Official Records of the Rebellion

Official Records of the Rebellion: Volume Eleven, Chapter 23, Part 1: Peninsular Campaign: Reports

The Document

[221]

No. 12.

Reports of Maj. Albert J. Myer, Chief Signal Officer.

CAMP NEAR HARRISON’S LANDING, VA., July 18, 1862.

GENERAL: I have the honor to submit the following preliminary report of services rendered by officers and men of the Signal Corps since the date of my communication of June 22. (See Part III, p. 243)

The following-named officers have been exposed under fire in the discharge of their duties during the recent movement of this army, and in the engagements of June 25, 26, 27, 29, and 30, and July 1. In each case the officers have well performed the duties on which they were ordered, often under circumstances of dangerous exposure:

In the engagement of June 25, with General F. J. Porter’s heavy batteries on our right and with General Hooker’s advance near the Williamsburg road: First Lieut. W. S. Stryker, Twelfth West Virginia Volunteers; Second Lieuts. J. C. Wiggins, Third New Jersey, and N. H. Camp, Fourth New Jersey, at General Porter’s batteries. Second Lieuts. W. G. McCreary, One hundred and second Pennsylvania, and E. A. Denicke, Cameron Rifles, New York Volunteers, with General Hooker, near Williamsburg.

At Mechanicsville, June 26: First Lieuts. B. F. Fisher, Third Pennsylvania Reserves, and F. Birney, Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers. Second Lieuts. J. C. Wiggins, Third New Jersey; F. Horner, Sixth New Jersey, and Isaac Beckett, Fifty-sixth New York.

At the battle of Gaines’ Mill, June 27: First Lieuts. B. F. Fisher, Third Pennsylvania Reserves, and F. Birney, Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers. Second Lieuts. J. Gloskosky, Twenty-ninth New York Volunteers; J. C. Wiggins, Third New Jersey; N. H. Camp, Fourth New Jersey, and F. Horner, Sixth New Jersey.

At the battle of Savage Station, June 29: Second Lieuts. J. C.

Wiggins, Third New Jersey Volunteers; N. H. Camp, Fourth New

Jersey Volunteers; F. W. Marston, Fortieth Pennsylvania Volunteers;

W. H. R. Neel, Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers; D. S. Tompkins,

Fifth Michigan, and E. A. Denicke, Cameron Rifles, New York Volunteers.

At the battle of Malvern Hill, June 30: First Lieuts. L. B. Norton and G. H. McNary, Tenth Pennsylvania Reserves; F. Birney, Twenty- third Pennsylvania Volunteers, and Second Lieut. J. F. Robbins, Ninety-sixth Pennsylvania Volunteers.

At the battle of Malvern Hill, July 1: First Lieuts. B. F. Fisher, Third Pennsylvania Reserves; F. Ellis, Forty-second New York Volunteers, and Charles Herzog, Forty-first New York Volunteers; Second Lieuts. Joseph Gloskosky, Twenty-ninth New York Volunteers, and F. W. Marston, Fortieth Pennsylvania Volunteers.

These officers have been chiefly under artillery fire, which they have encountered from almost every variety of caliber and in almost every degree of intensity. They have been screened whenever it was practicable from musketry fire. There have been narrow escapes, but no casualties. Two of the officers have been touched, their clothing torn by fragments of shell.

The services of the following-named officers entitle them to especial mention:

At the evacuation of the base of operations at White House Point, Va., and while that point was threatened with attack by the enemy, [222] communication was for thirty-six hours maintained between the army on shore and the different gunboats of the flotilla in the Pamunkey covering that position. To the co-operation of the land and naval forces thus secured the success of that movement was in part due.

For their services at this place are mentioned: First Lieuts. W. S. Stryker, Twelfth West Virginia Volunteers, and J. H. Hutchinson, Third Vermont, stationed on shore; First Lieut. James S. Hall, Fifty- third Pennsylvania Volunteers, on flag-ship Chocura.

In the engagement of June 25, at the advance of General Hooker upon the Williamsburg road, the approach of the enemy, hidden by woods from our army, was observed by signal officers stationed in a tree trop, and the information was signaled to General S. P. Heintzelman, commanding on the field. On this information some timely movements of our own forces were made.

On this day, also, direction was given to a field battery near General Hooker’s position.

For their services at this point are mentioned: First Lieut. C. S. Kendall, First Massachusetts Volunteers; Second Lieuts. W. G. McCreary, One hundred and second Pennsylvania Volunteers, and E. A. Denicke, Cameron Rifles, New York Volunteers.

At the same day information was communicated by signal officers across the Chickahominy as to the range and effect of the fire of the heavy batteries stationed on Hogan’s and Gaines’ Hills, then occupied by General F. J. Porter, and firing upon the position of the enemy at Old Tavern.

The officers who served with these batteries are already mentioned.

At the battle of Mechanicsville signals were not used, the smoke settling so quickly upon the battle-field as to render them invisible. Under the circumstances, the officers were employed as reconnoitering officers, and by their observations gave some information as to the movements and position of the enemy and the direction of our artillery.

At the battle of Gaines’ Mill signal communication was established on the field from the right and left flanks of our army, drawn up in line of battle, to the central position, occupied by General F. J. Porter. These stations were established prior to the engagement and maintained under fire until the action became general.

For services rendered preceding and during this action are mentioned:

Second Lieut. J. Gloskosky, Twenty-ninth New York Volunteers, stationed at the end of Bridge No. 5 and in advance of the left wing; First Lieut. B. F. Fisher, Third Pennsylvania Reserves, and Second Lieut. J. C. Wiggins, Third New. Jersey Volunteers, with the right wing, and Second Lieut. N. H. Camp, Fourth New Jersey Volunteers, stationed with the commanding general.

On Sunday, June 29, at the commencement of the flank movement from the Chickahominy and preceding and at the commencement of the battle of Savage Station, reconnaissances of the position and of the advance of the enemy were made by signal officers, and reported by signals to Brig. Gen. W. F. Smith, near Dudley’s house, and Brigadier-General Sumner, on the field of battle.

For service on this occasion are mentioned: Second Lieuts. F. W. Marston, Fortieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and E. A. Denicke, Cameron Rifles, New York Volunteers, reporting to General Smith the movements of the enemy from observatory station near Dudley’s house; Second Lieut. J. C. Wiggins, Third New Jersey Volunteers, stationed near the railroad, in advance of the center of the line of battle.; First Lieut. F. Birney, Twenty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, on the [223] Williamsburg road; Second Lieuts. F. W. Marston, Fortieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and W. H. R. Neel, Ninety-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, at the center. During the action Lieuts. N. H. Camp, E. A. Denicke, and J. C. Wiggins volunteered for a dangerous duty.

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How to cite this article

Official Records of the Rebellion: Volume Eleven, Chapter 23, Part 1: Peninsular Campaign: Reports, pp.221-223

web page Rickard, J (19 November 2006), http://www.historyofwar.org/sources/acw/officialrecords/vol011chap023part1/00012_01.html


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