History of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry: First Brigade, First Division, Third Corps and Second Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac — John Shaqi
History of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry: First Brigade, First Division, Third Corps and Second Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps, Army of the PotomacVarious
History
History of the Fifty-Seventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Infantry: First Brigade, First Division, Third Corps and Second Brigade, Third Division, Second Corps, Army of the Potomac
Various
Pennsylvania -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Regimental histories; United States. Army. Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 57th (1861-1865)
On the afternoon of April 11 the 63d Pennsylvania Volunteers, while on
picket duty in the woods to the left of the Yorktown road, was attacked
by the enemy. The 57th was ordered to its assistance and advancing at
double quick, formed in line of battle, moving over the open field in
face of a hot fire and quickly putting to flight the columns of the
enemy, driving them back to the protection of their heavy batteries. In
this short but exciting engagement, the regiment lost by wounds two men,
Samuel Merven, of Company E, and John Cochran, of Company F. Cochran
subsequently died from the effects of his wound and Merven was
discharged. In this engagement, insignificant as it was, compared with
its after battles, the regiment exhibited great coolness and gave token
of its ability and readiness for future duty and service.
An incident occurred about this date, while the regiment was on picket
duty, that is worthy of passing notice. Lieutenant Wagner, of the
topographic engineers, was engaged in making drawings of the Confederate
works. He had placed a camp table in an exposed position and spread his
drafting material upon it. The white paper made an excellent target for
the enemy's gunners. One of their shots struck the table and fatally
wounded the lieutenant. A few moments after he rode along the rear of
our lines, his shattered and bleeding arm dangling at his side. This
shot is referred to, after these many years, by General Longstreet in
his recent work, as one of two of the most remarkable shots, for
accuracy of aim, of the war. He says:
"An equally good one (shot) was made by a Confederate at Yorktown. An
officer of the topographical engineers walked into the open in front of
our lines, fixed his plane table and seated himself to make a map of the
Confederate works. A non-commissioned officer, without orders, adjusted
his gun, carefully aimed it, and fired. At the report of the gun all
eyes were turned to see the occasion of it, and then to observe the
object, when the shell was seen to explode as if in the hands of the
officer. It had been dropped squarely upon the drawing table and
Lieutenant Wagner was mortally wounded."--Gen. Longstreet, in "From
Manassas to Appomattox."
This shot appears, by a note to the text written by Capt. A. B. Moore,
of Richmond, Va., to have been fired by Corporal Holzbudon, of the 2d
company, Richmond Howitzers, from a ten-pound parrott gun.
Another incident more immediately connected with the regiment, worthy of
a place in its history as an exhibition of accurate firing, occurred
here. On the left of our regimental picket line was stationed a section
of a field battery whose duty was to shell the enemy's works and prevent
their annoying our lines. For some time Colonel Campbell watched with
manifest disgust the green cannoneers blazing away at random, and with
evidently little effect. At length stepping to one of the guns the
colonel said:
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