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The Civil War & Reconstruction

#271 CHANCELLORSVILLE (Part the Fourteenth)

The Civil War & Reconstruction

Richard Youngdahl

History

4.84.8K Ratings

🗓️ 11 March 2019

⏱️ 29 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In which we look at the fighting at Salem Church on May 3, 1863.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Moving rapidly along the plank road toward Salem Church, we saw no signs of the enemy,

0:16.8

but an occasional dead soldier lying along the line of March was proof that sharp skirmishing

0:21.9

had been going on.

0:23.6

Suddenly, we encountered soldiers lying at rest along the road, and soon after, marching

0:29.7

by the plank in four ranks, we filed to the right from the road into a field, and marching

0:36.1

a short distance, we heard the order, left face, forward march, and we were marching

0:42.8

in the line of battle towards the woods.

0:46.3

Probably scarcely a member of the regiment, except the Colonel commanding, knew that

0:50.8

the 15th was about to engage in its first pitched battle, until some men of the 3rd New

0:56.4

Jersey who were lying along the fence, saying out, throw off your nepsacks.

1:03.0

The regiment approached the woods and entered it, not a shot having been fired as I recollect.

1:09.7

After having gone into the woods about a hundred yards, we were met by a scattering skirmish

1:14.7

fire, followed a few seconds after by a crash of musketry from a line of battle, probably

1:20.2

not more than 50 yards ahead.

1:23.0

The regiment halted, and without any general order to fire, the 450 rifles of the 15th

1:30.0

responded with the deafening roar to the rebel body.

1:34.5

After the smoke cleared away, I saw two men of the 15th lying dead, Joshua D. Banker

1:40.7

and James Hendershot, both shot through the head, and two others, whose names I care

1:46.7

not to mention, lying on the ground nearly frightened to death.

1:52.0

In a little time, however, they recovered from their scare, and upon suggestion how to

1:57.3

load and fire, both these men went to work and fought bravely through the entire action.

2:04.3

The situation was terrific.

...

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