41st REGIMENT INFANTRY--"DE KALB REGIMENT,"
"2nd YAGER REGIMENT."
Organized at Yorkville, N.Y., and
mustered in June 6, 1861.
Transferred to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, 1st Corps,
Pope's Army of
SERVICE.--Duty in the Defenses of
Washington, D. C., till April, 1862. Operations in the
Regiment lost during service 1 Officer and
69 Enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 4 Officers and 69 Enlisted men
by disease. Total 143.
MAY
15--JUNE 17, 1862.--Operations in the
No. 39.--Reports of Maj. Gen. John C.
Fremont,U. S. Army, commanding the Mountain Department, of operations May
24-June 17, and including instructions from the President and Secretary of War.(*)
I arrived at this place to-day. My officers have been
so much engaged with marching duties since the battle of the 8th, at Cross
Keys, that full reports of that engagement have not been made to me. Still,
wishing to give you a fuller account of that battle than that contained in my
telegraphic dispatch, I make the following statement:
The forces under my command left
At 9 a.m. the skirmishers of the advance
discovered the enemy most advantageously posted in the woods at Cross Keys, on
the road to
Meanwhile, on the right, Brigadier-General
Milroy, with the Twenty-fifth Ohio, the Second, Third, and Fifth West Virginia,
supported by the brigade of General Schenck, drove the enemy steadily forward
until the withdrawal of General Stahel's brigade and the near approach of night
prevented any farther advance. Colonel Cluseret, commanding the advance,
maintained his position throughout the day, steadily resisting the attempts of
the enemy to turn his flanks, until, at the approach of night, he was ordered
to take position on the right wing. The enemy's force was so largely superior
that he was enabled to attempt turning both flanks, and massed overwhelming
forces against the brigade of General Stahel, on our left, with the obvious
design of interrupting our line of communication. The plan was frustrated by
the coolness and courage of our men.
Our troops slept on their arms through the
night of the 8th, expecting to renew the contest at an early hour on the
following morning. The enemy, however, retreated during the night, leaving
behind on the field of battle the most of his dead and many of his wounded. His
loss in killed, wounded, and missing cannot be less than 1,200. More than 200
dead were discovered in one field alone and buried by our men.
Our own loss amounts to 106 killed, 386
wounded, and 126 missing.(*) Of these 43 killed, 134 wounded, and 43
missing are from one regiment, the Eighth New York Volunteers, which fought
with the greatest bravery, and yielded ground only when opposed by four rebel
regiments at once.
Our artillery, under the command of
Lieutenant-Colonel Pilsen, aide-de-camp, was served with the greatest effect
and precision, and contributed largely to the final result of the action.
Brigadier-Generals Milroy and Stahel and
Colonel Cluseret deserve particular mention for the cool and effective manner
in which their troops were handled. For a list of names deserving special
commendation I refer to the reports of the brigade and division commanders.
Capt. Nicolai Dunka, one of my aides, and
a brave and capable officer, was struck by a rifle-ball and instantly killed
while carrying orders to a distant part of the field.
The steadiness and gallantry displayed by
the army, after the hardships to which they had been exposed during their forced
marches to the scene of action, elicited my warmest admiration, and I hope will
give pleasure to the President.
Respectfully,
J. C. FREMONT,
Major-General, Commanding.
Hon. E. M. STANTON,
Washington, D. C.
<ar15_659>
O.R.--
SERIES I--VOLUME 16 [S# 16]
AUGUST
16-SEPTEMBER 2,1862.--Campaign in
No. 9.--Report of Brig. Gen. Julius Stahel,
HDQRS. FIRST DIV., FIRST CORPS, ARMY OF
Near Centreville, September 1, 1862.
SIR: I herewith have the honor to submit to you the
report concerning the active participation of the First Brigade, First
Division, at the battle on the 29th and 30th of August:
On the 28th of August, at about dark, I
arrived near Robinson's farm, and planted Schirmer's battery on the right near
the farm, directing its fire into a wood on the right beside the road, as at
the time a heavy infantry fight took place in front of me on the Warrenton
turnpike. With the increasing darkness the fire of the battery ceased, and I
marched my brigade, which had been in position behind the farm,
toward<ar16_284> a hill on the left of the farm, where the brigade
remained overnight, extending its pickets to Young's Branch. With break of day
on the 29th I followed the Second Brigade, First Division, marching to Dogan's
farm, and took position behind the farm. I remained here but a short time, when
I received the order to advance on the Warrenton turnpike beyond Groveton.
Having advanced about 1 mile I received the order to take position on the left
of the road, resting with my right wing of the brigade on the road and with my
left wing on the Second Brigade. Here I found a number of dead and wounded
soldiers from McDowell's corps from the preceding evening, and I had all the
possible medical assistance bestowed upon them. Having remained here half an
hour a heavy skirmish took place to our right, and General Milroy sent to
Brigadier-General Schenck, commanding First Division, for support. In order to
support General Milroy I left said position and followed the course shown to me
by General Milroy's orderly. Arriving at Young's Branch with my brigade I
reported myself to General Milroy, and took my brigade to the left of Milroy's,
along Young's Branch, where I could prevent the enemy from breaking our lines
and be ready at any time to render assistance to General Milroy. Here I had but
little cover for my troops and was very much exposed to the cross-fire of the enemy's
artillery, in consequence whereof I sustained a loss of several dead and
wounded. During these proceedings one of General Stevens' batteries and two
regiments were placed behind Groveton farm to operate against the enemy's
batteries. As soon as the battery commenced firing, thereby fully governing all
the open ground on the right of the turnpike, and with the assistance of the
two regiments making it impossible for the enemy to break through at this
point, I received orders from General Schenck to take my brigade through a
small defile to the left of the turnpike on the left of Groveton farm, taking
position on the borders of the woods, resting my right wing on the turnpike,
and the Second Brigade joining on the left, placing the Eighth and Twenty-seventh
Regiments in front, the Forty-fifth and Forty-first Regiments in reserve,
and two pieces of the mountain howitzer battery on the left wing of my brigade,
the skirmishers in front of the brigade on a small hill and in Groveton farm.
The enemy kept up a lively artillery fire upon General Stevens' battery,
planted on our right wing, about 200 paces to the rear, and also upon the woods
occupied by us, while the enemy's skirmishers, trying to advance on the road,
were warmly received by ours, and as they threw themselves in stronger force
against the skirmishers of the Eighth Regiment they were received on the top of
the hill by a volley of the Eighth Regiment, whereupon they fell back and
ceased firing. As the right wing seemed to have retreated the brigade received
the order at about 4 o'clock to move back slowly on the left of the road and to
take position on the chain of hills to the left of Dogan's farm. Having been
here but a short time I received further orders to encamp behind Dogan's farm;
in consequence thereof I marched there, crossing Young's Branch and the
turnpike, and took camp behind the Second Brigade, where we remained overnight.
On the 30th of August the First Brigade
remained in position in its camp, about 400 paces behind Dogan's farm, up to 1
o'clock p.m., till I received orders from Major-General Sigel to take position
on the crescent of the hill by the side of Dogan's farm. On the crescent itself
I placed, besides two batteries already planted there, Schirmer's battery, and
behind the batteries the Forty-fifth, Twenty-seventh, and Eighth Regiments of
my brigade in the following order: Adjoining the <ar16_285> farm, the
Forty-fifth, on the right of it, the Twenty-seventh, and on the right of this
the Eighth Regiment, while the Forty-first Regiment was posted on the left
of the road. The fight began in the vicinity of Groveton's farm and to the left
of it very lively; also, I saw the troops that occupied the heights to my left
fall back. The Forty-first Regiment was now ordered in support on the left
wing, and later the whole of Colonel Koltes' brigade. The Forty-first Regiment
was here attacked by a strong force of the enemy, defending itself with the
greatest bravery, and yielded at last only to greatly superior numbers, after
having already been flanked on its left, and having sustained a considerable
loss of wounded and killed. Still the enemy pressed forward on our left,
taking hill after hill, until he had arrived on the road leading from New
Market to the stone house.
While the enemy had taken possession of
the heights opposite Dogan's farm I received orders, through Major Meysenberg,
assistant adjutant-general, to take position farther. In consequence thereof, I
marched the Eighth and Twenty-seventh Regiments farther to their rear, and left
the Forty-fifth Regiment as protection to the batteries of Major-General
Hooker. Schirmer's battery now took position on the east side of Dogan's farm,
directing its fire upon the opposite deploying column of the enemy's advance
from the front.
The Forty-fifth Regiment then took
position between the turnpike and Dogan's farm, and drove the enemy, who
attacked from the left flank, back across Young's Branch. Toward 6 o'clock the
batteries left their position, while the enemy was fired upon by a battery from
on the heights behind the stone house. Now I ordered the Forty-fifth Regiment
back, taking the road across the heights behind the stone house, where the
Forty-fifth Regiment, as also the Forty-first Regiment, joined the brigade,
where the brigade made another stand, and was shortly afterward joined by
Colonel McLean's brigade. Here I learned that General Schenck was wounded, in
consequence whereof I took command of the division, transferring the command of
the First Brigade to Colonel Buschbeck. Having taken with the division a
position, I ordered that all troops which came back belonging to different
commands should rally behind the division, and reported myself to Major-General
Sigel, remaining with him till we arrived next morning at
It affords me the greatest pleasure to be
able to report that the regiments of the First Brigade, as well as Schirmer's
battery, under the command of First Lieutenant Blume, on both days fought with
the greatest bravery and gallantry. To enumerate all those who distinguished
themselves in the battles of the last two days is impossible, but I cannot
omit to mention with great approbation the gallantry displayed by the following
field officers: Colonel Buschbeck, of the Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania
Volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel Catador, of the Twenty-seventh Pennsylvania
Volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel Wratislaw, commanding Forty-fifth New York State
Volunteers; Lieutenant-Colonel Holmstedt, commanding Forty-first New York
State Volunteers; Major Von Einsiedel, Forty-first New York State Volunteers;
Lieutenant-Colonel Hedterich, commanding Eighth New York State Volunteers;
Major Pokorny, Eighth New York State Volunteers.
I am, very respectfully, your most obedient servant,
JUL. STAHEL,
Brigadier-General.
Maj. T. A. MEYSENBERG,
A. A. G.
AUGUST
16-SEPTEMBER 2,1862.--Campaign in
No. 19.--Report of Col. Gust. A. Muhleck,
Seventy-third Pennsylvania Infantry, commanding First Brigade, Second Division,(*)
of the battles of Groveton and
n the night from Friday to Saturday
[29-30] the above brigade bivouacked in the corner of a woods in the rear and
south of those woods where General Carl Schurz' division on the day before
(Friday) had had a terrible encounter with the enemy, who were attacked and
thrown by him and driven at the point of the bayonet clear through the woods
over the railroad embankment. We formed on that morning the extreme left wing
of the Second Division, to which this brigade had been attached provisionally
in the course of the preceding day, while the whole division was drawn up as a
reserve to those troops of ours which held the battle-field overnight.
At 6 o'clock a.m. on Saturday the brigade
formed in columns of division on the center en masse, and soon
afterwards received orders to march down to the left into the open, plain
field, and to reform in columns of companies left in front. Here the brigade
stood in the following<ar16_307> order: The Sixty-eighth New York, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Kleefisch, on the right; the Seventy-third
Pennsylvania,Lieutenant-Colonel Muhleck, on the left; the Twenty-ninth New York
in the center, Major Hartman commanding. The firing up to 2 o'clock p.m. had
been of little account, but soon afterward became heavier by degrees. The enemy
had crowned the plateau (a little over a mile in front of our division) with
numerous batteries, and now opened a fire which soon became truly terrific.
General Morell's division, which was massed in front and nearest the rebel
batteries, were soon forced to withdraw from the open plain and to seek shelter
in the rear of the woods to their right. The enemy's firing was splendid; their
range perfect. As soon as our first line had withdrawn the rebels opened on the
heavy bodies of infantry massed about 400 yards more to the rear, and of which
General Schurz' division constituted a part. It was then about 3 o'clock p.m.
Our batteries were unable to silence the enemy's raking concentrating fire. Our
loss here was heavy through shot and shell.
In the mean while the firing on our
left (woody hills) had become extremely heavy. McDowell's troops, which had
been ordered up to the extreme left of our line of battle, after a very short
contest, lasting not over half an hour, were retiring from their position,
abandoning the woods to the enemy, who at once poured heavy masses of infantry
into them, seconded by artillery. A part of Major-General Sigel's army corps
(General Stahel's) had already been ordered up to the left to re-enforce
McDowell, but found themselves on reaching the top of the hill in front of an
overpowering enemy, whom they bravely engaged. At this moment Major-General
Sigel, Brigadier-General Schurz, commanding division, with staff, came up at
full speed in front of the First Brigade, and ordered its three regiments up at
once to the assistance of General Stahel. I marched my regiment by the left
flank, followed by the Twenty-ninth
The combat here raged fierce and terrible
for about half an hour, <ar16_308> when our small regiments, exhausted
and decimated and unsupported, had in their turn to fall back, though not
before Colonel Koltes, who saw the enemy outflank us on the right, had given
the order to fall back a little on our right and make a stand again. By this
time immense forces of the enemy poured through the woods in splendid order and
fighting desperately. The colors of my regiment had become rags. I had lost
five of the color.bearers and nearly one-half of the eight companies I brought
into action. Two companies had been detailed by General --- to stop the
stragglers of the corps which did retreat from the plain beneath. My acting major,
Capt. A. Bruckner, had fallen too. My adjutant was a prisoner. My own horse had
been shot under me by four balls. We then slowly left the field, still
fighting, and taking along the dead body of Colonel Koltes, whom my men carried
that night on muskets to Centreville, which latter place the regiment reached
rather in broken fragments, and where they rallied again on the next morning.
The loss of the Seventy-third was very
heavy. Officers killed and wounded, 8; non-commissioned officers and privates
killed, wounded, and missing, 138. The losses in the several regiments will be
found detailed in the accompanying separate reports. Many acts of daring and
heroism have been done. I will take pleasure in bringing the names of those to
your knowledge in a separate report to be mad,. out at once.
I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully,
your obedient servant,
G. A. MUHLECK,
Lieut. Col. 73d Pa. Vols., Comdg. 1st Brig., 3d Div.,
1st A. C.
O.R.--
SERIES I--VOLUME XXV/1 [S# 39]
APRIL
27-MAY 6, 1863.--The Chancellorsville Campaign.
No. 243.--Report of Col. Leopold von Gilsa,
Forty-first New York Infantry, commanding First Brigade.
HDQRS. FIRST BRIG., FIRST DIV., ELEVENTH A. C.,
May 10, 1863.
GENERAL: I have the honor to submit to you the
following report of the battle at Chancellorsville, as fax as the First Brigade
of the First Division did take part in the engagement:
The First Brigade had the following
position: Two regiments in line of battle along the road from Chancellorsville
to Gordonsville, front toward the Plank road, connecting on the left with the
Second Brigade, First Division, and two regiments in a right angle to the above
line, also in line of battle. The whole brigade was about 1,400 men strong, and
I foresaw, having no reserve at all, that I would be obliged to leave that
position in case of an attack by strong forces of the enemy. All
representations stated to the division commander to send me reserves were
unfruitful, except that the Seventy-fifth Ohio was located near my left wing.
This was in part division reserve. The cavalry returned from the front of my
line, and reported no enemy at all in front. A quarter of an hour later, a
patrol of the Forty-fifth New York Regiment reported masses of the enemy in an
open field opposite my line. I reported this fact at once to the division
commander, and at the same moment my skirmishers were driven in by overwhelming
forces of the enemy. The whole line was at once engaged furiously, and my
brigade stood coolly and bravely, fired three times, and stood still after they
had outflanked me already on my right.
The enemy attacked now from the front and
rear, and then, of course, my brave boys were obliged to fall back, the
Fifty-fourth New York and the right wing of the One hundred and fifty-third
Pennsylvania forcing their way back through the enemy's skirmishers in their
rear. I had no regiment to cover my right flank, and no reserves to drive back
the enemy with the bayonet. Retreating, I expected surely to rally my brigade
behind our second line, formed by the Third Division, but I did not find the
second line; it was abandoned before we reached it.
I am obliged to express my thanks to the
men of my brigade, with very few exceptions, for the bravery and coolness which
they have shown in repulsing three attacks, and they retreated only after being
attacked in front and from the rear at the same time; but I am also compelled
to blame most of my line officers that they did not or could not rally their
companies half a mile or a mile more back, no matter if it could be done under
the protection of a second line, and I hope that in the next engagement every
officer and man of my brigade will try to redeem this unsoldierlike conduct. On
the same evening, nearly the whole brigade was rallied near General Hooker's
headquarters, and was ordered to protect three batteries.
I regret to report to you, general, a very
great loss of killed and wounded, officers and men, but naturally the loss of
my brigade is exceedingly large, the attack by the enemy having been as strong
and furious as I never have seen before.
I have the honor to be, general, very respectfully,
your most obedient servant,
LEOPOLD VON GILSA,
Commanding First Brigade.
Maj. Gen. O. O. HOWARD,
Commanding Eleventh Army Corps.
O.R.--SERIES
I--VOLUME XXVII/1 [S# 43] -- Gettysburg Campaign
No.
245. -- Report of Lieut. Col. Detleo von Einsiedel,
Forty-first New York Infantry, First
Brigade.
SIR: I have the honor to submit the
following report of the Regiment DeKalb, Forty-first New York Volunteer
Infantry, in relation to the battle of July 1, 2, 3, and 4, near Gettysburg,
Pa.:
The regiment, consisting of 14
commissioned officers, 187 file, and 17 musicians, under command of Lieut. Col.
Detleo von Einsiedel, arrived, coming from Emmitsburg, at about 10 o'clock in
the evening of July 1, at the cemetery near Gettysburg, and bivouacked on the
field behind a square stone fence, about 1 mile from Gettysburg, to the right
of the road leading from Baltimore to Gettysburg.
On July 2, at 4 a.m., six companies took
position on the stone fence, with the front to Gettysburg. One company took
position on the right of the square, and two companies were detached to the
front as skirmishers.
At 2 p.m. the regiment was assembled;
moved, by order of Col. Leopold von Gilsa, commanding First Brigade, to the
front of the two batteries which were posted on a little hill, on the right of
the Baltimore and Gettysburg road, near the cemetery. The regiment had
instructions to support the One hundred and fifty-third Regiment Pennsylvania
Volunteers in case of an attack from the front (Gettysburg). In this position
the regiment remained under the <ar43_714> heaviest cannonade until 5 p.m., when it received
orders to take a position about half a mile north from the above position, with
the same front as the right wing of the army; but the rebel infantry being
about to push back a division of the Twelfth Corps posted in the woods on our
right wing, and threatening to attack us in the rear, we received the order to
move 1,000 steps backward and to keep the same front as before. The regiment
was posted as follows: Five companies of the right wing connecting on the left
with the right wing of the Seventh Regiment West Virginia Volunteers, which had
connection with the Fourteenth Regiment Indiana Volunteers; four companies,
under command of Capt. Henry Arens, of Company K, connecting on their left with
the One hundred and fifty-third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Sixty-eighth
and Fifty-fourth Regiments New York Volunteers. The five, companies on the
right wing had for their support the Thirty-third Regiment Massachusetts
Volunteers.
An attack was made by the enemy at 6.30
p.m., but although the Seventh Regiment West Virginia Volunteers fell back a
little in the first moment, this attack was repulsed with energy by our right
wing without the assistance of the Thirty-third Regiment Massachusetts
Volunteers. On the left wing, the enemy came so far as to break through the
line, which was Kept either by the Sixty-eighth Regiment New York Volunteers or
Fifty-fourth Regiment New York Volunteers, and move on toward the batteries.
In this critical moment, Capt. Alfred
Theinhardt, commanding Company I, Forty-first New York Volunteers, took two
companies of the Forty-first New York Volunteers, which he placed with some men
of other regiments from the left wing behind a stone wall, and he succeeded in
holding the enemy in check until a regiment of the Second Corps arrived, which
was sent from the cemetery to support him. During the night the regiment
remained in the same position as before the attack, putting out pickets in the
front.
On July 3, the five companies of the right
wing remained in the same position, and skirmishers were sent out from the four
companies of the left wing. The regiment stood between 12 m. and 1 p.m. under a
very heavy fire of artillery without having considerable losses.
In the morning of July 4, the brigade
marched to Gettysburg, and two hours afterward the regiment took the same
position again as it had on the previous days, near the cemetery.
The loss of the regiment during July 1, 2,
3, and 4 is--
|
|
||||
|
Officers and men. |
Killed. |
Wounded. |
Missing. |
Total |
|
Commissioned Officers |
1 |
8 |
…. |
9 |
|
Non-commissioned officers |
8 |
10 |
1 |
14 |
|
Enlisted men |
11 |
40 |
2 |
53 |
|
Total |
15 |
58 |
3 |
76 |
DETLEO VON EINSIEDEL,
Lieutenant-Colonel, Commanding.
Col. LEOPOLD VON GILSA,
Commanding First Brigade.