Chancellorsville Campaign
Judson Bradley
Monday 27
Warm & pleasant this morning. Brigade drill at 10 A.M. Brigade Dress Parade at 5 P.M. Ordered to be ready to march at an early hour to morrow. Rations packed to night & blankets to be put on in the morning. Wrote to I.A. Ives.
Tuesday, April 28, 1863
Got Breakfast in Season. While eating dinner orders came to march at two o’clock but did not leave until 3. Meanwhile it rained & wet the tents so as to make us more load. We took a circuitous route & made for Falmouth going all night on a sidehill [?]
Wednesday 29
Ordered to pack up at ½ past 5. Did not sleep well last night. Started & marched towards the river at 7 A.M. Swallows have been seen several days. This evening our Brigade is lieing [sic] in the east side of the Rappahannock. Forces have crossed above & below us.
Thursday 30
Rainy this morning. Ordered to pack up ready to move at 4 A.M. Have not moved more than 4 rods. Hooker is on the right & doing well. Reg. Battery playing now at 6 P.M. Our’s replying. Artillery moved from this place to the right to day.
Friday, May 1, 1863
Pleasant & foggy. Marched all day. All quiet along the lines. On guard all night without relief. At night packed up & went down to the left & back to the old place where we slept. Firing heard on the right. Letter from home.
Saturday 2
Pleasant to day. Firing on the right commenced early. Moved to the left this morning. Firing on the left commenced about 8 A.M. Moved back to the right & then about 10 P.M. crossed the river & finally rested.
Sunday 3
Worked about midnight & marched to Fredericksburg lay in the street until day break when the ball commenced by the cavalry & (Gen. Sedgewick & escort riding through the lines) infantry & artillery. Took the hights [?] about 11 A.M. Had a hard fight about 4 P.M. until dark. Went on picket to night.
Monday, May 4, 1863
Warm & bright this morning. Picket firing commenced about daybreak. Very quiet all day until six P.M. When firing commenced on the right & left. The 6th Corps commenced a retreat at dusk & a sorry of it I assure all morn.
Tuesday 5
Morning found us across on the Potomac side of the Rappahannock. Our retreat was a grand Skedaddle & has a demoralizing effect on the men. We slept some last night or rather this morning. Commenced raining this evening.
Wednesday 6
Still rainy this morning & we still lieing [sic] in the wood where we stopped yesterday morning. Rained all day & in the night. Wrote to father.
H.M. Abott
Monday, April 27, 1863
Recd Orders to march [out] [an] early hour tomorrow morning. Had Brigade drill + Brigade [Dress] Parade
Tuesday, April 28, 1863
Frank went was sent to Division Hospital with the rest of the sick We did not march till half past 2 PM it has been a rainy + bad day. We marched about 2 miles. + camped for the night we expect to cross the River tomorrow morning the Pontoons are to be laid to night
Wednesday, April 29, 1863
Broke camp about 5 am, + moved to the River Bank. did not cross. expected to cross but did not. one
Division of the 6th Corps crossed last night [one] man wounded killed + [10] wounded. The [troops] have not moved [from] the River bank is deep It has been a rainy bad day. rained all [the forenoon.] [There] has not been much firing today.
Thursday, April 30, 1863
Presidents Fast?] day we were ordered to fall in at 4 am we struck tents + were ready to march we waited about 3 hours + then had orders to pitch tents again. It had been rainy all the [morning] we had just got them pitched + we had orders to fall in again. we fell in + stood under arms about an hour + then [were] dismissed we pitched tents again + have not been disturbed since 4 pm There was a splendid fight with artillery about 4PM
Friday, May 1, 1863
It has been a beautiful day. It cleared up [yesterday] by the afternoon. + has been very warm to day.
We were ordered to fall in last night about dark with out Guns or Equipment to go [on] [fatigue] work.
We had to go up to [Rosks] [ford] with the pontoon train We were out all night got back at half past 8 AM to day. We went to help the Pontoons over [bad] places All quiet to [day?] we fell in at 7 PM + went to the left + waited till 10 PM + then came back + bunked for the night We went about 14 miles with the Pontoon[s]
Saturday, May 2, 1863
All has been very quiet to day We fell in early In the morning + went down to the left [+ lay] till afternoon
+ then [moved] up to the [right] again to our old camp. We were ordered to fall in again about dark + moved up to the right [where] the Pontoons are laid we expect to cross before morning + before tomorrow night we shall have the [lights]
Sunday, May 3, 1863
We crossed the River at about 9 [last night] + camped for the night we lay about an1 hour + then were
ordered to fall in + [advance] we lay in line till 12o c + then started. we marched a while + the first [thing] we knew we were in Fredericksburg. it [was] about day light when we got to F— we were formed in line of battle in the [rear] of the City + lay till half past 10.am + then we were ordered to charge˰* on the [Rebs] we advanced + took the batteries + lots of [prisoners]. we rested awhile + then moved on. we advanced about [24 ?] miles before we [met] the Rebs they made a stand + gave us a hard fight + tried to drive us back but we held our ground [??? 60? 2 wounds ?? Kinney + ??rick]
Monday, May 4, 1863
The Beautiful day. The Rebs have the best position they are in the woods + we in the open lands The Rebs sent out their Skirmishers about 11oc. our Batteries opened [on] them as well as our infantry + drove them back. our Rgt had a chance to fire at them About 5oc PM. the Rebs [began] to [show the?] in our left flank in force. Co C + D of the 37th were ordered to [support the] skirmishers. we held our position till the Skirmishers were [driven in] + [formed] behind us. not a man was wounded. the rebs had [flanked] us + we were observed to retreat
Tuesday, May 5, 1863
The Rebs had flanked us + we were obliged to retreat The retreat commenced about 8.oc last night + such a skedadle never was known to the army of the Potomac Co C + D were the last to [leave?] the [ground]. the Rebs were in sight of [us when we started]. [Men] [threw] [away] [their] knapsacks + over Coats + all [they?] could [?] [list] the Rgt + did not [find] [it] till we [got] [next?] to the River. we came to the River +
[f???d] [in?] [line?] of battle to protect the [crossing] of the rest of the troops we did [not] [???] till about [day] light. we are about [played out?] [the] [Brigade] has been to the [front?][all?] [the?] [????] [??] [seen?] [???] the River + we have not had [any] [sleep] [for] 3 nights + we are all played out
Wednesday, May 6, 1863
we moved back from the River + went into camp in a [piece?] of [Co K] [woods] it was about a mile from the River. The Quartermaster came to us to day. + we drew rations It has been a rainy day + very cold it
has been uncomfortable enough. [Got mail] Capt. P. Kingsly got [red???d] + was red???d + Levi Bartlett
was appointed in his place
Thursday, May 7, 1863
we are still in the woods + some expect to stay here. all the other troops seem to be moving back to their old camps but Report says we are to stay here + guard Banks Ford we drew full rations of Whisky to [dys] It has been cold and rainy all [day] Got mail wrote to [Brvinan??]