Summary:
Maj. H. J. Williams commanded Winder's Brigade, which was in the Fifth Va. Inf.
of the Army of Northern Virginia. Williams reports that, despite being
outnumbered, the regiment held off the enemy.
Capt. W. T. TALIAFERRO, Assistant Adjutant-Gen.
January 15, 1863
Capt:
In the absence of more competent officers, I have the honor to submit the following note of the operations of Winder's brigade between September 1 and 19, 1862:
On the morning of the 15th the garrison surrendered, to the delight of the soldiers and the disgust of Jackson's division, marched back to their encampment of the night previous, to cook rations and prepare for the march to join Gen. Longstreet's corps, near Sharpsburg, Md. This march was begun at 2 a. m. September 16, crossing the Potomac at Botler's Mill, below Shepherdstown, thence along the tow-path to the main road to Sharpsburg. On reaching the vicinity of Sharpsburg, the division was halted in a grove to the left, where it remained until 3 p. m., whence we were moved 2 1/2 miles northwest of the town, forming line of battle in an open closer field to the left of and perpendicular to the Sharpsburg and Hagerstown turnpike, in extension of Gen. hood's line, who had occupied the extreme left until our approach. The disposition of the brigades of the division was as follows: Winder's and Jones' brigades occupying the front line, under command of Col. A. J. Grigsby; Taliaferro's and Starke's brigades in the edge of the woods, 100 yards in rear, under command of Brig.-Gen. Starke; the whole commanded by Brig. Gen. J. R. Jones. Two companies were thrown forward, as skirmishers, about 100 yards, and Poague's battery of two parrotts and one Napoleon gun, put in position upon a knoll between the line of skirmishers and front line, supported by both. In a few one of the enemy's batteries, some 500 yards in front, opened fire upon a battery of ours to the right of the brigade, but was silenced in twenty minutes by Poague's well-directed and rapid fire. Shortly after, a number of batteries, about one-fourth of a mile distant, opened upon our lines, and continued firing for some time after dark. The display was grand and comparatively harmless, except to the stragglers in far rear. Throughout the night a desultory fire was kept up by the skirmishers on both sided. At early dawn of the morning of September 17, the terrible struggle began in earnest, and the direction of their fire indicated plainly the design of the enemy to turn our left flank. Their heaviest field pieces were brought to bear upon us with wonderful rapidity and fearful precision, front and enfilading fires. Their infantry, advancing, compelled Raine's howitzers and Poague's Napoleon, under command of Lieut. Brown, to withdraw to our rear, and soon our skirmishers became hotly engaged.
About 6 a. m. the advance column of the enemy approached our front, and the front line (Winder's and Jones' brigades), which had been ordered to lie down for concealment and protection, rose at the command of their intrepid leader and poured in a staggering voley, which stopped his advance. For three-quarters of an hour the front line, numbering less than 400 men, maintained the unequal contest, holding their ground and going good work. Heavy re-enforcements advancing to the enemy's support, the front line was ordered to retire to the edge of the wood above indicated, where, in conjunction with the reserve brigade of the division, it remained for half an hour exposed to a terrific storm, of grape, canister, and shell. At the end of this time, our line advanced into the open field and encountered the enemy upon the ground which we had previously held. The firing was fierce and incessant, the enemy standing firm for a time. Unable to withstand the resolute valor of our troops, he retired in considerable disorder.
It was during this severe contest that the chivalrous Starke, who had succeeded to the command of the division, in consequence of Gen. Jones being disabled, fell, while cheering his men in the discharge of their duty. The command fell to no unworthy successor in the dauntless Grigsby, who took the reins with a fearless spirit and held them with a firm hand, the command of the brigade devolving upon Lieut.-Col. Gardner, Fourth Virginia. The heavy losses sustained, the confusion unavoidably arising from the change of commanders, and the protracted nature of the contest, rendered necessary the withdrawal of our weary troops to the wood from which they had advanced. Here the efforts of our active leader, assisted by regimental and company officers, availed to restore order and reform the commands. Gen. Early coming up with his brigade at this juncture, we formed upon his right and advanced again into, the open field for a short distance, when we were transferred to his left, forming a diagonal line, the left occupying a hollow in the edge of a wood, maintaining a desultory firing throughout the whole time. From this position, the division, in line with Early's brigade, retired 100 yards to a barn and stack-yard and along a ledge of rocks, where we held a large force of of the enemy in check for upward of an hour, inflicting heavy loss upon him, with little damage to ourselves. The long looked for re-enforcements coming to our aid at this point, the enemy was handsomely charged and driven in confusion for a half mile, leaving scores of killed, wounded, and prisoners in our hands.
Returning to the barn above referred to, about the middle of the day the brigade was relieved and ordered to a grove to supply themselves with ammunition and provisions, by this time entirely exhausted. Here we remained until 5 p. m., when we marched to the support of a battery on a hill in rear of our late line. Night put an end to one of the most sanguinary conflicts which history will have to record, and the tired soldiers sank to rest.
The brigade went into the fight with about 250 muskets, and nobly sustained the reputation of heroism and devotion accorded to it by the country.
When the extraordinary march from the Rappahannock to Sharpsburg, with its attendant circumstances, its sleepless nights and harassing marches, its bloody battles and heavy losses, in all of which the "Old Stonewall" bore a conspicuous part, is carefully considered, the melancholy decrease in number will not appear surprising.
The regiments of the brigade were commanded, respectively, by Lieut.-Col. Gardner, Fourth Virginia; Maj. H. J. Williams, Fifth Virginia; Capt. Frank C. Wilson, Twenty-seventh Virginia, and Capt. Golladay, and afterward Adjutant Walton, Thirty-third Virginia, the Second (Capt. Colston) being on detached duty at Martinsburg.
It is impossible, from the length of time which has elapsed, even of it were appropriate for me, to mention the individual acts of gallantry which marked the progress of the fight.
Lieut. James M. Garnett, brigade ordnance officer and acting aide-de-camp, and Orderlies Cox and Stickley, the latter of whom was severely wounded early in the day, rendered indispensable services to Col. Grigsby throughout the whole trying time. The full list of casualties, as found in the reports of the regimental and battery commanders, accompanies this report.
Very respectfully,
H. J. WILLIAMS,
Maj., Commanding Fifth Virginia Infantry.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I. Vol. 19. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 27., Page 1011, Broadfoot Publishing Company, , .
