Three Years in the Sixth Corps | Page 3

by General
Meade--Position of the army.
Chapter XIX.
The Gettysburgh Campaign.
The rebels in Pennsylvania--Panic at Harrisburgh--Alarm at Baltimore
and Washington--Sixth corps leaves Bristow Station--A
surprise--General Meade takes command--Position of the
army--Marching through Pennsylvania--An unprecedented
march--Exciting news--Battle of Gettysburgh--Death of
Reynolds--First and Eleventh corps fall back --Second day's battle--The
battle-field--Fighting at Round Top--On the right--The grand
onset--The battle decided--Rebel and Union wounded.
Chapter XX.
Pursuit of Lee's Army.
Scenes of the field of Gettysburgh--The rebel hospitals--The sightless
rebel soldier boy--The Sixth corps at Fairfield--"Hurrah for the
Union"--Kilpatrick's handiwork--At Waynesboro'--On picket--A
division of militia--The Vermonters at Funkstown--The army at

Funkstown--Meade's failure to attack--New York riots--Return to
Virginia.
Chapter XXI.
Camps at Warrenton, the Centreville Campaign and the Battle of
Rappahannock Station.
Camp at Hart's Mills--A ride to the Sulphur Springs--Contrabands
going north--The Vermonters go to New York--Jersey Brigade at
Warrenton--The Sixth corps at Cedar Mountain--Retreat to
Centreville--Battle of Bristoe Station--Advance to Warrenton--Battle of
Rappahannock Station--Flight of Lee's army.
Chapter XXII.
The Army at Brandy Station.
Encampment at Brandy Station--The Mine Run campaign--Crossing
the Rapidan--Battle of Locust Grove--The army on Mine Run--The
order of battle--The army withdraws--Back at Brandy
Station--Reconnoissance to Madison Court House--Ladies in
camp--Chapel tents.
Chapter XXIII.
The Wilderness Campaign.
Preparing to leave camp--General Grant in command--The last advance
across the Rapidan--The battle-ground--Battle of the
Wilderness--Noble fight of Getty's division--Hancock's fight on the
left--Rickett's division driven back--The ground retaken--The
wounded--Duties of the surgeons--The noble dead.
Chapter XXIV.
Spottsylvania.

Moving by the flank--The wounded abandoned--The Fifth Corps at
Spottsylvania--Arrival of the Sixth Corps--Getting into line--Death of
Sedgwick--General Wright in command--Battle of the 10th of
May--Upton's splendid charge--Battle at "the angle"--Another flank
movement.
Chapter XXV.
The Hospitals at Fredericksburgh.
The journey from the battle-field--Sufferings of the wounded--A
surgeon's letters--Rebel hatred--Assistance from the north--A father in
search of his boy--The wounded sent to Washington.
Chapter XXVI.
Coal Harbor.
At Hanover Court House--The Eighteenth corps joins the Army of the
Potomac--The armies meet at Coal Harbor--Battle of June 1st--Battle of
June 3d--Terrible exposure--The army strikes for Petersburgh--Charles
City Court House--A centenarian--Review of the overland campaign.
Chapter XXVII.
Petersburgh.
The march to Petersburgh--Smith's successes--The battle of June
18th--The Sixth and Second corps sent to the left--Rebels penetrate the
line--Progress of the siege--Sixth corps proceeds to Reams'
Station--Kautz's and Wilson's raids.
Chapter XXVIII.
Sixth Corps Transferred To Washington--Battle of Fort Stevens.
The Shenandoah Valley--Hunter's advance to Lynchburgh--The
retreat--Rebels advance into Maryland--Battle of Monocacy--Sixth

corps goes to Washington--Battle of Fort Stevens.
Chapter XXIX.
The Shenandoah Valley.
The Sixth and Nineteenth corps follow the enemy--Crossing the
Potomac--Averill's fight at Snicker's Gap--Return of the Sixth corps to
Washington--March back to Harper's Ferry--Return to
Maryland--Death of Major Ellis--General Sheridan assigned to
command--Back in the Valley--Charlestown--John Mosher--March to
Fisher Hill--Return to Charlestown--Fight at Charlestown.
Chapter XXX.
Battle of Winchester.
Encampment at Berryville--Leaving camp--The advance--Taking
position--Advance and retreat--Death of Russell--"I know they'll
run"--Reminiscences--At the hospitals--A regiment going home--"Why
don't he come."
Chapter XXXI.
Fisher Hill.
March up the valley--Strasburgh--The army confronting Fisher
Hill--The flank movement--Flight of Early--The pursuit--Guerrilla
warfare--Southern refugees--Starting for Washington--Return to Cedar
creek.
Chapter XXXII.
Battle of Cedar Creek.
Position of the Union forces on Cedar creek--Demonstrations by
Early--The morning of October 19th--Eighth corps
straggling--Nineteenth corps routed--The Sixth corps to the

rescue--Death of General Bidwell--The Sixth corps holds the
enemy--General Wright prepares for another attack--Arrival of
Sheridan--The charge--The rout--Guns, wagons and prisoners--The
victors in camp.
Chapter XXXIII.
The Final Campaign.
Sixth corps returns to Petersburgh--Condition of the corps--Sheridan
joins the grand army--Capture of Fort Steadman--The last grand
charge--The pursuit of Lee's army--Tributes to the Sixth
corps--Disbanding.

THREE YEARS IN THE SIXTH CORPS.
CHAPTER I.
A NEW REGIMENT GOES TO THE WAR.
Organization of the Seventy-seventh N. Y. V.--Departure from
Saratoga--Greetings by the way--New emotions--The noble dead--On
board the Knickerbocker--At New York--Presentation of
flags--Beauties of monopoly--Hospitality of Philadelphia--Incidents on
the route--Arrival at Washington--In camp.
Our regiment was organized at Saratoga Springs, the historic scene of
the battle of Bemis Heights and the surrender of Burgoyne--hence its
name, "The Bemis Heights Battalion." Hon. Jas. B. McKean, then
member of congress, a gentleman of well known patriotism, was made
our Colonel. We left our rendezvous on the 26th of November, 1861,
Thanksgiving day, having been mustered into the United States service
three days before.
As the long train of cars bore us from the station at Saratoga Springs,
the thousands who had gathered to witness our departure united in

cheer after cheer until all the groves and vales of that charming resort
rang with the echoes of the tumultuous shouting.
The thousand brave fellows, who were about to try the stern realities of
war, were by no means backward in replying to these hearty
expressions of good wishes. Long after we had lost sight of the lovely
village, the shouts of the multitude could be heard and the hills rang
again with the responding cheers of those