Ohaptee Xxxit

OHAPTEE XXXIT. REGIMENTAL HISTORY—TWENTY-SIXTH INFANTRY. REGIMENTAL ROSTER—MOVE TO VIRGINIA—BATTLE or GiiANCELiiOR- viLLE — GETTYSBURG—TRANSFERRED TO TENNESSEE—BATTLE or MISSION RTDOE—ATLANTA CAMPAIGN—BATTLE OP RESACA—DALLAS —KENESAW MOUNTAIN—PEACH TREE CREEK—ATLANTA—MARCH WITH SHERMAN—BATTLES OF AVERYSBORO—BENTONVILLE—RETURN HOME — MUSTER OUT — STATISTICS. l!T the summer of 1862, General Sigel was authorized by the President to raise twelve regiments of infantry, from among the German population of the loyal States. He sent a request to Governor Salomon for the formation of one regiment in Wiscon sin. Governor Salomon entrusted the matter to W. H. Jacobs, Esq., of Milwaukee. By his energy and ability and the aid rendered by the patriotic Germans of the State, a full regiment was soon recruited and organized at Camp Sigel, Milwaukee, and Mr. Jacobs AAâs appointed Colonel. It Avas mustered into the United States service on the 17th of 'September, 1862, and left the State with the folloAving roster : COLONEL-WILLIAM H. JACOBS. Lieuteyiayii Colonel—CHARLESIJEHMAN; Major — PHILIP HOEWITZ ; Acûtant—PHiLiF J. ScfiLossEE; Quartermaster—F.W.HUNDHAUSEN; Surgeon—FRANCIS HUEBSCHMANN; First Assistant Surgeon—SIMON YANDERY A ART; Second Assistant Surgeon—THEODORE FKICKE ; Chaplain — Rev. WILLIAM VETTE. O. Captains. First Lieutenants. Second Lieutenants. A—AVilliam George, Christian Sarnow, August F. Mueller, B — Fred. C. Winkler, William E. Huttmann, Francis C. Lackner, C — John P. Seeman, John W. Fuchs, Bernard Domschke, D —August Leigowsky August Schueler, Herman Furstenburg, E—Ar.ton Kettlis, Charles W. Newkirch, John F. Hagen, F — Henry Baetz, Cliarles Pizzala, Albert AVallber, G—Jacob E.Mann, William Smith, Juliu.s Misswinkel, H—Hans Boebel, Joseph Wedig, Charles Vocke, I —Franz Landa, Henry J. Berniuger, John Orth, K— Louis Pelosi. Jacob Help. Edward Carl. BATTLE OF CHANCELLORVILLE. 747 With the exception of Company G, which consisted in part of Americans, the Avhole regiment was composed of men of German birth or German parentage. Being ordered to report at Wash ington, they left the State on the 6th of October, On their arriAâl, they Avere ordered to proceed to Fairfax Court House, to join the Eleventh Army Corps, uuder General Sigel, The regi ment was assigned to the Second Brigade of the Third Division, It Avas immediately put upon duty, engaging in drill Avhenever opportunity offered. On the 2d of lôvember, they marched to Gainesville, and were occupied iu the vicinity of this point, at different stations, until the 9th of December, Avhen the Eleventh Corps took up its line of march for Falmouth, opposite Fred ericksburg, Avhere they arrived on the 14th, just as General Burnside AAâs AvithdraAving his forces, after his unsuccessful attack on the heights of Fredericksburg, Operations for the winter having closed, the Eleventh Corps proceeded to Stafford Court House, Avhere they went into camp. The ill-fated "Mud Campaign," in January, 1863, routed the Eleventh Corps from their winter quarters. They joined the expedition, leaving the Twenty-sixth to guard the lines, which they did until relieved by the TAvelfth Corps, The Eleventh Corps soon after returned to Stafford Court House, where the regiment constructed a comfortable camp, and remained during the A\dnter months. Ou the 5th of February, 1863, Major Horwitz resigned, and Captain Baetz, of Company F, Avas appointed Major, Early in April, preparations for the summer campaign began, and on the 27th of April, the regiment, Avith the rest of the Eleventh Corps, broke camp, and at midnight, crossed the Rap pahannock at Kelley's Ford, and on the 29th, crossed the Rapi- dan at Germania Ford, and by hard marching, reached Locust GroA'C, a fcAv miles west of Chancellorsville, on the 30th of April, The corps Avas put in position along the Fredericksburg Pike, facing south. The line of battle was along the road. The extreme right of the line Avas occupied by a brigade in position at an angle of about forty-five degrees, supported by three or four additional regiments, Avith a section of artillery. This Avas the extreme right of the line. The Twenty-sixth, in the Third Division, Avas about a quarter of a mile from the extreme right. 748 MILITARY HISTORY OF AVISCONSIN. IsTo demonstration Avas made on the line on the 1st of May, except a fire from a battery, nearly opposite the centre of the Eleventh Corps, intended to ascertain the position of the army. Slight rifle pits were throAvu up during the night, and a wood road, in the direction of the rebel guns, Avas barricaded, by falling timber. During the next day, it Avas reported that troops were passing some distance in front of the line, but no notice was taken of it. On the 2d, the original line of battle remained the same, except that a brigade of the Second Division, was sent to aid General Sickles. The TAventy-sixth, with some other regi ments, Avere marched perpendicularly to the rear, and posted on some hills, facing the west. It was posted on a ridge, about a quarter of a mile from the road, with the One Hundred and Nine teenth New York on its left, and its right unprotected. Matters remaiued quiet until about five o'clock, when a crash of musketry was heard on the right, Avhich proved to be the enemy's attack upon the right and rear of the brigade which held the position at the extreme right. The rebel general had massed his force at that point, and the brigade was soon broken and scattering to the woods in the rear. The enemy continued his attack, and succeeded in rolling up a portion of the First Division, Avhich occupied the right, creating a great amount of confusion. An other column of the enemy passed still further to the rear, and struck the position held by the Twenty-sixth, simultaneously with the attack on the First Division. The enemy advanced without skirmishers, and poured in a deadly volley upon the skirmishers of the Twenty-sixth, under Captain Pizzali, Avho was instantly killed. They fell back on the reserves, which fired a volley and. retreated on the battalion, when the two regiments became engaged in a fierce aud deadly struggle with the veterans of Jackson, while they were fighting their first battle. Posted ou a bare hill top, they gallantly resisted the enemy, until they Avere being flanked ou the right and left. With reluctance, they retreated, at the order of the brigade commander, to the main portion of the army, near the Chancellorville House, The advance of the enemy was checked by the approach of darkness. We think much injustice was done, in the outcry made at the time, at the alleged cowardice of the German troops. Experi enced officers have, since the war, gone over the battle ground, CASUALTIES. 749 and have pronounced the positions occupied by the Eleventh Corps, as perfectl}^ untenable, and that the best troops in our armies, in the same position, and under the same kind of attack, would have broken and retired, leaving no alternative but a retreat. On the 3d, the Eleventh Corps moved to the left, where it took position. The TAventy-sixth Avas on the extreme left, near the river, Avhere it engaged in a spirited skirmish on the 4th. The next daA" it was moved to the right, where it remained until the morning of the 6th, Avhen the army of General Hooker made a general retreat across the river, at United States Ford, and the Eleventh Corps returned to its old camp at Stafford Court House. The list of those killed and died of Avounds, at Chaneellorville, Ave copy from the Adjutant General's records, and the list of wounded is as ofiieially published: KILLED OR DIED OF AA'OUNDS.—Sergeant Major H.Carstangen. Company A— Private August Beltz. Omjyany B— Privates Carl Casper, Henry Distelhorst, August Tolzman, August Fiulke and Chas. Van Draw. Company C—Private Herman Herman, Ompany X» —Corporal Joseph Gross, Privates Louis Dross, Henry Schwartz and Fred. Thiele. Ompany £—Captain Charles Kewkirch, Corporals Moritz Fuchs and Chas. AA'inkleman, Privates Laurentz Berg, M. Thurnwachter and Charles AVaetzel. Ompany if—Sergeant Christian Schmidt, Privates Aug. Pickeruhn, Herman Roehr and Fred. Voss. Ompayiy G — Captain Charles Pizzala, Corporal Henry Gunther, Privates Jacob Lanerman, Jacob AVieman, Geo AV. Raseo, Jacob Dixheimer, Richard Daly, Kilian Schnepf, Joseph Stein- metz, John Schmidt, John C. Abetter, and Franz Zilsdorf, Compayiy i?—Privates Jacob Ilartman, Godfrey AA'enzel, Fred. AAêrner and A. J. Zinke. Ompany JT—Sergeant Geo. Wachter and Philip AValdorf, Privates Joseph Stollenwerk, Henry Behrke, John Law, John B. Smith, J. Verou and Fred. Nero. Ompayiy A'—Captain August Schueler, Pri vates aiichael Rausch, August Fleck, Jacob Juderman, Martin Mergeld, Fred. Steinhoff and Fred. Sonnenschieu —53. WOUNDED.—Company ^ — Private Gotthold Jaeuing. Company 5 —Privates Fred. Liebold, AVilliam Lauer, Henry Fink, August Moldenhauer and Aug, Schasse. Ompany C—Lieutenants Ilobei^Muller and Henry llanth, Corporals Heinrich Urich and L, Sehuly, Privates Jacob JIuhel, John Beres, Jno. Saner, Lewis Manz, Andreas Sprengling, P. AVeber, Dominique AAêiss and Carl MuHer. Company 7> —Corporal John Jtlower, Pri vates Heinrich Eisner, P. Lersch, Nieolaus Rausmunere aud Adam Freeling. Ompany A'—Privates Carl Beinnel, John Brown, Anton Ewins, Henry Flammary, Friedrich Hansen, August Luedtke, John Ostertag, AA''illiam Rosenthal, August Stengel, Heinrich AVagner and John AA''askoweiz. Ompany if—Second Lieutenant Adolph Cordier, Corpo ral Daniel Tanbe, Privates Gottfried Arndt, Joseph Braumeister, Christof Burkhardt, August Donath, William Hoefling, Ernst .Taelling, Joseph Joachimstahl, Aug. Koinke, AVilhelm Utke and AVenzel Jours. Ompany G — Corporal Andrew J. Fullerton, Privates Henry Blenker, William Salter, Peter DuUenbach, Frederick Distler, Geo.

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