IRON BRIGADE-MOVEMENTS:

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52] Germantown, near Fairfax Court House. General King having been promoted to the command of a division, Colonel Cutler of the Sixth took command of the brigade, and returningon the 15th, they proceeded by way of Alexandria, encamping on the following day at Fort Tillinghast; whence they moved on the 18th, occupying a position at Fairfax Seminary, near Alexandria. General McDowell having been placed in command of the department of the Rappahannock, they left Alexandria on the 5th of April, and marching by Centreville, Manassas Junction and Bristoe Station, encamped on the 12th at Catlett's Station, on the Orange & Alexandria railroad, where they were employed in railroad guard duty until the 21st: at which date the march was resumed, the brigade going into camp at Falmouth, opposite Fredericksburg, on the 23d.

On the 27th of April they moved to Brooks' Station, on the Richmond and Fredericksburg railway, where they encamped and commenced the erection of a bridge across Akakeek Run, returning on the 2nd of May to camp on the north bank of the Rappahannock, from which various detachments from the brigade were sent out for the purpose of building and guarding bridges and blockhouses on the south side of the river. While at this place, General Gibbon took command of the brigade.1 They crossed the Rappahannock on the 25th of May, advancing on the Bowling Green Road eight miles, and occupying a position near Guiney's Station, from which they marched on the 29th, with a large detachment of our forces, designed to coöperate with Banks and Fremont's forces in cutting off the retreat of Jackson from the Shenandoah valley. Proceeding by way of Falmouth and Catlett's Station, they encamped, on the 1st of June, at Haymarket, on the Manassas Gap railroad, where they remained: three days, removing camp on the 5th, to Warrenton. The attempt upon Jackson's forces having proved abortive, the return was commenced on the 8th, and marching by Warrenton Junc-tion and Hartwood, the brigade encamped at Falmouth, on the 10th, having marched a distance of one hundred and four miles.

On the 24th of July they left Falmouth under orders to effect a reconnoissance in the direction of Orange Court House, to ascertain the force and design of the enemy, then gathering on Gen-

1 18 Rebellion Records 311, 584.

4-A. G.

eral Pope's front. Advancing by way of Chancellorsville, they encountered the enemy's pickets on the 26th, at the distance of a mile from the Court House.1 A skirmish ensued, in which the enemy was routed and a few prisoners captured, when, having accomplished the object of the expedition, a return was ordered, and the troops re-entered camp on the evening of the 27th, having marched a distance of eighty miles within three days.

In order to cut the enemy's line of communication, the Sixth Wisconsin, with a small additional force of cavalry and artillery, under command of Colonel Cutler, was detached on the 5th of August, for the purpose of destroying the Virginia Central rail53] road in the vicinity of Frederick's Hall, twenty-three miles from the junction with the Richmond and Potomac railroad. They arrived at that place on the following day, and tore up the track for a mile in each direction, burned a large warehouse filled with confederate supplies, tobacco, and other articles, and destroyed the depot, switches and telegraph, burning two bridges on their return. Meanwhile, to effect a diversion, the balance of the brigade had marched on the telegraph road, engaged the enemy's cavalry on the 5th in a sharp skirmish at Thornburg,2 on Tar River, and pushing forward on the following day to the vicinity of Beaver Dam Station, on the Virginia Central railroad when the rear of the column was attacked by Stuart's cavalry. The assault was handsomely repulsed, the rebels being driven back to the neighborhood of Fredericksburg, where they made their escape across the fields in disorder, carrying with them seventeen men of the Second regiment, who had become exhausted on the march, and had been sent back in the morning. Our troops moved to Spotsylvania Court House on the 7th, where they were joined by Colonel Cutler's command, which had marched upwards of one hundred miles within three days, penetrating to a point thirty miles within the enemies lines. The brigade returned to Falmouth on the 8th. Two days afterwards, on the 10th, they marched by Hartwood Church, a distance of twenty miles, to Barnett's Ford, where they crossed the Rappahannock River and pushed forward on the following day, by way of Stevensburg, thirty miles to Cedar Mountain, near Cul

1 Reconnoissance toward, Orange Court House, July 24-27, 1862, Reports of Brig. Gen. Rufus King, Brig. John Gibbon, 16, Rebellion Records 104-106. 2 Thornburg, Va., Affairs, Aug. 5-6, 1862, reports of Col. Lysander Cutler, Brig. Gen. John Gibbon and Brig. Gen. Rufus King, 16 Ibid. 121-125.

IRON BRIGADE-GAINESVILLE,

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pepper Court House, where they took position in the advance
line of the Army of Virginia.

Taking part in the general movement of the army under General Pope, they moved, on the 19th, in the direction of Rappahannock Station, on the Orange and Alexandria railroad, crossing the Rappahannock on the following day and occupying a position north of the railroad, whence they moved to the right, covering Beverly Ford, where a skirmish with the enemy took place, in which the loss of the brigade was comparatively trifling. On the 23rd they encamped near Warrenton, on the road to White Sulphur Springs. Moving towards the latter place on the 26th, they skirmished all day with the rebel forces, sustaining slight loss, and on the following day, marched by Warrenton sixteen miles to Buckland Mills. In the forenoon of the 28th of August, they proceeded slowly on the left of the army, by Gainesville, to Groveton, where they turned to the right on the Bethlehem Church road, and lay under arms until five in the afternoon, when they returned to the Warrenton pike, marching towards Centreville. While marching by the flank, the Second Wisconsin in advance, was attacked by a battery posted on a wooded eminence to the left. The regiment promptly advanced upon the battery, and soon encountered the enemy's infantry. While awaiting the arrival of the rest of the brigade, this regiment sustaind and checked, for nearly twenty minutes, the onset of 54] "Stonewall" Jackson's entire division, under a murderous concentric fire of musketry. The battle was continued by the brigade until nine in the evening, when the enemy's attack was repulsed, although he continued to hold his own line. About midnight, General King, the division commander, ordered a retreat by the Bethlehem road to Manassas Junction, where they arrived on the following morning at sunrise, having been compelled to leave a number of their wounded and hospital attendants to fall into the hands of the enemy. In the afternoon they moved up the Sudley road to the crossing of the Warrenton pike, where they rested under arms.

On the 30th of August, the Second was temporarily consolidated with the Seventh Wisconsin, and the brigade, about noon, moved down the north side of the Warrenton pike, in the second

line of battle, to assault the enemy's left, posted in a thick wood. The enemy was driven through the wood, and succeeded in making a stand in an old railroad cut. While engaged in assaulting this position, the success of the rebel attack upon the left flank of our army made it necessary to fall back, the brigade occupying a new position on an eminence in the northeast angle of the Warrenton and Sudley roads. The repeated attacks of the enemy on the front and flank of this position were repulsed with great slaughter, but his continued success on the extreme left, threatening the communication with Centreville, rendered it imperative to withdraw. Although under a heavy fire of artillery, this movement was effected in good order, the brigade occupying a hill near Bull Run, overlooking and commanding the Stone Bridge and its approaches. Acting as rear guard to the army, skirmishers were thrown out, and the Iron Brigade, formed in line of battle, retained the position until the entire army had passed, on the road to Centreville. About eleven in the evening, they marched across Bull Run in column of companies, and bivouacked at Cub Run. An eye witness writes: "Gibbon's brigade covered the rear, not leaving the field until after nine o'clock at night, gathering up stragglers as they marched, and showing so steady a line that the enemy made no attempt to molest them.” The movement to the rear was resumed on the following day, and proceeding by Centreville, Germantown and Falls Church, they went into camp on Upton's Hill, near Washington, on the 2nd of September.

Participating in the movement of the army under the command of General McClellan, they broke camp at Upton's Hill on the 6th of September, crossing the Potomac at Washington, and proceeding by way of Mechanicsville, and New Market, a distance of eighty miles, entered Frederick City, Md., on the 14th. Passing through the city, they marched to Turner's Pass of South Mountain, where the enemy was strongly posted in the gorge and across the national road. To the brigade was assigned the duty of storming this position. The assault commenced about half-past five in the afternoon, the Second leading on the left of the road, and the Sixth and Seventh on the right. At 55] nine o'clock the enemy was routed and driven from the pass, which was occupied by our forces.1 On the 15th, leading

1 South Mountain, Sept. 14, 1862. Reports of Col. Lucius Fairchild, Lt. Col. Edward S. Bragg, Capt. John B. Callis, Brig. Gen. John Gibbon, 27 Rebellion Records 247-258.

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IRON BRIGADE-SOUTH MOUNTAIN-ANTIETAM.

53

Hooker's division in advance of the entire army, they pursued
the retreating enemy through Boonesboro, a distance of four-
teen miles to Antietam Creek, where a skirmish ensued, in which
they sustained no loss. On this march, the fatigue and ex-
posure of the two campaigns began to be felt so severely that
a number of men were compelled to remain behind from sick-
ness and exhaustion. The following day was spent in attaining
a position on the south bank of Antietam Creek, opposite the
enemy's left flank. The battle of Antietam was commenced by
the advance of Hooker's column. Early in the morning the bri-
gade became hotly engaged, dislodging the enemy in their front,
after a severe conflict, and occupying the position for two hours,
until relieved by fresh troops. During the remainder of this and
the following day they remained under arms on the field, march-
ing on the 19th to the Potomac River, near Sharpsburg, where
they went into camp.1

On the 20th of October, camp was removed seven miles to
Bakersville, where the Twenty-Fourth Michigan was added to
the brigade. From this place they marched on the 26th, and
proceeding by way of Keedysville and Crampton's Gap, a dis-
tance of twenty miles, encamped on the following day at Peters-
ville, in Middletown Valley. Moving thence on the 30th, they
crossed the Potomac at Berlin, and marching sixty-two miles
through Snickersville and Bloomfield, arrived on the 9th of
November at Warrenton, Va., where they remained five days.
marching six miles on the 11th to Fayetteville. The marching
was resumed on the 17th, the brigade moving by way of Morris-
ville, and Stafford Court House, thirty miles, to Brooks' Station,
on the Acquia Creek railroad, where they encamped on the 22nd.
General Gibbon having been placed in charge of a division,
Colonel Cutler of the Sixth Wisconsin took command of the
brigade on the 5th of November, retaining it until after their
arrival at Brooks' Station, at which place General Meredith took
the command.

Taking part in the general movement of the army, ordered by General Burnside, they left Brooks' Station on the 9th of December, forded Potomac Creek south of the railroad, and crossing the Rappahannock on the 12th, under fire of the enemy's ar

1 Antietam, Sent. 16-17, 1862. Sce, reports referred to On page 52. The Maryland Campaign Sept. 3-20, 1862. 27 Rebellion Records 157-1055,

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