Summary:
Union Colonel Jacob Campbell reports from Staunton on the actions of the
Fifty-fourth Pennsylvania Infantry in the June, 1864, Battle of Piedmont. The
Union victory there resulted in the death of Confederate General William E.
Jones, and the capture of Staunton.
Col. JOSEPH THOBURN,
Cmdg. Second Brigade.
Staunton, Va.,
June 8, 1864.
COL.:
I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Fifty-fourth Regt. Pennsylvania Volunteers in the engagement at Piedmont, Va., on the 5th instant:
From the time my regiment arrived on the field, about 10 a. m., it was engaged, under your direction, in reconnoitering the position of the enemy until about 11 a. m., when we were drawn up in line of battle on the extreme left of the line, in the woods, and concealed from the view of the enemy. Shortly after gaining this position, and before any order to advance was received, it was discovered that to move forward--as our line was then formed--would expose our left flank to a strongly intrenched position of the enemy. I immediately dispatched a messenger to you informing you of the fact. After a personal inspection of the position by yourself, we were ordered to fall back a few hundred feet farther into the woods, keeping well out our line of skirmishers, and to await further orders. Nothing occurred while we remained in this position, other than the wounding of two of my men by the shells from the enemy's batteries, which continued to shell the woods all the time we occupied it. About 11.30 a. m. I received orders to fall back (leaving my line of skirmishers, Companies B and G, to watch the movements of the enemy in that direction), which we did, and remained in the rear of the battery on the elevated ground beyond the white house. While here I received orders to march to the front to assault the position of the enemy on our right, and to take my position on the left of the line. While advancing, however, this order was changed, placing the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts on my left. In this manner we advanced up to the brow of the hill, where my regiment lay down on the ground, discharging a volley into the enemy, and immediately charged into the woods on the right flank and rear of the enemy's intrenched position. Here for a short time a most desperate struggle took place, bayonets and clubbed guns were used on both sides, and many hand-to-hand encounters took place. So sudden and apparently so unexpected to the enemy was our movement on their flank that they were soon compelled to give way in great confusion, despite all the efforts of their officers to rally them. About 100 yards from the front of the woods was a fence running from the left of the line, and parallel with it, extending along the front of the regiment on my left. Along this fence to protect their flank the enemy had a strong force posted. This appeared to be the key to their position, and they held it most obstinately for some time, partially checking the advance of the regiment in front of them. It was here that Brig.-Gen. Jones commanded in person, and was killed while encouraging and rallying his troops. Seeing the importance of carrying this position as quickly as possible. I hastily detached three companies from the left of my regiment and threw them into line with the Thirty-fourth Massachusetts to aid them in dislodging the enemy--leaving Maj. E. D. Yutzy for the time in command of the right of my regiment. This was soon done, for upon the fall of their chief commander they gave way in utter confusion. Those who were not captured were driven through the woods and down a steep bank into the river. By detaching the three companies on the left of my regiment, my command was somewhat scattered when they arrived on the bluff at the river-bank, but were soon reformed in good order.
Lieut. R. P. Robison, of Company C, captured Col. Browne, who commanded a Virginia brigade. Lieut. G. W. Camp, of Company I, captured Col. Jones, who commanded a Tennessee brigade, placing him in charge of Private Harry Spencer, of Company G, of the Twelfth Virginia, to take him to the rear. Two colonels of regiments, with other field, staff, and line officers, too numerous to mention, were captured by different members of my regiment. Private Thomas Evans, of Company D, wrested the colors from the color bearer of a Tennessee regiment, sending the color bearer to the rear. So numerous were the captures made of the enemy, that I was compelled to stop taking them to the rear, and simply disarm them and turn them out over the barricade to be taken charge of by the cavalry, who were in the open field on our right and rear.
The casualties in my regiment were, under the circumstances, surprisingly small, which I attribute to the impetuosity of their charge upon the enemy, who were not given time to rally with anything like order or concert of action in their own defense.
The number of men of my command in the engagement was 394, Companies B and G having been left in rear of the batteries to keep up the skirmish line on the left and guard against surprise from that direction.
The only commissioned officer wounded was my adjutant, W. H. Rose, who received a painful but not dangerous wound in the left thigh, while gallantly cheering on the men in front of the position held by Brig.-Gen. Jones.
Only 2 men of my regiment were killed and 27 wounded, a list of whom accompanies this report. This does not include some 40 whose wounds are so slight that they have not been reported to the hospital. It would be invidious to mention officers or men by name, conspicuous for acts of bravery upon the field. All behaved most gallantly, each did all that could be expected of brave men, and all are equally entitled to the thanks and gratitude of their commanding officers.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. M. CAMPBELL,
Col. Fifty-fourth Regt. Pennsylvania Vols.
Bibliographic Information : Letter Reproduced from The War of The Rebellion: Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series 1, Volume 37, Serial No. 70, Pages 118-119, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
