Summary:
Union Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes reports on the role played by the
Twenty-third Ohio Infantry in the June, 1864, advance on Staunton,
Lynchburg, and Lexington. Hayes reports skirmishing outside Staunton, as
well as sending home volunteers whose terms of enlistment had expired.
Capt. J. L. BOTSFORD,
Assistant Adjutant-Gen.,
Army of the Kanawha.
Camp Crook, W. Va.,
July 4, 1864.
CAPT.:
I have the honor to submit a brief report of the part taken by the First Brigade, Second Infantry Division, Department of West Virginia, in the late campaign against Staunton and Lynchburg.
The brigade left Meadow Bluff May 31 with 2,433 men and officers, viz: Twenty-third Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, under Lieut. Col. J. M. Comly, 534; Thirty-sixth Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, Col. H. F. Devol, 553; Fifth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Col. A. A. Tomlinson, 572; Thirteenth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, Col. William R. Brown, 774; total, 2,433.
We reached Staunton June 8 without loss, the enemy frequently appearing in our front and making several ineffectual efforts to delay or stop our progress. At Staunton 9 officers and 160 men of Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, whose term of service had expired, were sent to Ohio to be mustered out of service.
On the 10th day of June we started via Lexington and Buchanan toward Lynchburg, reaching the vicinity of that city June 17, after a march of about 100 miles and a delay of two days at Lexington. On this march the First Brigade led the column on the day we reached Lexington and the greater part of the day before, and during both days was engaged in several brisk skirmishes with the enemy. On the day before reaching Lexington, June 10, an advance guard, composed of four companies of the Fifth West Virginia Infantry, under Lieut.-Col. Enochs, engaged the enemy twice, driving them rapidly, with some loss. In one of these skirmishes at Newport Lieut. Miller, Fifth West Virginia Volunteer Infantry, was killed at the head of his command.
On the 11th, during the attack on Lexington, the Thirty-sixth Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Devol, led the column, and pushing rapidly up to the enemy's position near the town, occupied their attention until a part of our forces crossing the river above town compelled its evacuation. In this advance and attack Lieut. J. M. Hamlin, Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was severely wounded, and of the same regiment 3 men were killed and 7 wounded.
At Lynchburg, on the 18th, the brigade was formed to repel what was deemed at the time an assault of our position by the enemy in force. A line was formed with the greatest promptness, the Fifth West Virginia Infantry having formed in a part of the line, when the enemy, after a sudden approach, hastily withdrew. Pursued the retreating rebels and drove them from their rifle-pits to the protection of their main works. The works being too strong to be carried by the force there before them, the regiment retired in some disorder, but was promptly reformed before reaching our own lines. I regret to state that in this charge Lieut. D. J. Thomas fell mortally wounded.
After leaving Lynchburg the officers and men of the First Brigade sustained themselves through the hardships and privations of the retreat like good soldiers. No words of praise could do more than justice to their good conduct throughout the campaign.
We reached Charleston July 1, after a march from Meadow Bluff of almost 500 miles.
Our loss was as follows:
Command. K W M T
23d Ohio Veteran
Volunteer Infantry...... .. 3 6 9
36th Ohio Veteran Volunteer
Infantry..... 3 11 3 17
5th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry..... 8 27
6 41
13th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry.... .. 8 1 9
Total*.............................. 11 49 16 76
K=Killed. W=Wounded.
M=Missing. T=Total.
I herewith transmit copies of the reports of regimental commanders.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. B. HAYES,
Col., Cmdg.
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 122-123, Broadfoot Publishing Company, Wilmington, NC, 1997.
