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MAY 31- JUNE 1, 1862-- Battle of Fair Oaks, or Seven
Pines, Va.
No. 2. -- Return of Casualties
in the Army of the Potomac at the battle of Fair Oaks, or
Seven Pines, Va., May 31-June 1, 1862.
HDQRS. FIFTY-THIRD REGIMENT
PENNSYLVANIA VOLS.,
June 2, 1862.
SIR:
I have the honor to make the
following report of my regiment for the 31st of
May and 1st of June, 1862: My regiment being
in front, by order of General French left camp near Cold
Harbor at 2.30 p.m. Found great difficulty in crossing
the Chickahominy, owing to the sudden rise in
the stream. Arrived on the other side at 5.15 p.m., when I was
halted by General French until the other regiments
had crossed, then was marched forward with the
general in front. Marched about 3 miles, when General French
halted me in the road, and shortly afterward directed
me to form line of battle in an open field on
my right, which was but finished when he again ordered me
forward on the road. After moving a short distance
heavy firing was heard to the right of us. We
now moved out of the road into an open field, which we crossed in
the direction of the firing, passing on our way through
a stream. Led by General French we came upon
the field of battle.
By this time it had become very
dark. We were formed on the left of the
Fifty-seventh New York by General French in person,
our right resting near the left of the Fifty-seventh
and our left extending into the woods to within a short
distance of the railroad. General French ordered me
to send two companies upon the railroad as pickets
to connect with General Birney's right, which was instantly
done. About daybreak General French came to me personally
and ordered me to change front, as there was
a large body of rebel troops on our right. In about an
hour he ordered me to resume my former position, which
I immediately did. At the same time he ordered
my two companies (the pickets) to be withdrawn.
Shortly after the general ordered
me to move by the left flank and follow the
Fifty-second New York (which had in the mean time been
placed on my left) into the woods beyond the
railroad. We had moved forward until our right had passed
the railroad some 50 yards, when the Fifty-second halted.
I also halted. After some time it became apparent
that the Fifty-second was about be attacked. I
immediately faced my regiment to the front. The firing commenced (from
the enemy) on my left, they being but a short
distance from us. I passed down the line toward
the right, when I found that about 100 of the right wing had fallen
back, caused by the following circumstance:
An aide-de-camp rode down the front of the left
wing as the firing commenced, and when he reached the colors found it
necessary to pass my lines. He then ordered the men
to Fall back; give way," which they obeyed,
and misinterpreting the command fell back beyond the
railroad, where they rallied and were brought back
in good order. The error was corrected in a
very few minutes.
About this time I met General French
in rear of the left wing of my regiment. After
standing with him some time he asked me if my ammunition was nearly
gone. I told him it was, from the upper part of the
boxes. He told me to stand fast until he returned,
and passed back toward the railroad. In a few moments he
returned, leading the Sixty-first New York, when he
ordered me to have my men lie down and to let
the Sixty-first New York pass my line, which was accordingly
done. The men were then ordered to fill the upper parts
of their boxes from the box magazine, when the
general immediately ordered us forward to the right,
where we continued fighting until the fire of the enemy
had ceased, when we held the position we then
occupied until an order came to Colonel Barlow, of the
Sixty-first New York, to move out of the woods by the
right flank, said orders coming from General
Richardson, with instructions to communicate them to me
also. I then followed the Sixty-first New York out
of the woods into the field occupied by the
brigade the night previous, where I again met General French,
who ordered me to the position I now occupy; also directing
me to replenish my exhausted cartridge
boxes.
The firing during the engagement
was very heavy. The time during which we were
under fire was nearly four hours. The regiments opposed to us during
this action were the Forty-first Virginia, Third
Alabama, Fifty-third Virginia, and a regiment
supposed to be the Twenty-third Alabama. Also a regiment with black
slouch hats, supposed to be Mississippians.
My loss is as follows: Killed,
13; wounded, 64; missing, 17; making a total of
94.
Among the killed was Maj. Thomas
Yeager, who behaved with great gallantry up
to the moment of his death, which occurred during the advance of the
regiment to the right. Among the wounded are
Captains Church, Moody, and Eichholtz, and First
Lieut. William Mintzer, which embrace all the casualties among my
commissioned officers. I
cannot speak too highly of the conduct of both officers and men of my
regiment. All did well. The presence of General French
during the thickest of the fight had a most
inspiriting effect on all, and caused them to act with greater
steadiness and bravery, if possible, than before. I
have to mention that I was ably assisted by
Lieutenant-Colonel McMichael, whose coolness and steadiness are
deserving great praise, as also Adjt. Charles P. Hatch
(who was taken prisoner, but subsequently succeeded
in making his escape), whose coolness and steadiness
during the fight rendered his assistance invaluable.
My horse was shot under me.
I have the honor to remain, your obedient servant,
JOHN R. BROOKE,
Colonel Fifty-third Pennsylvania.
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