Fair Oaks Battle Report

Item DOC-10695

Description

Original Civil War document, 3 pages, written in period ink.


Head Quarters Brigade
Camp near Fair Oaks Station
June 5, 1862

Captain,

I have the honor to enclose herewith copies of the reports of the Regimental Commanders in this Brigade of the battle at Seven Pines and Fair Oaks Station May 31st & June 1st 1862. No field officer of the 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers is left to make out the report of that regiment and I therefore simply attach a statement of casualties. At 12 O’clock May 31, 1862, I received notice to warn the men to fall in at a moments notice. The position of the different regiments was at the time as follows:

1st Long Island Volunteers (Colonel Adams) in rear of the rifle pits near Seven Pines on the Richmond Road. 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers (Colonel Neill) and 1st United States Chasseurs (Colonel Cochrane) on the road leading from Seven Pines to Fair Oaks Station and nearly in rear of the 1st Long Island Regiment. 31st Pennsylvania Volunteers (Colonel Williams) near the railroad on the road leading from the station to Richmond. 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers (Colonel Rippey) near the railroad on the road leading from the depot of the Chickahominy (Trant). The duty assigned to the last two regiments was to guard the crossing at the depot.

I received orders at 1 O’clock to take position with the 1st Chasseurs, 31st and 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers and Brady’s Battery of 1st Pennsylvania Artillery near camp of the 31st Pennsylvania Volunteers to prevent the enemy from turning our right flank. Shortly afterwards the 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers was placed in position near the 23rd Pennsylvania Volunteers then already engaged. I was by the falling back of Casey’s Division entirely cut off from the regiments of my brigade engaged in the centre and have to refer to the reports of the regimental commanders.

The annexed list of casualties shows that they fought well and from my position on the right of the railroad I could judge by the report of their guns that they fell back gradually and in good order.

I have no doubt that if I could have been permitted to leave my position and closed in nearer to the right and reinforce them with the balance of my command, the enemy would have been checked. As it is, the dead of the enemy in the portion of the battlefield occupied by 1st Chasseurs, 23rd and 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers are the proof I have of the gallantry displayed by these regiments. The 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers mourn the loss of all their field officers, the colonel killed, lieutenant colonel and major wounded and missing.

The cavalry outposts came in from the front reporting that the enemy was approaching in large numbers. Infantry, cavalry and artillery and being cut off entirely from Keyes Army Corps. I with the sanction of General Couch, commanding division sent an officer of my staff (Captain Van Ness Brigade Quartermaster) to inform General Sumner of the state of affairs.

Finding my position untenable I fell back in the road from the depot to Trent’s house as far as Courtnay’s house (about ½ mile) and there formed line of battle; the 31st Pennsylvania Volunteers nearest the house behind a low rail fence in the rear of a piece of woods. 2 companies of 61st Pennsylvania Volunteers and 1st United States Chasseurs were posted on the right of the 31st Pennsylvania Volunteers.

The other troops on the ground at the time were 62nd New York Volunteers and 7th Massachusetts Volunteers and a section of Brady’s Battery was formed on the left of the road.

The other section of Brady’s Battery was placed on the right of my command near the 1st Minnesota Regiment as soon as that regiment with the rest of the troops under General Sumner arrived on the ground.

In concluding this report it would be an act of great injustice to Captain Brady and my staff, Captain G. Urbin, Assistant Adjutant General; Captain Van Ness, Brigade Quartermaster; Lieutenants Adams and Appleton, Aides, who were owing to the divided state of my brigade keep constantly under fire in passing from one portion to the other of it. I must also mention among the list of my staff officers the Reverend Robert W. Oliver, Brigade Chaplain, who acted as a volunteer aide and never hesitated to carry an order in the very hottest of the fight.

In retiring from my original position, the Courtnay House a few hundred yards to the right and a little in the rear, the column moved in perfect order, every man in his proper place and remained so after having been throwing into battle order until after the close of the action notwithstanding they were opposed (as reported by Rebel prisoners) by eight regiments and a part of the Rebel Legion who advanced within 25 or 30 paces of our line and left as a memento of the rashness over 500 killed and wounded exclusive of prisoners, no higher commendation is needed to show the services of my brigade.

I Am
Captain
Very respectfully
Your Obedient Servant
(Signed) J. J. Abercrombie
Commanding Brigade


(List of Casualties is provided on the original document but not reproduced here)