Official Report, The Third Brigade at Chancellorsville, Colonel Thomas Stockton's Report
CAPTAIN: In compliance with circular from division headquarters, May 7, 1863, I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Third Brigade, First Division, Fifth Corps (composed of the Seventeenth New York Volunteers, Lieutenant-Colonel Bartram; Sixteenth Michigan, Lieutenant-Colonel Welch; Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Vincent; Forty-fourth New York Volunteers, Colonel Rice, and four companies of the Twelfth New York Volunteers, Captain Huson commanding; the Twentieth Maine Volunteers, Colonel Ames commanding, being left in camp on account of having the smallpox, Colonel Ames volunteering as aide to General Meade--the regiment subsequently came out and guarded the telegraph line to the United States Ford), while on the south bank of the Rappahannock.
The Third Brigade, with the First Division, moved from its camp, near Falmouth, Va., on the morning of April 27, up the north bank of the Rappahannock to Kelly's Ford, where it crossed on the afternoon of the 29th. The brigade, with the division, took the River road down the south bank of the Rappahannock to [Ely's Ford] crossing of the Rapidan, where a few of the enemy's cavalry were discovered on the south side, but who fled on the approach of our cavalry. A volunteer regiment being called for to cross the river and take possession of the heights, Colonel Rice, with his regiment (the Forty-fourth New York Volunteers), promptly volunteered to cross the river by fording, there being no bridge, and took possession of and occupied the neighboring heights. The whole brigade immediately followed and encamped upon the same.
The following morning, the march was resumed, arriving at Chancellorsville about 11 a.m., near where the whole army was concentrating, and near which we encamped for the night.
Early next morning the brigade, with the division, took up the line of march on the River road toward Fredericksburg, when it was ordered back to about a mile from Chancellorsville, the enemy having shown themselves and made an attack in the front. The brigade was then formed in line of battle on the extreme left, resting on its arms, where it remained until about 1 o'clock on the morning of May 2, when, it having been determined to contract our lines, the brigade, with the division, moved down about 1 ½ miles on one of the roads leading to the United States Ford, and again was placed in line of battle on the left, where, during the day, it strongly fortified itself by means of rifle-pits and abatis.
On the morning of the 3d, the whole corps was ordered around more to the right, where it was suspected the main attack would be made. The brigade was placed in line of battle, and ordered to hold the position at all hazards, to do which the more certainly the brigade again secured itself by making rifle-pits and abatis.
In this position the brigade remained until about 2 o'clock on the morning of the 6th instant, when it, with the division, which had the honor of forming the rear guard to the army on its return, gradually and cautiously fell back, by forming alternate lines of battle with the other brigades, to the United States Ford, on the Rappahannock, which it crossed in safety about 8 a.m., after the whole army had preceded it by means of pontoon bridges. Notwithstanding the bad state of the roads, the whole brigade was safely marched back to its old camp near Falmouth, Va., before dark on the evening of the 6th instant, in good spirits, and ready to move again at short notice whenever the commanding general may direct.
After an absence of 9 days, during which both officers and men were either marching or constantly on the alert in the trenches, and although it was not their fortune to participate in the heaviest part of the fighting, the part assigned them was most important, and had the enemy succeeded in getting up to our lines, the safety of the whole army would have depended upon them. This they knew and felt, and were fully resolved to hold the position assigned them to the last extremity, and, I have no doubt, would, had the necessity arisen; but the enemy were repulsed in their oft-repeated attempts before they could reach our lines, and therefore I am happy to be able to report but very few casualties, which mostly occurred by the random shots of the enemy, to which we were very much exposed.
Where all performed their duty so well, and constantly under the eye of the division commander, I feel unable to discriminate further than to say that all, both officers and men, did their duty well.
To each of my staff--Lieutenant [Frank M.] Kelley, adjutant-general, and Captain [Eugene A.] Nash, assistant inspector-general, Forty-fourth New York Volunteers, and Lieut. Wallace Jewett, aide-de-camp, Sixteenth Michigan Volunteers--I feel under many obligations for the promptness with which they carried out my orders. Accompanying I submit a nominal and tabular list of killed, wounded, and missing.
I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
T. B. W. STOCKTON,
Col., Comdg. 3d Brigade, 1st Division, 5th Army Corps.
Capt. C. B. MERVINE,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
Series I, Volume XXV, Part 1, Book 39, Pages 519-20