Official Report, 17th New York, Chancellorsville, Report of Lt. Colonel Nelson Bartram
On Friday, May 1, this regiment, with the brigade, marched down the road leading from Chancellorsville toward Banks' Ford, I should think 3 or 4 miles. Returned to within about a mile of Chancellorsville, and went into position on the left of the Twelfth New York Volunteers, and remained during the night, throwing out pickets and constructing an abatis along our front.
Next day, marched with the brigade and took up a position in the same order, in line behind a ravine about 700 yards in rear of our former one. Here we dug rifle-pits and cut an abatis for our protection.
Next morning, about 3 o'clock, we were relieved by some troops from the Eleventh Corps, and, marching toward Chancellorsville, went into position on the right of the Forty-fourth New York Volunteers a few minutes before the action commenced. The regiment at once constructed a barricade of logs and rails, and patiently awaited the attack, confident of the result.
We remained in this position until the morning of Wednesday, when we received the order to fall back.
I am sorry to report that there were a few outrageous cases of straggling and skulking, principally from Company F, Capt. John Vickers. This officer allowed his company to straggle and skulk in a manner that would have been impossible had he attended to it as he should.
When the regiment went into position on the morning of May 3, this company was represented by only a corporal and 5 men. All the casualties were in this company--1 man killed (detached to the ambulance corps), 1 corporal, a straggler (put into another regiment by the provost-guard), and 2 privates. The latter, I have every reason to believe, shot themselves through the hand.
Very respectfully,
N. B. BARTRAM,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Comdg. Seventeenth New York Vols.
Lieut. F. M. KELLEY,
Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.
Series I, Volume XXV, Part 1, Book 39, Pages 520-1