his sword, he ordered his trusty fellows to fire, a basketful of
canister, fearful volleys of musketry, and all who were left of that slaughtered
column of rebels fled howling to the rear. Fresh masses poured out and were
sent surging back again, until finally they stood aloof, content to watch and
wait a happier moment to assail that desperate front." The regiment lost here
fifteen killed, Captain Charles M'Gonigle being of the number. At night Sumner moved on and crossed White Oak Swamp. In the battles which ensued at
Charles City Cross Roads and at Malvern Hill the regiment was in line and
under fire, but was not engaged.
From the peninsula the regiment proceeded to Alexandria and with Sumner
moved on to Centreville, to the support of Pope, arriving on the evening of
the 29th, and skirmishing lightly with the enemy on the following day at Chantilly. General Howard was here assigned to the command of the brigade.
After a few days' rest it moved on the Maryland campaign, and came up with
the enemy's skirmishers near Frederick, who were driven after a brief resistance. The battle of Antietam opened on the evening of the 16th of September,
General Hooker having crossed the creek and attacked upon the enemy's left
flank, and was renewed by him at dawn on the morning of the 17th. The battle
in the morning had not been long in progress when Sumner was ordered to
move to the support of Hooker. Wading the stream, which was here waist
deep, the division made a detour to the right, and when near the field turned
sharply to the left. The action had been desperate, and both sides had suffered
severely. With Smith on the left, French in the centre, and Sedgwick on the
right, Sumner moved forward, the weight of his line easily forcing back the
enemy. By ten o'clock Sedgwick had reached the wood around the Dunker
*Moore's Rebellion Record, Vol. V, p. 243, Docs.