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

916 SEVENTY-FIFTH REGIMENT. 1862
Ferry. On the 15th it was ordered to cross the Shenandoah, and move to Winchester, in pursuit of Stonewall Jackson's force then confronting Banks. Several rafts were constructed to cross the troops. The river was high, and the
current rapid. Company D, the skirmish company, crossed in safety, when,
to save time, an old ferry boat, which had been partly burned by the enemy,
was repaired, and a rope stretched across the stream to guide it. Companies
I and K embarked, and when near the middle of the stream, the boat swamped
and suddenly began to sink. It was a moment of terror. A shriek of agony
rent the air as they were suddenly engulphed. Scores of knapsacks covering
the surface of the water were all that was visible of the unfortunate men as
they floated, thus burdened, in the river. Captain Christian Wyck, of company K, Lieutenant Adolph Winter, of company I, First Sergeant Joseph
Tiedemann, of company K, and fifty enlisted men were drowned. Sergeant
Tiedemann, an expert swimmer, sacrificed his life in a vain attempt to save
that of his Captain.
This unfortunate event cast a deep gloom over the remaining portion of the
regiment. Finding that it was impracticable to cross, the command returned
via Paris and Upperville, and marched to Snickerville. It here passed over by
means of a rope ferry constructed by the troops of General Banks, and on
the 18th arrived at Winchester. The division was temporarily placed under
the command of General Rosecrans. The regiment remained in camp until the
6th of May to recruit, and during the interval it received new clothing, and a
full supply of rations. On the 28th of April, Colonel Bohlen was promoted
to Brigadier General.
Moving thence via Romney and Petersburg the command reached Franklin
on the 14th, twice crossing the South Branch of the Potomac on its way. The
men here endured much suffering from hunger, the supplies being brought from
New Creek, a distance of seventy miles over a rough mountainous route. The
defeat of Banks, and his retreat down the Shenandoah Valley, rendered it important for Fremont to hasten forward his forces to intercept the retreat of
Stonewall Jackson. Returning to Petersburg, knapsacks were left, and the
march immediately resumed to Moorefield, at several times fording deep and
rapid streams. The regiment moved rapidly on through Moorefield and Wardensville to Strasburg, where the rear of Jackson was encountered. Many of
the most robust men of the command became exhausted and sank by the roadside. An exciting race up the valley now took place, the enemy leaving the
road strewn with clothing and stores, indicating a hasty retreat, and a close
pursuit by Fremont's troops. On the 4th of June, at Mount Jackson, the bridge
was found totally destroyed by the retreating foe, and the march delayed.
Pontoons were with great difficulty laid, and on the 6th the column moved
towards Harrisonburg, where the Bucktails and the cavalry of General Bayard
encountered the enemy, and the rebel General Ashby was killed.
On the following day, in the battle of Cross Keyes, the brigade of General
Bohlen, of which the Seventy-fifth formed part, supported the left. The line
of battle was a mile and a half long, General Schenclr on the right, General
Iilroy in the centre, and General Stahl on the left; Stahl occupying the right
of the division, Bohlen the left, and Steinwehr in reserve. Thus formed, our
army advanced steadily and successfully, under a storm of shot and shell,
losing heavily in men, but constantly gaining ground, until after three o'clock,
when Stahl's Brigade, having passed through the wood in its front to a clover