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History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Samuel Bates, p 216-224
FIFTY-SIXTH REGIMENT
"This regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, in the fall of 1861. The men composing it were from various sections of the State, but principally from Philadelphia, and the counties of Indiana, Centre, Luzerne, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, and Wayne. On the 1st of September, Sullivan A. Meredith, of Philadelphia, who had been Colonel of the Tenth (three months') Regiment, was appointed Colonel by Governor Curtin. Soon after J. William Hofmann, and Thomas S. Martin, of Philadelphia, both of whom had served in the Twenty-third (three months') Regiment, and had, for several years, been members of the Washington Grays, an artillery company, were appointed Lieutenant Colonel and Major, respectively. Subsequently, Major Martin was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the Eleventh Regiment, and John B. Smith, of Pittston, Luzerne county, was appointed Major.
The regiment remained in Camp Curtin during the winter, and on the 8th of March, 1862, its organization still incomplete, having but eight and a-half companies, left Harrisburg for Washington. Reaching the capital at six A. M., of the 9th, it encamped on Kalorama Heights, from thence moved to Meridian Hill, and subsequently to Fort Albany, where it remained until April 4th. During its stay at the fort, the first death in the regiment occurred-that of Sergeant Gordon, color bearer. From the fort the regiment proceeded by steamer to Budd's Ferry, on the Lower Potomac, and was there engaged in guarding government property.
On the 24th it embarked for Acquia Landing, the terminus of the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad. Arriving on the following morning it occupied huts built by the enemy, and located in rear of a ridge, half a mile south of the landing. Until May 10th, the regiment was engaged in repairing damages done by the enemy to the railroad and landing, when five companies, under command of Lieutenant Colonel Hofmann, moved to Belle Plain. The idea of conquering the rebellion by acts of kindness had not yet been abandoned, and while here, a request was made by a citizen to have his property guarded. Lieutenant Colonel Hofmann declined to furnish the guard, when the applicant threatened to present the matter to General M'Dowell. The next morning he returned with the following order:
"Special Order No. 68.
"HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF RAPPAHANNOCK, OPPOSITE FREDERICKSBURG, VA., May 16, 1862.
"Colonel Meredith, commanding the Fifty-sixth Pennsylvania, will furnish, from his regiment, a guard for the properly of Mr. L. J. Huffman, who lives near Belle Plain. Colonel Meredith will see that no more corn is taken from Mr. Huffman, and that no more fencing is disturbed. The guard will be so placed as to make this sure, even if it should be necessary to place a sentinel over every pannel of fence. By command of
MAJOR GENERAL M'DOWELL"
It soon became apparent that such indulgent treatment was useless, and that the contest must be waged on a different principle from this. On the 21st of May, the regiment moved to Potomac Creek, to guard the railroad bridge over that stream. On the 27th it proceeded to Fredericksburg, and encamped on the left bank of the Rappahannock, near the Phillips' House. It was occupied in doing guard duty until the 9th of August, when it was assigned to Doubleday's Brigade,1 Ding's Division, M'Dowell's Corps, and moved towards Cedar Mountain, crossing the Rappahannock on a wire suspension bridge built by the corps of General M'Dowell. At eight P. M. the command bivouacked in the road leading to Ely's Ford, and at seven the next morning, resumed the march, reaching Culpepper at twelve P. M.
On the 16th it moved to Cedar Mountain, and on the 19th to Rappahannock Station, near which place, on the 21st, the men heard, for the first time, the shrieks of passing shells. For two hours the cannonade was kept up; but being sheltered by; a high bank, no loss was sustained. Moving from Sulphur Springs, through Warrenton, the column was suddenly checked, on the evening of the 28th, by a battery of the enemy, stationed on a ridge near Gainesville. The firing was badly directed, and the shells passed harmless overhead. A narrow strip of wood lay near by, undercover of which the line of battle was formed, the Fifty-sixth occupying the left of the brigade. On emerging from the wood a body of the enemy's infantry, which, in the darkness, had not been observed, opened a severe fire of musketry by which Captain George Corman, of company F, was killed, and Colonel Meredith was severely wounded.
Lieutenant Colonel Hofmann immediately assumed command of the regiment, and, on the following morning, with the division, moved to Manassas Junction. At 2 P. At., the division moved back to within a mile of the scene of conflict of the previous evening. The column was moved into the field, to the left of the road, when the enemy's skirmishers immediately opened, supported by a strong line of battle. Here a regiment was required, by General Hatch, commanding the division, to hold them in check while the troops deployed to the left. The Fifty-sixth was ordered forward, and immediately filed into the field parallel with the road, changed front, under fire, in a most creditable manner, and soon replied, when the balance of the division filed past, in rear of the regiment, and formed on its left. The line of battle was on a small elevation. After a few moments of rapid firing, at easy range, the enemy came forward in heavy force, his line extending to the right, beyond the turnpike.. The regiment held its ground until ordered to retire, when it became somewhat disorganized, the way leading through a thick wood. Captain Osborn and Lieutenant Mumford were wounded while leading in the thickest of the fight. In this action the color bearer and the colors of the regiment fell into the hands of the enemy.
On the morning of the 30th, only one hundred and fifty-four men of the regiment were present for duty, and at 2 P. M. it again went into action, but only as support to other troops. Several hours later, when the whole army retired, the brigade formed the rear guard, on the right of the turnpike, and suffered considerable loss. Fording Bull Run it moved eastward several miles and bivouacked until morning, when it marched to Centreville, thence to Fairfax Court House, where it encamped. On the 6th of September it marched through Georgetown and Washington, to Leesburg, where a few days' rest was given the troops.
The campaign in Maryland soon opened, and the regiment was hurried forward through Lisbon, New Market, Frederick, and Middletown, to the foot of South. Mountain, the crest being held by the enemy. The duty of dislodging him on the right of the road was assigned to Hatch's Division, of which the Fifty-sixth formed part. The brigade, commanded by General Doubleday, was moved to the right of the road, half a mile, formed line of battle, and moving to the crest, engaged and repulsed the enemy in its front. General Hatch was severely wounded during the action, and the command of the division devolved on General Doubleday; that of the brigade on Lieutenant Colonel Hofmann, and of the regiment on Captain Williams, of company D. The loss in the engagement was severe. In the battle of the 16th and 17th, at Antietam, it occupied the extreme right of Hooker's Corps, and suffered but little loss. After the battle it bivouacked in a wood, half a mile west of the Dunkard Church, until the 24th, when it moved a short distance to the west, and encamped until October 20th. It then proceeded to Bakersville, a small village midway between Williamsport and Sharpsburg, where company A was detailed for provost duty at Fair Play. Crossing the Potomac on the 30th, it was ordered to move towards Union, to the support of the cavalry, under Pleasanton, who was engaged in repelling the enemy at the gaps of the mountains. Hofmann reported with his brigade, at a point near Union, on the 2d of November, and was directed to drive the enemy from the town. Upon his approach the rebel cavalry and artillery retired to a position, half a mile west, from which they were driven, when they again took position, and opened with artillery. The brigade moved promptly forward to the attack, and drove them in confusion. In this engagement the regiment lost five killed and ten wounded. On the 3d it was engaged in holding important positions, and at might bivouacked at Upperville, where it received the congratulations of the division commander for its gallant conduct in the action of the 2d. It moved on the 5th through Rectortown to Warrenton, and encamped. On the 11th, Lieutenant Colonel Hofmann was relieved of the command of the brigade by Colonel Wainwright, of the Seventy-sixth New York.
Preparations were now being made for the Fredericksburg campaign, and on the 9th of December, the command was at Brooks' Station, and on the 12th, at eight P. M., crossed the Rappahannock, on a pontoon bridge, near Mansfield. Moving across the plateau, on the following morning, it took position, on the left of Franklin's Division, near the Massaponax Creek, but was not actively engaged. Later in the day it held a position along the Bowling Green Toad. It is remarkable that not a man in the regiment was killed, or even injured, while those in front, and in rear of the Fifty-sixth, and those on either flank, suffered considerable loss from the enemy's cannonade.
On the night of the 15th the command re-crossed the river, and encamped near its banks, where it remained until the 25th, when the corps moved to Pratt's Landing, at the mouth of Potomac Creek. Here huts were erected in the expectation that the encampment was for the winter. But on the 20th of January, 1863, the command was put in motion, for a second advance, when, at ten P. M., a severe storm of rain, sleet and snow, burst upon it, which caused a general breaking up of the roads, arrested the advance, rendered locomotion impossible, and left the army hopelessly floundering in the mire. The movement failed of its object, and the command returned to its former camp, where it remained until the 28th of April. On the 8th of January, Lieutenant Colonel Hofmann was promoted to Colonel, to fill the vacancy occasioned by the promotion of Colonel Meredith to Brigadier General. Captain George B. Osborn, of company A, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and on the 12th of February, upon the resignation of Major Smith, Captain John T. Jack, of company H, was promoted to succeed him.
On the 28th of April, the regiment moved on the Chancellorsville campaign, and bivouacked at night, on the banks of the Rappahannock, near the Fitz Hugh House. The regiment now numbered twenty-one officers, and two hundred and eighty-nine enlisted men. General Hooker had succeeded to the command of the army. Early on the morning of the 29th, an effort was made to lay pontoon bridges across the river at Pollock's Mills. The enemy's sharp-shooters, posted in rifle-pits, were very annoying, and delayed the work, rendering it impracticable, until they were driven from their shelter. To effect this, a storming party was sent across in boats°, accompanied by General Wadsworth, the division commander, who swam his horse. To cover the crossing of this party, the Fifty-sixth was deployed as skirmishers on the left bank of the river. Under cover of the fire of the regiment, the party effected a landing, and captured some prisoners. The river was soon crossed by the corps, the object of which was to divert the attention of the enemy from the real point of attack, to be made by crossing a considerable distance above Fredericksburg. Works were erected, covering the bridge, and the position occupied until ten A. M. of the 2d of May, when the division moved to United States Ford, and bivouacked for the night. The loss to the regiment, in this demonstration, was two killed, and seven wounded. Private Kelly, of company B, who was wounded in the thigh, and suffered amputation, was taken prisoner, carried to Richmond, afterwards exchanged, and recovered.
At five A. M. of the 3d, the command formed line of battle on the Ely's Ford Road, and held it until it was ordered to re-cross the river. After this it encamped near the Fitz Hugh House, and remained until the 7th of June, when the regiment was detailed, with the 7th Wisconsin, to support the cavalry at Brandy Station. Moving via Hartwood and Kelly's Ford, it reached the point of destination at twelve M. of the 9th. Forming line of battle it held the position, under the enemy's artillery fire, until two P: M., when it moved to Beverly Ford by direction of General Buford. Colonel Hofmann formed the regiment in rear of the crest of hills half a mile west of the ford, and remained until the cavalry had re-crossed the river. While holding this position, companies A and F, under command of Captain Runkle, were thrown forward to a stone wall where it repelled a furious charge of the enemy's cavalry.
On the 25th of June the march towards Gettysburg commenced. The command proceeded across the Potomac, on a pontoon bridge, at the mouth of Goose Creek, through Middletown, and reached Frederick at three P. M. of the 28th. On the following day it moved, acting as rear guard, towards Emmittsburg, which place it reached at one A. M. of the 30th.
The brigade2 had the advance of the First Corps, and the Fifty-sixth was the second in the brigade column. As the head of the column arrived at the front, the regiment was the first to get into position, and as the enemy at the moment advancing, was within easy musket range, it was immediately ordered to fire, which opened the battle. Brigadier General Cutler, then in command of the First Division of the First Corps, in a letter dated November 5, 1863, addressed to Governor Curtin, says: ĢIn noticing in the papers to-day an account of the proposition for a National Cemetery at Gettysburg, for the men who fell there in July last, I am reminded that I have neglected a duty which I owe to one of your regiments, the Fifty-sixth, and its brave commander, Colonel J. William Hofmann. That regiment is in the Second Brigade of this division, and was at that time under my command. It was my fortune to be in the advance on the morning of July 1st. When we came upon the ground in front of the enemy, Colonel Hofmann's regiment (being the second in the column) got into position a moment sooner than the others, the enemy now advancing in line of battle within easy musket range. The atmosphere being a little thick, I took out my glass to examine the enemy. Being a few paces in the rear of Colonel Hofmann, he turned to me and inquired, "Is that the enemy ?" My reply was, "Yes." Turning to his men he commanded, 'Ready, right oblique, aim, fire!' and the Battle of Gettysburg was opened. The fire was followed by other regiments instantly; still that battle on the soil of Pennsylvania was opened by her own sons, and it is just that it should become a matter of history. When Colonel Hofmann gave the command "aim," I doubted whether the enemy was near enough to have the fire effective, and asked him if he was within range; but not hearing my question, he fired, and I received my reply in a shower of rebel bullets, by which many of the Colonel's men were killed and wounded. My own horse, and those of two of my staff, were wounded at the same time. I desire to say to your Excellency that the Fifty-sixth is one of the very best regiments in the service, and that Colonel Hofmann is, without qualification, one of the best officers, brave, faithful and prompt, and a most excellent disciplinarian. I most earnestly hope that his faithful services may be suitably rewarded. I hope that you will cause proper measures to be taken to give that regiment the credit, which is its due, of having opened that memorable battle."
The position of the regiment was in a field in front of a wooded ridge, known as Oak Ridge, where the battle raged furiously for twenty minutes, after which the regiment was withdrawn in good order. It soon after engaged the enemy, under Hill, at the northern extremity of the wood. Occupying Seminary Ridge, that overlooks the town from the west, the struggle was resumed with vigor, our troops having the advantage of position. Its ammunition being expended, the brigade was relieved by that of General Baxter, and moving through the town, formed in the cemetery, near the Baltimore Pike, and subsequently moved to a field on the right of the pike, nearly opposite the entrance to the cemetery, where it rested on its arms during the night.
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