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History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Samuel Bates, p 978-985
ONE HUNDRED AND TENTH REGIMENT
"Early in the summer of 1861, J. Y. James, a citizen of Warren, received an authority from the War Department to recruit a brigade, to consist of three regiments. Recruiting was commenced on the 23d of August, and on the 1st of September, a camp of rendezvous and instruction was organized near Huntingdon, in the central part of the State. About the 1st of December the troops occupying this camp, were transferred to Camp Curtin, the arrangement for a brigade was broken up, and independent regiments were organized from them. The One Hundred and Tenth, from companies recruited A and H in Blair county, B and D in Huntingdon, C in Blair and Bedford, E, F, G, and I, in Philadelphia, and K in Centre and Clearfield, was organized by the selection of the following field officers: William D. Lewis, Jr., of Philadelphia, Colonel; James Crowther, of Blair county, Lieutenant Colonel; John C. Johnson, of Philadelphia, Major. Colonel Lewis had served in the militia, and had commanded the Eighteenth Regiment in the Three Months' Service.
On the 2d of January, 1862, the regiment left Camp Curtin, and proceeded by rail to Hagerstown, whence it made a forced march to Hancock, the enemy, under Stonewall Jackson, at that time threatening the place. Arms were distributed immediately after its arrival, at midnight on the 4th, and it reported for duty to General F. W. Lander, in command of the Union forces at that point. On the morning of 'the 5th, the troops were formed to resist the crossing of the enemy, who had already approached the town on the opposite side of the Potomac, and was demonstrating in force. After considerable shelling, at long range, by Jackson, which was replied to by Lander, the former withdrew, and pushed onto Romney, that being his real objective. As soon as this was discovered, Lander made a corresponding movement to Cumberland, where the main body of his division concentrated. Here the One Hundred and Tenth was assigned to Tyler's Brigade.1 After remaining about three weeks, the regiment moved along the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, to its crossing of the South Branch of the Potomac, and was employed in guarding the bridge until the 6th of February, when it moved to the Paw Paw Tunnel. On the 2d of March, General Lander died, and was succeeded in command by General James Shields. On the 8th of March the regiment broke camp at Paw Paw, and proceeded by rail to Martinsburg, whence it marched to Winchester. On the 18th, the division moved on a reconnoissance towards Strasburg, involving brisk skirmishing with Ashby's Cavalry, the enemy retreating and burning the bridges as be went. The command bivouacked at Strasburg, on the eight of the 19th, and on the 20th returned to camp, north of Winchester.
Early on the morning of the 23d, the enemy under Jackson approached in force, and attacked Shields' advanced brigade, near the little village of Kernstown, four and a half miles south of Winchester. Shields promptly ordered his forces forward, Tyler's Brigade being assigned to the duty of attacking and turning the enemy's left flank, which had been thrown forward to a commanding position, screened by timber and by a stone wall. The One Hundred and Tenth occupied the extreme right of the line, and in the charge upon the enemy in his sheltered position, suffered severely. Says General. Shields, in his official report, "Our batteries on the opposite ridge, though admirably managed by their experienced chief, Lieutenant Colonel Daum, were soon. found insufficient to check, or even retard the advance of such a formidable body. At this stage of the combat, a messenger arrived from Colonel Kimball, informing me of the state of the field, and requesting direction as to the employment of infantry. I saw there was not a moment to lose, and gave positive orders that all disposable infantry should be immediately thrown forward on our right to carry the enemy's batteries, and to assail and turn his left flank, and hurl it back on the centre. Colonel Kimball carried out these orders with promptitude and ability. He entrusted this movement to Tyler's splendid brigade, which, under its fearless leader, Colonel Tyler, marched forward with alacrity, and enthusiastic joy, to the performance of the most perilous duty of the day. The enemy's skirmishers were driven before it, and fell back upon the main body, strongly posted behind a high and solid stone wall, situated on an elevated ground. Here the struggle became desperate, and for a short time doubtful; but Tyler's brigade being soon joined on the left by portions of Sullivan's and Kimball's brigades, this united force dashed upon the enemy with a cheer and yell that rose high above the roar of battle, and though the rebels fought desperately, as their piles of dead attest, they were forced back through the woods by a fire as destructive as ever fell upon a retiring foe. Jackson, with his supposed invincible Stonewall Brigade, and the accompanying brigades, much to their mortification and discomfiture, were compelled to fall back in disorder upon their reserve. Here they took up a position for a final stand, and made an attempt, for a few minutes, to retrieve the fortunes of the day; but again rained down upon them the same close and destructive fire. Again cheer upon cheer rang in their ears. A few minutes only did they stand up against it, when they turned disarrayed, and fled in disorder, leaving us in possession of the field, the killed and wounded, three hundred prisoners, two guns, four caissons, and a thousand stand of small arms. Night alone saved him from total destruction. "2 The loss in the regiment was thirteen killed, and thirty-nine wounded, out of three hundred engaged, the severe marching of the few preceding days having rendered many unfit to stand in the ranks. Lieutenant William Kochersperger was mortally wounded. The regiment was complimented, in a special order, for gallantry in this action.
On the morning succeeding the battle, the division advanced in pursuit of the retreating foe, as far as Harrisonburg. A few days later, the regiment way detached from the brigade, and for three weeks performed provost-guard duty at Winchester. At the end of that time it returned to Harrisonburg, and with the division moved for Fredericksburg, crossing the mountains into the Luray Valley, and thence across the Blue Ridge. In the passes of the Blue Ridge, Ashby's Cavalry hung upon the flanks of the column, greatly annoying it. On the 18th of May, in a brisk skirmish between the cavalry at Gaines' Cross Roads, company A was sent to the support of the Union forces; and succeeded in driving the enemy-losing two wounded. The balance of the regiment was immediately ordered up, and followed in pursuit for some distance, but failed to bring the enemy to bay. Upon its arrival at Fredericksburg, the division was formed in four brigades, the One Hundred and Tenth being assigned to Colonel Carroll's Brigade, which became a part of M'Dowell's Corps.
Soon after arriving at Fredericksburg, M'Dowell's Corps was ordered back to the Shenandoah Valley, to the support of Banks and Fremont, in their encounters with Stonewall Jackson. On reaching the Luray Valley, Shields' Division was ordered down on the right bank of the river, to Port Republic, where the advance under Colonel Carroll met the advance of Jackson. In the battle which ensued, the One Hundred and Tenth was posted on the left in a wood, with the Fifth and Sixty-sixth Ohio thrown forward as skirmishers. Seeing the right hard pressed. General Tyler ordered the regiment to the threatened point; but before reaching it the enemy were driven, and it returned again to its former position. By this time the enemy had come up in heavy force on the left, and outflanking it, compelled it to fall back losing some guns and prisoners. Unable to stand up against the entire force of Jackson's Army, General Tyler ordered a retreat, and the division fell hastily back to Front Royal. The loss of the regiment was considerable in killed and wounded, and especially so in prisoners.
With the brigade, the regiment retired to Cloud's Mills, near Alexandria, where it remained within the defences of Washington, for several weeks. Upon the organization of the Army of Northern Virginia, under General Pope, the brigade, now a part of Ricketts' Division, of M'Dowell's Corps, moved to Warrenton, where it remained until the close of July. It then moved forward to Culpepper Court House, near which, on the 9th of August, was fought the battle of Cedar Mountain, principally on the Union side by Banks' Corps. Just before dusk, Ricketts' Division was ordered up to the support of Banks, and relieved a part of his troops on the field. The One Hundred and Tenth was placed in support of batteries-a heavy artillery fire being kept up for some time, resulting in some loss.
After the battle, Pope advanced to the Rapidan, but soon commenced falling back towards Washington, the enemy threatening his right and rear. At Thoroughfare Gap, on the evening of the 28th, Ricketts' Division was pitted against the entire strength of Longstreet's Corps, struggling to force a passage, and form junction with Jackson. By presenting a bold front and by '[lard fighting, the rebel chieftain was held in check by this one small division until after nightfall, when, finding that further resistance was vain, it fell back to Manassas, and on the afternoon of the 29th, arrived on the battle-ground of Bull Run. Early on the following morning, Rocketts' Division was sent to support Heintzelman and Reno, on the right, but later in the day was brought to the left, where, with Schenck and Milroy, and the Pennsylvania Reserves, it maintained an unequal contest with great gallantry during the afternoon; but at night, overborne by superior numbers, together with the entire army, it was forced from the field, and fell back to Centreville. The color bearer of the One Hundred and Tenth, finding his capture unavoidable, tore the colors from the staff, and concealed them about his person. He was taken prisoner, but adroitly managed to make his escape, and brought the flag safely into camp.
During the Antietam Campaign, the regiment was retained within the defences of Washington, and was posted at Arlington Heights. Rejoining the army near Harper's Ferry, the division, now under command of General VC% hipple, moved with the army to the Rappahannock, and on the 13th of December, participated in the battle of Fredericksburg, being with Franklin, on the left, where it sustained severe loss, Captain John R. Kooken being mortally wounded.
On the 20th of December, Colonel Lewis, on account of physical disability, resigned, and Lieutenant Colonel Crowther was promoted to Colonel, Major David M. Jones to Lieutenant Colonel, and Captain Isaac Rodgers to Major. After the battle, the regiment returned to camp at Stoneman's Switch, where, with the exception of a week of severe service in the Mud March, it remained until the opening of the spring campaign. Having been much reduced in numbers, it was, at the beginning of the year, consolidated into six companies. In the movement upon Chancellorsville, Sickles' Corps at first supported Sedgwick in his feint upon the left, at Franklin's Crossing. Starting from camp on the 28th, the regiment lay with the corps on the left bank of the Rappahannock, opposite the pontoons, in readiness to cross, until the morning of the 30th, when. it marched away to United States Ford, and crossing the river, joined Hooker at Chancellorsville. The corps was posted on the right centre, and during the day and night of the 2d, operated on the flank of Jackson's Corps, then moving upon the right wing of the Union army, held by the Eleventh Corps. On the morning of the 3d, Sickles having fallen back to the Chancellor House, and posted his artillery with his infantry in support, the enemy attacked him there with the energy of desperation. Jackson had been mortally wounded, and his soldiers threw themselves upon the Union lines with reckless daring, to avenge his fall. Colonel Crowther was killed in this terrible encounter, and, nearly half of the effective strength of the regiment was either killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. General Whipple, in command of the division, was also killed. At the conclusion of the battle, the regiment returned to camp, near Stoneman's Switch.
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