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

1863 BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE. 865
given to them. Towards evening Schurz's Division on the extreme right was
struck in flank anad rear by a powerful force of the enemy, led by Stonewall
Jackson. It fell like an avalanche upon Devens' Brigade which gave way in
utter rout, and with such impetuosity was the advantage followed that brigade
after brigade yielded. At half-past five the enemy, carrying all before him,
had reached Buschbeck's Brigade. As he came within range, the artillery
opened with good effect and the infantry, taking shelter behind their slight
breast-works, poured in round upon round in rapid succession. Attacked in
rear, they were obliged to take to the opposite side of their works from which
they were faced. For a moment his advance was checked. But lapping
around upon both flanks of this little command of less than two thousand men,
with his overpowering numbers, it was in danger of being swallowed up in the
mad onset. Already the artillery horses had been killed, and the enemy was
upon the guns. Colonel Moore, turning to Lieutenant Wilde, who was conducting his men out of the rifle-pits to the rear, ordered him and other officers near
to form their men in rear of a small log hut and then re-join the regiment.
As he was giving the command he was struck by a rifle ball passing through
the left lung, inflicting a severe wound, supposed at the time to be mortal,
and was left upon the field. Seizing two of the pieces the men dragged them
away as they went back. The brigade rested with the batteries near the Chancellor House during the night. t On the following day the corps held its position in the new line covering United States Ford, where, behind well constructed breast-works, it repulsed every attack of the enemy. On the morning
of the 6th of May the regiment retired with the army and returned to its old
camp near Falmouth. The loss was thirteen killed, fifty-four wounded and
thirty-nine missing. Captain Giltinan was among the killed, and Colonel
Moore, Lieutenant Colonel Strong, Major Shultz and Captain Leibfried among
the wounded, the latter mortally.
Remaining in camp until the 12th of June, it started on the Gettysburg
campaign, and moved leisurely to the vicinity of Edwards' Ferry. On the 24th
it crossed the Potomac, and at three o'clock on the afternoon of the 1st of
July arrived at the battle-field. A considerable part of the corps was already
engaged on the right of the town and hotly pressed. The First Corps, which
had been engaged on Seminary Ridge, was soon driven back, and with the
Eleventh retreated through the town in some confusion,. retiring to Cemetery
Hill, where the artillery, under General Steinwehr, had been posted earlier in
the day. As the rear of the Union forces was retiring from the town, closely
followed by the enemy, the Seventy-third was ordered forward, and charged
*Buschbeck, holding with his brigade the extreme left of the Eleventh Corps, made a good
fight, and only retired after both his flanks were turned, and then in good order.-Army of
the Potomac, Swinton, page, 286.
t Three regiments under Colonel Buschbeck, and located on the left of the line, held their
position bravely, and fought till they were completely outflanked. They held their ground
so well, although compelled to take the outside of their defences, (the enemy coming opposite
to their proper front,) that some of our artillery was enabled to bring a most destructive fire
upon the rebels as they came tumbling and rushing furiously on. The artillery held to the
last, and indeed some pieces were lost by the killing of the horses. Every effort was made to
rally the trobps all the way along, and especially when any possible position presented itself,
such as a fence or thick woods. A llwas in vain, and when Colonel Buschbeck had been forced
to retire, General Howard then passed to the rear of Berry's Division, and there first succeeded
in halting and rallying the corps.-Moore's Rebellion Record, Vol. VI, page 592.
109-VOL. [1.